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Articles about Japanese folklore
On Suki Desu, Japanese folklore brings together tales, local figures and the stories a house still tells.
How a Japanese list of "forbidden search terms" became a piece of internet folklore.
A tiny cloth doll that asks the sky for sunshine in Japan — and a children's song with a surprisingly grim ending.
A square of paper, a bird with a red crown, and the story told beside the Children's Peace Monument.
From bronze fūtaku to glass painted from the inside: what the Japanese wind chime still means.
The kappa is Japan's best-known water yokai: origins, the water-filled dish on its head, its taste for cucumbers and sumo, and its...
A woodland canid, a yokai that borrows kettles, and the smiling statue outside the izakaya.
The red tumbler that stares until you finish what you promised
A forgotten Hatsune Miku Vocaloid series set to Japanese ghosts, onibi, and urban legends - and a small window into the darker...
The paper umbrella that hops on one geta — a yōkai more famous in pictures than in local legends
Death spirits of Japanese legend, village warnings, and the anime versions that made 死神 famous worldwide.
Short pom-pom tail, calico luck, and a talkative companion from Japanese art to modern homes.
Japan's beckoning cat: paw, colors, temple legends, and why it is not Chinese
From hidden spirits and hell wardens to Setsubun masks and modern anime — the many faces of the Japanese oni.
Prove your guts on a hot Japanese night—and know when the dare should stop.
A voice at the gate, a forced promise, and the Edo story behind Japan’s hanging ghost
From Hanako-san’s third stall to Aka Manto’s deadly choice — the toilet folklore Japan never stopped telling.
Japan's folklore is full of strange, scary and fascinating figures.
Kaidan (怪談) are Japanese tales of the strange—often ghostly, sometimes unsettling, and rooted in a long storytelling tradition.
An alphabetical guide to yōkai, ghosts, oni, kami, and other legendary figures from Japanese folklore.
A practical guide to the masks behind Japanese theater, folklore, festival culture, samurai armor, and modern cosplay.
