yô (attractive, bewitching, calamity)
kai (suspicious, mystery, apparition)

---

❖ (ghost; apparition; phantom; spectre; specter; demon; monster; goblin)
❖ Something strange, suspicious, or mysterious such as a spirit, ghost, demon, or other 'supernatural' creature
❖ Also called ayashii, ayakashi

aya.shii (attractive, bewitching, calamity)

---

aya.shii (suspicious, mystery, apparition)

---

ayakashi (ghost that appears at sea during a shipwreck, something strange or suspicious, noh mask for roles involving dead or ghost characters)

tsukumogami – Old or discarded artifact spirits

hito.tsu (one)
me (eye)
ko- (small, little)
zô | sô (monk, priest)

---

❖ (one-eyed boys)
❖ Roughly the size of ten-year-old children, their most distinctive feature is a single, giant eye peering from the center of the face, along with a long tongue
❖ They are relatively harmless creatures, content to run about frightening human beings or telling loud people to be quiet (they enjoy silence)

inu (dog)
gami | kami (soul, mind, kami)

---

❖ (Literally: dog kami)
❖ Similar to a familiar spirit, resembling, and usually originating from, a dog
❖ Most commonly carrying out vengeance or acting as guardians on behalf of the inugami-mochi, (inugami owner)

iso (rocky beach, seashore)
onna (woman)

---

iso (beach, rock, shore)
onna (woman)

---

❖ (woman of the rocky shores)
❖ Has a slit mouth
❖ Attacks and eats people

kai (suspicious, mystery, apparition)
jû (animal, beast)

---

❖ (Literally: strange beast)
❖ A monster

kap (river)
pa (juvenile, child)

---

❖ (water-dwelling creature, excellent swimmer, cucumber)
❖ A water creature that lures people into rivers and ponds, and then drowns them
❖ Has a fondness for cucumbers

ko- (tree, wood)
dama | tama (spirit, soul)

---

❖ A spirit believed to live in certain trees
❖ Cutting down a tree which houses it is thought to bring misfortune, and such trees are often marked with shimenawa

o (honorable)
ba.ke (change, take the form of, influence, enchant)

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❖ (Literally: a thing that changes)
❖ yôkai in Japanese folklore that transform or shapeshift
❖ Also called bakemono, obakemono

ba.ke (change, take the form of, influence, enchant)
mono (thing, object)

---

o (honorable) – written with kanji or hiragana
ba.ke (change, take the form of, influence, enchant)
mono (thing, object)

ba.ke (change, take the form of, influence, enchant)
neko (cat)

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❖ (ghost-cat able to appear in disguise)
❖ A cat with supernatural abilities
❖ A cat may become a bakeneko if it: lives over 13 years, is kept for a certain number of years, reaches one kan (3.75 kilograms) in weight, or is allowed to keep a long tail
❖ Also called maneki-neko

mane.ki (beckon, invite, summon)
neko (cat)

---

❖ (Literally: beckoning cat)

neko (cat)
mata (crotch, forked)

---

❖ Two-tailed monster cat

❖ (serpent, snake)
❖ Protect against illness, disaster, bad fortune and like the dragon can bring rain
❖ Snakes can transform into human forms, usually that of a vengeful, jealous or wronged woman

shiro (white)
hebi (serpent, snake)

---

❖ A messenger of kami
❖ White snakes are associated with ujagin, benzaiten, suijin, and inari

jo (female, woman)
rô (son)
jorô (prostitute, entertainment woman)
gumo | kumo (spider)

---

❖ (literally: prostitute spider)
❖ The last two kanji both mean spider
❖ A spider that can change its appearance into that of a seductive woman

❖ (fox)
❖ Foxes are usually considered bad omens, but white, black or nine-tailed foxes can be good omens from the Kami

aka (red)
gitsune | kitsune (fox)

---

❖ Red fox
❖ Vulpes vulpes

gin (silver)
gitsune | kitsune (fox)

---

❖ Silver fox
❖ Vulpes vulpes

hok (north)
kyoku (pole, extreme, extremity)
hokkyoku (north pole, arctic)
gitsune | kitsune (fox)

---

❖ Polar fox, arctic fox
❖ Alopex lagopus

jû (ten)
ji (character, letter, word)
gitsune | kitsune (fox)

---

❖ Or jûji gitsune
❖ (Literally – ten character fox)
❖ Refers to a cross-shaped pattern on its shoulders

kita (north)
kitsune (fox)

---

❖ Northern fox
❖ Vulpes vulpes schrencki

kitsune (fox)
mo.chi (hold, keep possession, in charge)

---

❖ Possession of fox power by a human being

kitsune (fox)
tsuka.i (use, usage)

---

❖ Use of fox power by a human being

kitsune (fox)
tsu.ki (haunt, possess)

---

❖ Possession by a fox

kuro (black)
gitsune | kitsune (fox)

---

❖ Black fox
❖ Vulpes vulpes

kyû (nine)
bi (tail, end)
no (possesive particle)
kitsune (fox)

---

❖ Nine-tailed fox
❖ Fox spirit
❖ Kitsune are said to be more powerful the more tails they have

shiro (white)
gitsune | kitsune (fox)

---

❖ White fox
❖ Vulpes vulpes
❖ White foxes are associated with inari as his messengers

❖ (badger)
❖ Shape-shifters
❖ They are frequently confused with tanuki
❖ They are mostly mischievous and seem to enjoy deceiving people

❖ (raccoon-dog)
❖ Related to Chinese fox lore
❖ Shape-shifters with supernatural powers, specializing in illusory magic
❖ They have mischievous tendencies
❖ Frequently depicted as having a big belly & giant scrotum, and holding a sake bottle
❖ They use belly drumming to lure the unwary astray

ten (heavens, sky, imperial)
gu | ku (dog, puppy)
tengu (long-nosed henge)

---

❖ (Literally: heavenly dogs)
❖ Sometimes worshipped as kami
❖ Take the forms of birds of prey, and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics
❖ Appears in art in a large number of shapes, but it usually falls somewhere between a large, monstrous bird and a wholly anthropomorphized being
❖ Often with a red face or an unusually large or long nose

dai (great, big, large)
ten (heavens, sky, imperial)
gu | ku (dog, puppy)

---

❖ (great tengu)
❖ Also called oo-tengu, hanataka-tengu

ô (great, big, large)
ten (heavens, sky, imperial)
gu | ku (dog, puppy)

---

hana (nose, snout)
taka (tall, high, quantity, amount)
hanataka (high nose, tall nose, pride)
ten (heavens, sky, imperial)
gu | ku (dog, puppy)

ko- (small, little)
ten (heavens, sky, imperial)
gu | ku (dog, puppy)

---

❖ (small tengu)
❖ Also called karasu-tengu, koppa-tengu, konoha-tengu

karasu (crow, raven)
ten (heavens, sky, imperial)
gu | ku (dog, puppy)

---

ko- (tree, wood)
ha (leaf, lobe, needle, blade)
koppa (foliage)
ten (heavens, sky, imperial)
gu | ku (dog, puppy)

---

konoha (foliage)
ten (heavens, sky, imperial)
gu | ku (dog, puppy)

kawa (river, stream)
ten (heavens, sky, imperial)
gu | ku (dog, puppy)

---

❖ (river tengu)
❖ A water-dwelling tengu
❖ Creates strange fireballs and is a nuisance to fishermen

shiba (lawn, turf)
ten (heavens, sky, imperial)
gu | ku (dog, puppy)

---

❖ (lawn tengu)
❖ A small child-like being who loves sumo-wrestling and sometimes dwells in the water

tsuchi (earth, ground, soil)
gumo | kumo (spider)

---

❖ (ground spider)
❖ The last two kanji both mean spider
❖ A spider that can change its appearance into that of a small boy or a beautiful woman

❖ (wolf)
❖ Generally honest and if dealt with properly, benevolent
❖ Also called okuri-inu, okuri-ôkami, yama-inu

oku.ri (see off, send off, escort)
inu (dog)
okuri-inu (escorting dog)

---

oku.ri (see off, send off, escort)
ôkami (wolf)
okuri-ôkami (escorting wolf)

---

yama (mountain)
inu (dog)
yama-inu (mountain dog)

❖ (orge, demon, ghost / also fierce, relentless, merciless) – Buddhist
❖ A mountain-dwelling ogre, usually depicted with red, blue, brown or black skin, two horns on its head, a wide mouth filled with fangs, and wearing nothing but a tigerskin loincloth
❖ Often carries an iron club or a giant sword
❖ (See setsubun)

shiki (know, write, discriminating)
gami (mind, soul, kami)

---

shiki | shoku (employment, work)
gami (mind, soul, kami)

---

shiki (style, ceremony, rite, function, method, system, form, expression)
gami (mind, soul, kami)

---

❖ Form of magic or divination (e.g. animating objects to act as the sorcerer's agent)
❖ A kind of spirit summoned to serve an onmyô-ji – a practitioner of onmyô-dô
❖ Although invisible, shikigami supposedly could, at the Onmyô-ji's command, take a variety of human or animal forms, possess or bewitch people, and even cause bodily harm or death
❖ Also called shiki-no-kami

shiki (know, write, discriminating)
no (possesive particle)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

shô(orangutan) / (iteration mark)
shôjô (orangutan)

---

❖ A small sea spirit
❖ Monkey like with reddish skin and orange fur
❖ Likes dancing, merrymaking, and especially drinking sake

yû (faint, dark, dim)
rei (soul, spirit)

---

❖ (ghost)
❖ Spirits kept from a peaceful afterlife
❖ Also called bôrei, shiryô

bô (deceased, the late, dying, perish)
rei (soul, spirit)
bôrei (ruined or departed spirit)

---

shi (death, die)
ryô (soul, spirit)
shiryô (dead spirit)

Exorcism – The easiest way to exorcise a yûrei is to help it fulfill its purpose
❖ Accomplished by family members enacting revenge upon the yûrei's slayer
❖ Or when the ghost consummates its passion/love with its intended lover
❖ Or when its remains are discovered and given a proper burial with all rites performed
❖ Malicious yûrei are repelled by an ofuda
❖ ofuda must generally be placed on the yûrei's forehead to banish it
❖ ofuda can be attached to a house's entry ways to prevent the yûrei from entering

funa (boat, ship)
yû (secluded, obscured)
rei (spirits, soul)
yûrei (ghost)

---

❖ Ghost of a person who died at sea

ga (starve, hungry, thirst)
ki (ghost, devil)

---

❖ (hungry ghost) – Buddhist
❖ Jealous or greedy people in a previous life
❖ As a result of their gô (karma), they are afflicted with an insatiable hunger for a particular substance or object

go (honorable)
ryô (spirits, soul)
e (meeting)

---

❖ Ritual of chinkon to calm an angry soul

go (honorable)
ryô (spirits, soul)
shin (kami)

---

❖ The vengeful spirits of those who have died accidental deaths, or while bearing discontents, regrets or unfulfilled longings

on (grudge, show resentment, be jealous)
ryô (spirits, soul)

---

❖ Vengeful ghost who come back for a wrong done to them during their lifetime

iki (life, genuine, birth)
ryô (spirits, soul)

---

❖ Living creatures possessed by extraordinary jealousy or rage release their spirit as a living ghost that enacts its will
❖ Frequently, they are not aware that they are doing this

jiki (eat, food)
nin (person)
ki (ghost, devil)

---

❖ (human eating ghost) – Buddhist
❖ Greedy, selfish or impious individuals who are cursed after death to seek out and eat human corpses
❖ Also called rasetsuten

ra (gauze)
setsu (temple)
ten (heavens, sky)

---

❖ rasetsu-ten (Skt. Raksasa)
❖ (See jûni-ten – rasetsu-ten)

mono (thing, object)
no (possessive particle)
ke (suspicious, mystery, apparition)

---

❖ (vengeful ghost or spectre)
❖ As in Studio Ghibli's mononoke-hime

mono (thing, object)
no (possessive particle)
ke (suspicious, mystery, apparition)
hime (princess)

---

❖ (princess vengeful spectre)

ubu- (bear, give birth, yield, childbirth)
me (woman, female)

---

❖ A mother ghost who died in childbirth, or died leaving young children behind

za (squat, seat, cushion, gathering, sit)
shiki (spread, pave, sit, promulgate)
zashiki (tatami mat room, formal Japanese room)
warashi | warabe (juvenile, child)

---

❖ Ghost of a child, often mischievous rather than dangerous
❖ Also called zashiki-bokko

za (squat, seat, cushion, gathering, sit)
shiki (spread, pave, sit, promulgate)
zashiki (tatami mat room, formal Japanese room)
bo | dô (juvenile)
ko (child)
bokko (young boy or girl)

Japanese Ghosts & Demons: Art of the Supernatural – edited by Stephen Addiss
Obake Wiki (formerly The Obakemono Project)
Yôkai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide – Hiroko Yoda & Matt Alt
Yûrei Attack! The Japanese Ghost Survival Guide – Hiroko Yoda & Matt Alt