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Free Japanese Yokai posters
Five A3 display posters for work on stories from other cultures. Print and go.
A free resource for schools.
Print, display and photocopy freely.
Kitsune, Oni, Tengu, Kappa and Rokurokubi: one poster each, designed to be read from across a classroom and to stand up to a term on a wall.
On every poster
- The creature's name in Japanese, and how to say it
- Facts drawn from the earliest sources
- A timeline showing where the story comes from: scrolls, prints, carvings and shrines, with dates
- A discussion question with no single right answer
- Six creature ratings children can compare and debate
Download
All five posters are in one file, in colour and again in black and white.
To print on A4, choose ‘Fit to page’.
Kitsune
狐
kit-SOO-neh
A magical fox that can change its shape, from old stories and shrines in Japan.
Would you ask her back?
More about the Kitsune
Oni
鬼
OH-nee
A huge horned demon with an iron club, from old stories and festivals in Japan.
Why want an Oni on your side?
More about the Oni
Tengu
天狗
TEN-goo
A winged spirit and master sword-fighter, from the sacred mountains of Japan.
Why did the Tengu change?
More about the Tengu
Kappa
河童
KAH-pah
A river spirit with a dish of water on its head, from the rivers and ponds of Japan.
Why might a scary story work better than a rule?
More about the Kappa
Rokurokubi
ろくろ首
roh-koo-roh-KOO-bee
A person whose neck stretches long at night, from ghost stories told by candlelight in Japan.
Fear them, or feel sorry for them?
More about the Rokurokubi
Using these in class
- England
Supports KS2 English work on myths, legends and books from other cultures and traditions. The source timeline on each poster covers how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
Show the 3 codes
KS2 English: myths and legends · KS2 English: other cultures and traditions · KS2 History: sources
- United States
Grade 4 English, comparing myths and traditional literature from different cultures, when the poster sets are used together.
Show the code
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.9
- Australia
Years 3 to 8 English: discussing creatures in their cultural contexts, and using each poster's discussion question to form and justify an opinion. Year 8 History skills: the origin and purpose of sources, their accuracy and usefulness as evidence, and the perspectives of the past they carry.
Show the 14 codes
English, Years 3 to 8
AC9E3LE01 · AC9E4LE01 · AC9E5LE01 · AC9E6LE01 · AC9E7LE01 · AC9E8LE01 · AC9E3LY02 · AC9E4LY02 · AC9E5LY02 · AC9E6LY02 · AC9E7LE02
History, Year 8
AC9HH8S03 · AC9HH8S04 · AC9HH8S06
These are the year levels where this resource has a named curriculum home. They are not a limit, and much of the material carries across other age groups.
Curriculum links checked October 2026 against National Curriculum (England, 2014), Common Core State Standards and Australian Curriculum v9.0. All curriculum links
Take it further
Display all five, then run the comparison task: a one-lesson activity comparing creatures across five cultures, with teacher notes and answers.
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- Curriculum linksWhat every resource here supports in England, Australia and the United States.
- Compare the mythologiesFive creatures, five cultures, five questions. One lesson, with teacher notes and answers.
- Design your own creaturePlanning sheet, writing frame and a blank card so their creature joins the deck.
- Battle cardsThirty-six cards, six ratings, one game. Print, cut, play.
Licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Updated October 2026.