Yokai– tag –
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Hokusai’s Haunted Prints: Inside Japan’s Hyakumonogatari Tradition
Katsushika Hokusai is known internationally for views of Mount Fuji and waves, yet much of his supernatural art appeared in a less familiar place: illustrated books. The Hokusai Museum in Obuse, Nagano, is bringing that darker body of wo... -
Do Inugami Families Really Exist? Surnames, Bloodlines, and a Shikoku Marriage Rumor
English Version In Episode 2 of this series, we looked at how the idea of the inugami—a dog spirit used in curses or spirit possession—was already recogniz -
Is Inugami a Yokai, a Ghost, or an Onmyoji Curse? Japan’s Feared Dog Spirit Legend
English Version In the first part of this series, we looked broadly at how the being known as inugami may have developed and what kinds of legends surround -
Nurikabe in Oita: Folklore Reports on Japan’s Mysterious Wall Yokai
English Version Published October 21, 2019; updated February 21, 2020. This article continues from the first half of our report on Nurikabe, the mysterious -
Nurikabe in Oita: Rediscovering Japan’s “Wall” Yokai Legend in Usuki (Part 1)
English Version Good news: on April 27, 2000, the legendary yokai known as Kabenuri or Nurikabe was reportedly rediscovered through the joint efforts of oc -
Kappa Stone in Yamaguchi: Shimonoseki’s Haunted River Legend
English Version A Local Kappa Legend in Shimonoseki In the Katsuyama area of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, one old ghost-story-like legend is said to
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