Yōkai

Yōkai are a large collection of supernatural beings found in the folklore of Japan. The yōkai cannot be easily classified as a single type of being; instead, they can range between monsters, gods, possessed humans, demons, ghosts, or other strange creatures. Yōkai can be forces of good or evil. Many are mischievous, some are helpful, while others can be consumed with vengeance or are indifferent to humans. The name yōkai comes from the Japanese characters for “bewitching” and “mystery.” Yōkai became a cultural phenomenon during Japan’s Edo period before being pushed aside as the nation modernized. They encountered a resurgence in the mid-twentieth century, growing in popularity to become ingrained into many aspects of modern Japanese culture and society.

Brief history

Japan’s religious traditions have played a large role in influencing the nation’s folklore. The people of ancient Japan believed in a concept known as animism, in which spirits live in the objects of the everyday world. By the sixth century CE, this belief system had evolved into the religion of Shintoism. Shinto beliefs hold that sacred spirits or gods known as kami inhabit the mountains, forests, rivers, and other objects within nature. People pray to the kami and make offerings to them in hopes of receiving good luck or warding off evil spirits.

The oldest-known written work of Japanese literature—Kojiki, or “Record of Ancient Matters”—dates from the eighth century CE and provides an account of how the yōkai originated. According to the text, the god Izanagi returned from a visit to the land of the dead and purified himself in a bath. As he dried himself, the drops of falling water from his body was absorbed by the world around him to create a magical energy. When this energy escaped from the natural world, it took the form of the yōkai.

Fueled by a cultural fondness for storytelling and a love of the supernatural, tales of the yōkai became immensely popular in Japan during the Edo period (1603–1868). During this time, Japan was ruled by a powerful warrior clan that established the nation’s capital at Edo, the ancient name of Tokyo. To appease the public’s appetite for yōkai, artists such as Toriyama Sekien compiled tales from Japanese folklore and added a few original ideas to create popular yōkai encyclopedias. The fascination with yōkai continued until the late nineteenth century when Japan began a period of modernization known as the Meiji period (1868–1912). Japan’s leaders viewed the nation’s traditional superstitions as “backward” and discouraged the belief in yōkai.

The yōkai were largely forgotten by most of Japan until 1960 when artist Mizuki Shigeru used the old tales as the basis for his comic series, GeGeGe no Kitarō. The comic became immensely popular among Japanese youth and was later made into an animated television series. GeGeGe no Kitarō renewed public interest in yōkai and led to a resurgence of popularity for the mysterious beings, and Japanese folklore in general.

Topic today

In modern Japan, yōkai have been embraced by the public and have become commonplace in Japanese popular culture. They are staples of animated TV series, movies, video games, and books. Yōkai have inspired fan groups across the nation and have become the subject of college courses in Japanese universities. Many of the yōkai are drawn from the country’s traditional myths and the encyclopedias of the Edo period, while others are modern inventions that incorporate elements of urban legends. Hundreds of creatures, spirits, and strange phenomena can be classified as yōkai. They fall into several broad categories such as the obake, shapeshifting creatures that can take on human form, and the tsukumogami, inanimate objects that become infused with living energy. Some of the most well-known individual yōkai are the kappa, tengu, oni, onryō, and the kuchisake-onna.

Kappa: A kappa is a water spirit whose name means “river child.” They are about the size of a human child, have webbed feet and hands, and carry a turtle shell on their backs. They have a bowl-like depression on the top of their heads that must constantly be filled with water. If the water dries up or is spilled, the kappa loses its power and dies. The creatures are said to lure children into rivers or lakes where they drown them. Some kappa are portrayed as mischievous beings who love sumo wrestling and cucumbers. Others are said to feed on human entrails.

Tengu: Traditional Japanese legends portray these yōkai as evil mountain goblins with birdlike beaks and wings. The tengu were said to kidnap children and Buddhist priests, and start fires in Buddhist temples. Modern incarnations of the tengu are more human-like with unusually large noses. They are considered to be mischievous protector spirits that can still be dangerous if they are not treated with respect.

Oni: The oni are hellish, flesh-eating demons or ogres that have been a staple of Japanese folklore for centuries. They are depicted as towering creatures with red or blue skin, giant tusks, and two or more horns on their heads. They are clothed in the skins of the animals they have killed and are rumored to cause disease and disasters. The oni are the warriors of hell and are said to brutally kill humans simply for enjoyment.

Onryō: An onryō is a vengeful ghost known as a grudge spirit. These are the souls of people who were killed in acts of jealousy, rage, or extreme violence and remain on earth to torment the living. Onryō display the wounds or injuries they suffered at the time of their death. These spirits inflict a curse that can be passed from place to place or person to person. They are creatures of vengeance and can target anyone with their hatred. Though they can kill a human easily, onryō prefer to make the living suffer.

Kuchisake-onna: The kuchisake-onna, or “slit-mouthed woman,” is the spirit of a woman who was disfigured and violently murdered. She is said to roam the world seeking vengeance on the living. According to legend, the kuchisake-onna has a deep, bloody wound on her face from ear to ear. She approaches travelers at night with her face covered with a mask or fan. She asks the traveler if they think she is beautiful. If they say “yes,” she removes her masks and asks the question again. If the traveler screams or says “no,” the kuchisake-onna slashes her victim’s face so it resembles hers. If they answer “yes,” she walks away, only to follow the person home and murder them in their homes.

Bibliography

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