Here’s a youkai that you might have seen, it’s something of a classic. The long-necked woman, also known as Rokurokubi (轆轤首). Rokurokubi looks completely normal during the day, but at night, during the relaxed state of sleep, she will show her true self. The youkai with the ever-stretching neck. The direct translation of her name …
Category: youkai
I’m back with Zashiki
Hello old…blog-friend, it's been too long! *ducks flying fruit* Basically, RL took over and though I never stopped writing (yay me!), my blog did take a bit of a back-burner. I am going to try to be much more diligent with writing and the like, just as a personal sort of resolution. I kind of …
Izuna
Izuna (飯綱) also goes by the name of kuda-kitsune (管狐). It can be said the two are the same, yet have some small more distinctive qualities and legends about them that make them a little different. The Izuna is a small youkai, with soft fur and a tail like the end of a broom. It's born with all …
Let’s have a Night Parade!
The Hyakki Yako (百鬼夜行), or the Night Parade of One Hundred Monsters, is one of the more well-known Japanese folklore tales, frequently a subject of old paintings like this one: Hyakki Yako is a name given when all kinds of youkai gather together in a group to walk the streets. Of course, anyone who happens …
Let’s talk Tengu’s
The Tengu is a fascinating creature, neither black nor white, it seems to permanently reside in the area of grey (pun not intended). Back in ancient times when the unknown was a subject of fear rather than a new series on the Discovery Channel, people in Japan believed that forests were a spiritual area, the place where …
More from fox spirits
Random tidbits: Although portrayed as a trickster, the fox spirit is also considered a messenger and faithful servant of Inari, the god of rice and fertility. The ones who serve Inari are depicted to be white in color - a good omen. Inari shrines even features numerous guardian kitsune statues. It’s said that when the sun is shining when …
MJ Lin 