Mythical Creatures of Japan by Charles Tan Japan's Own Legendary Creatures

 

Each race has its own legends, its own myths. Among them lies creatures of unspeakable horrors, stories of creatures which mothers tell their children to frighten them. Japan is no exception. Whereas Europe has its vampires, Egypt its mummies and the Philippines’ own aswang, here is the lineup of Japan’s most famous creatures of myth and legend, both peaceful and dreadful.     Similar to some cultures, Japan’s animals are known to possess special powers or resemble certain aspects. An example is the fox, the messengers of the Rice God Inari. It is very cunning and capable of taking human form. It does not happen often but in the event it does, it takes on the form of a beautiful woman. They can be harbingers of both misfortune and prosperity, depending on the given situation and story.     Another prevalent animal is the badger or raccoon. It is characterized by the many black stripes it has. Similar to that of the fox, it is capable of changing its shape, taking on many forms from creatures to objects. They are foremost known for trickery and mischief but can also be easily tricked and fooled. However, badgers are not totally evil. In Japanese legend, they are very grateful to those who help and aid them. They repay the humans that do good to them. Also, badgers are often pictured as Buddhist monks, symbolizing the virtue of gratitude.     There is also the story of the food deity, Uke-mochi. She was sent down by the Sun Goddess Amaterasu to feed the people of the earth. She looks like a big, fat creature with a large mouth. Out of this mouth came our food supply. When facing the rice fields, boiled rice steamed from it. Whenever she faced the sea, fish and edible seaweed were regurgitated. Whenever she faced the wooden hills, game of various kinds came forth. Unfortunately, this blessing was not perpetual. The Moon God, repulsed at how the food came forth, got angry and killed her. Fortunately, from her body came out sustaining things such as livestock, plants, and silkworms.     Those who have watched Ranma ½ are probably familiar with the Orochi, an eight headed-headed dragon which feeds off women. Anyway, according to Japanese legend, Susano, the Storm God, successfully slew the creature by making it drunk with sake. Another story tells that the sake was filled with poison. By doing this, he freed a goddess whose sisters had been eaten by the beast and from the creature’s tail also came forth another integral part of Japan’s history and legend, the sword, one of Japan’s imperial treasures.     One of the most overused creatures in Anime is the Oni. They are huge demons (or ogres, depending on the translation) usually coming in different colors (commonly red and blue) and having at least one horn. On occasion, they can have three eyes which go into accord with their three fingers and three toes. In legend, they are known to be garbed in tiger skin (as can be seen in Urusei Yatsura) and carry a big club. They are depicted as evil, malicious, cruel and are capable of raping women. More often than not, they are seen as dumb. However, there are few and rare instances when Onis are good and kind to humans.     Those who have seen the Anime entitled Isami should recognize a Tengu. They are creatures part bird and part man, possessing feathered wings as well as long beaks or noses. They often wear cloaks and black hats, usually garbed in red. They are one of the oldest race of creatures in Japan’s culture, being the descendants of the Storm God. Tengus are known to inhabit trees and mountainous areas, usually associated with cedars. They are also ruled by a leader or chief who has a designated messenger, also known as a leaflet Tengu. Tengus are also said to possess great skill in using the sword, being talented swordsmen.     One creature you might have seen but not known is the Kappa. They resemble monkeys, except that they have no fur and instead have fish scales or tortoise shells. They are yellow-green in color and are distinguished by the indentation on the head which resembles a crown. This is key to their powers as the crown is used to store water and spilling the contents would mean losing their strength. Because of this, they are usually found near areas with water like lakes, ponds, or rivers. There are only two things which Kappas feed upon: blood and cucumber. Similar to that of a vampire, the Kappa would feed on its victims, be they animal or human. However, instead of the neck as is the common place a vampire will bite, the Kappa would feed on the anus (yes, your butt!). The other peculiar thing it feeds upon are cucumbers. This can be a boon to people as by throwing cucumbers with the names and ages of your family into the water bed where the Kappa lives, you are ensuring that you and the written family members will not be a victim of the Kappa. Also unique to the Kappa is that they are intelligent and can be reasoned with. They are polite, which can be a weakness since as they bow, the water will be spilled from their head. When done so, you can coerce a wish or favor from the Kappa in return for not harming it. In Japanese legend, a lot of benefits were gained from doing this. In certain shows, Kappas are often mascots, usually appearing in their cute forms which are the size of kids.