Yokai Illustration

...............................................................................................................................................

Yokai
(Illustration)

Definition

Yokai are strange and supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore. Many different English words have been used as translations. Yokai is sometimes translated as monster, demon, spirit, or goblin, but it can encompass all of that and more.The world of yokai also includes ghosts, gods (kami), transformed humans and animals (bakemono), spirit possession (tsukimono), urban legends, and other strange phenomena.

_______________________________________________________________________

- KITSUNE -

Kitsune mythical Japanese creature, with the ability to Shapeshift. They take on the shape of a human being to seduce others, and not unlike a vampire, they slowly feed on people's life force, able to do so in multiple short sessions. A Kitsune can have up to nine tails, and the more tails it has, the older and wiser it is. Most tales of kitsune are about foxes punishing wicked priests, greedy merchants, and boastful drunkards. They do this by confusing their targets by creating phantom sounds and sights, stealing from them, or otherwise humiliating them publicly.

_______________________________________________________________________

- KAPPA -

Kappa are aquatic reptilian humanoids who inhabit the rivers and streams found all over Japan. Clumsy on land, they are at home in the water, where they thrive during the warm months. Kappa are generally the size and shape of a human child, with scaly skin ranging in earthy hues from deep green to bright red, even blue. Their bodies are built for swimming, with webbed, thumbless hands and feet, and a turtle-like beak and shell. They love mischief, martial arts like sumo wrestling, and games of skill like shogi. Kappa are proud and stubborn, but also fiercely honorable, they never break any promises that they make.

_______________________________________________________________________

- Futakuchi onna -

Families which notice their food stocks are shrinking at an alarming rate while the women in their houses rarely eat a bite may be the victims of a futakuchi onna infestation. Futakuchi onna appear just as a regular women until their terrible secret is revealed, in the back of their skulls, buried beneath of long, thick hair, is a second mouth, with large, fat lips, and full of teeth.

_______________________________________________________________________

- YUREI -

There are many different types of yūrei, and they differ in many ways depending on the circumstances on their death. In most cases, though, yūrei appear much like they did in their human life, retaining the features and the clothing they wore when they died or were buried. As such, yūrei are often seen wearing white burial kimonos or the uniforms of fallen warriors.

_______________________________________________________________________

- RAIJU -

A raijū is the embodiment of lightning into an animal form. They had long, sharp claws and ferocious faces. Generally, they were thought to look like wolves, dogs, tanuki, or even weasels or cats. Far more fanciful forms existed too. Sometimes raijū were said to look like little dogs, but with four rear legs and two tails. Sometimes they were said to look like insects or crustaceans. Others looked like miniature dragons. Raijū live in the sky which was totally off limits to humans before the 20th century. Because of this, almost nothing can be said about their true nature or behavior. They ride bolts of lightning to earth when thunder claps, and create mayhem wherever they land.

_______________________________________________________________________

- ONI -

Oni are one the greatest icons of Japanese folklore. They are large and scary, standing taller than the tallest man, and sometimes many times that. They come in many varieties, but are most commonly depicted with red or blue skin, wild hair, two or more horns, and fang-like tusks. All oni possess extreme strength and constitution, and many of them are also accomplished sorcerers. They are ferocious demons, bringers of disaster, spreaders of disease, and punishers of the damned in Hell. Oni are born when truly wicked humans die and end up in one of the many Buddhist Hells, transformed into Oni. They become the ogreish and brutal servants of Great Lord Enma, ruler of Hell, wielding iron clubs with which they crush and destroy humans solely for enjoyment.

...............................................................................................................................................