Gajumaru (ガジュマル) and Kijimunā (キジムナー): Okinawa’s Tree of Spirits
Stand beneath an old gajumaru in Okinawa and the tree seems to have more than one trunk. Roots descend from...
Yokai
Tanuki (狸): The Lucky Trickster Outside Japan’s Bars and Its Giant Money Pouch
Outside a Japanese bar, the doorman may be made of clay. He wears a broad hat, holds a flask of...
Kappa (河童): The River Spirit That Tried to Steal a Horse in Tōno
At a stream in northern Japan, the creature came for a horse. By morning, the horse had delivered the creature...
Tsukumogami (付喪神): When Forgotten Objects Awaken in Japan
What if the thing you threw away still remembered you? In Japanese folklore, an old household object can cross a...
Zashiki-Warashi (座敷童子): The Child Spirit That Brings Fortune—Until It Leaves
Imagine crossing a quiet bridge in rural Japan and meeting two unfamiliar girls. They tell you they have just left...
Kitsune (狐): Japan’s Fox Spirits and the Legends Behind Their Masks
Imagine meeting a stranger on a path at dusk. Their voice is ordinary. Their manners are perfect. Only later does...
Japanese Mythology: Gods, Yokai, Legends, Creatures
A vermilion torii gate rising from morning mist, a fox statue holding a key in its mouth, a mountain trail...
