Japan is a country known for its superstitions, culture, and different beliefs, resulting in numerous legends and bizarre creatures. There are hundreds of them, some harmless, others terrifying. In this article, we will learn about some of the most bizarre creatures and legends of Japan.
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Kamaitachi – The Sickle Weasel
Kamaitachi [窮奇] is a monster from Japanese folklore that means sickle (kama) and weasel (itachi). The monster is said to take the form of a weasel with sharp teeth like sickles that would cut its victims with extreme speed.
Ancient Japanese say that Kamaitachi is responsible for the cuts that people suffer when hit by strong gusts of cold wind! So, the blow of the Kamaitachi makes a small cut on the person, which initially does not hurt much, as the cut is small, but probably the cut will become infected!
Okiku – The Living Doll in Kimono
Okiku is a small doll dressed in a kimono. She belonged to a little girl named Okiku, who died of cold. Her spirit possessed the doll, and now, her hair grows mysteriously. The doll is now in the Mannenji temple. At first, her hair was short, but over time, the doll’s locks have grown, and today they reach the doll’s waist. No one knows how the doll’s hair continues to grow, but scientific research has concluded that it is the hair of a young child, perhaps Okiku’s.
Umiboozu – The Japanese Sea Monster
Umiboozu (海坊主) is a terrible sea monster that usually appears along the coast of Japan. Its legends are described in the Edo period. The main action of this monster is destruction. It always appears to devastate vessels, taking along with them, humans to the depths of the sea. It is also said that it can form a whirlpool along the coasts in the shape of a pot, pulling humans who are at its edge.
There are many descriptions of the Umiboozu legend. Some people say that it can take on various forms. But its original physical characteristic is monstrous, measuring up to 30 meters out of the water and having a very shiny bald head. This has led to Umiboozu earning the nickname “Bald Monster.” It is said that this monster has no mouth or eyes and its color is black as a moonless night. However, in some legends, Umiboozu is described with a huge mouth and glowing eyes like fire.
Imagine a shark. Now imagine a shark whose fins are like a cheese grater, except that instead of grated cheese, it grates your flesh. This is Isonade, which uses its teeth and fins to make fillet out of you, then drags you down to the bottom of the ocean.
Kushisake Onna – The Woman with the Cut Mouth
Her name (口裂け女) means “the woman with the cut mouth.” If you are walking down the street alone late at night, she will jump out from some corner or alley and stop in front of you. You will not be able to escape, as she will teleport and appear right in front of you. She wears a surgical mask and a tattered coat.
Kushisake will ask you: “Am I beautiful?” If you say no, she will cut off your head with a large pair of scissors. If you answer yes, she will remove the mask, revealing her mouth torn from ear to ear, and will ask “How about now?” If you respond no, you will be cut in half, and if you say yes, your mouth will be cut like hers.
Tomimo no Jigoku – The Cursed Poem
Tomimo’s Hell is a cursed poem, which says it kills those who read it aloud. If you are lucky you will not die, but bad things happen anyway. Tomimo’s Hell was written by Yomota Inuhiko, in his book called “The Heart is like a Rolling Stone,” and is included in Saizo Yaso’s 27th collection of poems from 1919. The poem tells the story of Tomimo, who dies and goes to hell.
Hitobashira – The Human Pillars
Hitobashira (人柱) means “human pillars.” In ancient Japan, the Japanese believed that sealing live people into buildings would make them stronger and more stable. Sealing people in pillars and walls was a common sacrifice to the gods, who, pleased, blessed the buildings to last longer. It is said that the human pillars are haunted by those who served as sacrifices.
Teke Teke – The Elbow Creature
Teke teke teke would be the sound the creature makes when it walks (with its elbow). She was a beautiful young woman who fell (or threw herself, there are various versions) onto the subway tracks. She was cut in half by a train, but her anger and resentment were so intense that her torso continues to seek revenge. Despite the lack of her legs, she can move very quickly, and if you are unlucky enough to be caught by her, Teke Teke will cut you in half with a sickle she carries.
Yuki-onna – The Snow Woman
Yuki-onna (雪女? snow woman) is a spirit or youkai (a type of demon from Japanese folklore) found in Japanese folklore. It is a very common figure in Japanese animation, manga, and literature.
According to folklore, Yuki-Onna sings to seduce men, causing them to get lost in snowstorms and die frozen. They often appear in the form of beautiful young women, and in many legends, they fall in love with men and approach them, marrying and starting families, even having children. However, the love story always ends with her disappearance on a day of heavy mist or storm, probably when the call of her world becomes stronger.
Aka Manto – The Red Cape
Aka Manto means Red Cape/Cloak. It basically refers to a tormented spirit that haunts bathrooms. He will appear when you use the bathroom that has no toilet paper. He will then ask you: “Do you want the red paper or the blue paper?” If you choose the red paper, you will be cut into pieces. If you opt for the blue paper, you will be strangled to death. According to other versions of the story, by choosing the red paper, you will be skinned alive, and if you prefer the blue, your blood will be drained from your body.
Gashadokuro – The Giant Skeleton
Gashadokuro (がしゃどくろ) is a youkai, a creature from Japanese mythology, this spirit is quite simple – it is a giant skeleton made of the bones of people who died of hunger. They roam around, grabbing you and biting your head, drinking your blood, and adding your skeleton to the pile.
The Haunted Inunaki Village
Inunaki Village is a mysterious village completely isolated from other villages, and even from the country itself. It is not known for sure if this village actually exists, but some people say it does. At the entrance of the village, there is a sign that says “The constitutive laws of Japan do not apply here.”
The residents of this village live in a very strange way: incest, cannibalism, and murder are common there. For some reason, you cannot use your cell phone or any other electronic device while in Inunaki Village. There are old shops and some public phones there, but you cannot call anyone. It is said that those who enter Inunaki Village cannot leave.
The Haunted Kyiotaki Tunnel
This tunnel was built in 1927. It is 444m long (4 is a cursed number in Japan, similar to the number 13 for most Western people). Kyiotaki is, according to legends, cursed by all the workers who died while building it, due to the terrible working conditions of the time, which forced them to work like slaves, and by all those who died in the tunnel, victims of accidents caused by the spirits of the workers.
It is said that ghosts can be seen in the tunnel at night, and that they can even possess your car and cause an accident. It is also said that there is a mirror in this tunnel, and that if you look into it and see a ghost, you will have a horrible death. The length of the tunnel can also vary, depending on the time and period you are measuring it (night or day).
Akaname – The Dirt Licker
Akaname can be translated as “dirt licker.” Akaname is a horrible type of bogeyman from Japan that literally licks dirty bathrooms, cleaning everything with its tongue aided by its poisonous saliva. It is believed that the monster may have originated as a way for parents to motivate their children to keep the bathroom clean.
Shirime – The Man with an Eye on His Butt
The description of this character is a bit crude. Shirime was the name given to an apparition of a man with an eye in place of his anus. Eye on the butt, to be more precise.
There is almost no information about its appearances. In fact, there is only one recorded story about Shirime, but the idea of this being was quite assimilated by the artist and poet Yosa Buson who included several supernatural creatures in the paintings he made.
The story of Shirime simply states that a lonely samurai was walking down a road at night when someone called him. He turned to see a mysterious man undressing and pointing to his backside.
Out of nowhere, a large shining eye began to open from the indicated area. The samurai was so horrified that he ran away screaming, and Shirime was never seen again.
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