In Tokyo there is a statue of Hachiko the faithful dog near the busy Shibuya crossing. Legend goes that after the dog's owner died unexpectedly he continued to wait for him each and every day for the next nine years. The statue is now a famous meeting place.
#JapaneseFolklore #folklore #Japan @folklore

In #JapaneseFolklore rokurokubi are a type of #yokai appearing as regular women but with the ability to extend their necks to extraordinary lengths (or sometimes completely detach) so their heads can wander around without their bodies. Most rokurokubi just scare people rather than being dangerous. It is believed they were once real women who were transformed into yokai as a result of either a curse or punishment. I have written more about them here: https://www.curiousordinary.com/2023/06/rokurokubi.html
#folklore @folklore

In Japanese folklore there is a yokai tree known as jinmenju. It has flowers that look like human heads. If you laugh at the tree the heads will laugh back. However, if you make them laugh too much, they will wilt and fall off before bearing their face-shaped fruit.
#JapaneseFolklore #yokai #folklore #Japan @folklore
🎨Shigeru Mizuki

In Japan the iris is believed to have purifying properties and the ability to dispel evil energies and protect those who wear it. These flowers are also said to represent loyalty, a noble heart and warrior spirit, possibly due to their sword shaped leaves. The fragrant leaves are traditionally used in relaxing baths which are believed to bring good luck and instill some warrior spirit.
#JapaneseFolklore #folklore #ukiyoe #Hiroshige @folklore
🎨'Iris Garden at Horikiri' - Utagawa Hiroshige, 1857.

In #JapaneseFolklore it is believed that when using timber pillars to construct a building it's important to avoid sakabashira (reverse pillar). This occurs when pillars are placed upside down (opposite to way the tree was facing when living) and can cause all sorts of problems including fires and great misfortune for the building's residents. In some reports, leaf spirits appear from the pillar to take revenge by making noises & scaring inhabitants out of their wits.
#yokai #folklore @folklore

In #JapaneseFolklore, the tale of Urashima Taro is about a humble fisherman who rescues a turtle from torment. His kind act sets off a chain of events that takes him deep beneath the waves to the Palace of the Dragon King, a realm of beauty and magic. Time behaves differently in this undersea world, where what appears as mere days transpires as years. After a joyful sojourn at the Palace Urashima returns to his village where he opens a...
#MytholofyMonday #folklore @mythology @folklore
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The liver is a very important organ, so all kinds of suffering can ensure if it gets infected with a yokai.

Which of the following liver worms is the scariest?

https://yokai.com/kannoju/
https://yokai.com/kizetsunokanmushi/
https://yokai.com/tonshinokanmushi/

Get more yokai at https://patreon.com/theyokaiguy

#yokai #folklore #妖怪 #japan #japanesefolklore #腹の虫 #art #illustration #MastoArt #parasite #liver

Amefuri kozo are yokai that appear as young boys wearing wooden clogs and kimonos with umbrellas on their heads. They are believed to be responsible for causing rainfall as clouds form and rain falls wherever they go. But beware because they enjoy stealing umbrellas to wear as hats, leaving their victims to get soaked in the rain. Some people believe that amefuri kozo are servants of the rain god Ushi.
#JapaneseFolklore #folklore #yokai #Japan @folklore
🎨1. Toriyama Sekien
2. Matthew Meyer

Are you feeling irritable or short-tempered? Or do you smile and laugh thoughtlessly?
You might have a yokai!

Read about this week's infectious #yokai at
https://yokai.com/shinshaku/
https://yokai.com/kanshaku/

Get more #japanese #folklore at https://patreon.com/theyokaiguy

#art #illustration #japanesefolklore #妖怪

In Japanese mythology it was the goddess Uzume dancing, with the help of a rooster, who lured the sun goddess Amaterasu from the cave where she was hiding and thus returning light to the world. Uzume is known as the goddess of Spring. As a result of this myth, roosters are associated with Amaterasu and are held in high regard in Japan. They are sometimes seen wandering freely around Shinto temples.
#folklore #mythology #JapaneseFolklore @folklore @mythology
🎨1. Unknown
2. Tozan Masazumi, 1853.

In #JapaneseFolklore mermaids are known as ningyo. Unlike European mermaids, they look more like fish than humans and are considered far more monstrous than beautiful. In some cases they are believed to foretell the future. Their flesh is said to give eternal life, but most people won't take the risk as ningyo can put powerful curses on those who try to catch or kill them. To be safe, it is best to do whatever you can to avoid any encounters with ningyo.
#folklore #mythology #mermaids @folklore

In #JapaneseFolklore household objects work too. In fact, on their 100th birthday they are rewarded by obtaining a soul, or kami. They are thereafter known as tsukumogami, a type of #yokai which basically means tools that have acquired a spirit.
#MythologyMonday
🎨Shigekiyo

Tesso is a #yokai that takes the form of a gigantic rat. This creature is the vengeful spirit of a monk named Raido who was betrayed by the emperor. Tesso gathered an army of rats that wreaked havoc on the places and people associated with Raido's betrayal.
#Folklore #JapaneseFolklore @folklore @mythology
🎨1. 'The Priest Raigo of Mii Temple' from the 'Thirty-six Ghosts' series - Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 1891.

Hina Nagashi is a traditional Japanese festival for girls held annually on March 3rd. It involves floating Japanese dolls in small boats on rivers or seas. Families write wishes for their daughters on the doll & it's believed the ritual will protect them from misfortune. The tradition originated from an ancient custom of beating oneself with a doll. It was believed that any evil could be transferred to the doll & taken away.
#JapaneseFolklore #folklore
🎨'Dolls Festival' - Miyagawa Shuntei, 1898

There is a strange tale from Japanese folklore about how a wooden sumo doll magically came to life and saved a family from a group of bandits. You can read the full tale on my website here:
https://www.curiousordinary.com/2022/11/sumo-doll.html?m=1
#folklore #JapaneseFolklore #magic #mythology @folklore

In Japanese folklore there is a yokai known as tatarimokke where it is believed that the spirits of dead babies take the form of owls which remain close to, and are highly respected by, the grieving families. More info here:
https://www.curiousordinary.com/2023/04/tatarimokke.html
#folklore #mythology #JapaneseFolklore
#owls #yokai #ukiyoe #JapaneseArt @mythology @folklore

In Japanese mythology Fujin is a Shinto wind kami (god), usually portrayed as a fearsome-looking deity sitting on or walking over the clouds and carrying a sack containing the winds. His rival is Raijin, the god of thunder. When the two gods come together in the sky, that is when the worst storms happen. Even though they are portrayed as fierce, they are also respected as protector deities.
#MythologyMonday #JapaneseFolklore #folklore #mythology
🎨'The Japanese wind god Fujin' - Sotatsu, 17th C

Ukemochi is the Japanese Shinto goddess of food who was able to produce foods from her body. Unfortunately on one occasion when she was doing this, she offended the moon god Tsukuyomi. As a result he killed her which lead to the sun goddess Amateurasu banishing him to the far end of the sky.
More about ukemochi here:
https://www.curiousordinary.com/2023/04/ukemochi.html
More about Tsukuyomi here:
https://www.curiousordinary.com/2021/08/tsukuyomi.html
🎨Tatsuya Kosaka
#Folklore #mythology #JapaneseFolklore
@mythology @folklore

In #JapaneseFolklore kubikajiri is a #yokai that eats the heads of its victims, living or dead. It waits in graveyards for the freshly buried dead which it then digs up to feast on. Kubikajiri smells of blood & in some accounts it is also headless. Some believe they may be ghosts of those buried without their head. Others suggest they are the spirits of elderly people who were abandoned by their families during famines & then starved to death.
#folklore
🎨1. Kawanabe Kyosai
3. Ippitsusai Buncho

In #JapaneseFolklore hitodama are floating balls of fire appearing at night, especially in graveyards. They are the souls of humans that have separated from their host bodies, usually seen at the time of death. The balls of fire have trailing tails, are generally blue, red, or orange, and float along quite close to the ground. They're harmless, but it's important not to confuse them with other more dangerous fireball #yokai such as kitsunebi, which are a sign a fox wedding is underway.
#folklore