Ōkaburo are best known for their depiction by Toriyama Sekien. His ōkaburo is actually a male yōkai dressed up as a young kamuro, wearing a chrysanthemum-patterned kimono. His description makes an allusion to Peng Zu, a legendary Taoist wizard from China.

桂男 かつらおとこ. Translation: katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) man Habitat: the moon Diet: vampiric. Appearance: Katsura otoko is an incomparably beautiful man who lives in the face of the moon.He appears on moonlit nights as gazes back down at those who gaze up at him. His beauty is said to be so enchanting that those who gaze at him find it difficult to turn away, even to their ...

Welcome to Yokai.com, the illustrated database of Japanese folklore. This is an illustrated encyclopedia featuring ghosts, monsters, and legendary figures from Japan. All of the entries on this site are based on Japanese sources including …

野狐 のぎつね. Translation: wild fox Alternate names: yako, yakan; many local variation exist as well Habitat: fields, forests, and wild areas Diet: omnivorous; they particularly like wax, oil, lacquer, and women’s life force and blood. Appearance: Nogitsune, also frequently called yako, are a type of kitsune—magical foxes found in East Asian folklore.

怨霊 おんりょう Translation: grudge spirit, vengeful ghost Habitat: found all throughout Japan Diet: none; survives solely on its wrath Appearance: The most dreaded type of yūrei is the onryō. They are the ghosts of people who died with such strong passions—jealousy, rage, or hatred—that their soul is unable to pass on. Instead, they transform into powerful, wrathful spirits who

川男 かわおとこ Translation: river man Habitat: riversides Diet: unknown Appearance: Kawa otoko are docile humanoid yōkai who live along the banks of rivers high in the mountains. They are found all over Japan–especially in prefectures where there are many tall mountains. They have dark skin and are very tall. Their facial features make them naturally

Though their name might suggest that kijo are the female counterparts to the male oni, there is nothing to support this. Tales show oni working either as tormentors of the damned or as menaces to human society in the living world, but kijo do …

鬼 おに. Translation: ogre, demon Habitat: Hell; remote mountains, caves, islands, abandoned fortresses Diet: omnivorous; especially livestock, humans, and alcohol. Appearance: Oni are one the greatest icons of Japanese folklore.They are large and scary, standing taller than the tallest man, and sometimes taller than trees. They come in many varieties, but are most commonly depicted with ...

Appearance: Shiofuki is an elusive aquatic yokai with elephantine ears and a trunk-like mouth. It has human-like arms, but its hands are webbed and resemble the fins of a fish. Its body is covered in fine hairs which the salt in the ocean sticks to.

狐 きつね Translation: fox Alternate names: unique names exist in many individual instances Habitat: found throughout Japan Diet: omnivorous; fond of fried tofu Appearance: Foxes, or kitsune, are found all across Japan. They are identical to wild foxes found elsewhere in the world apart from their incredible magical powers. Their cute …