Journal
Dai Yokai Journal
Guides, Japanese folklore, masks and workshop notes.
Japanese Dragon Ryū: Mythology, Types, Symbolism and Tattoo
Guide to the Japanese Ryū dragon: water symbolism, mythology, types, differences from Chinese and Western dragons, and its role in irezumi.
Yuki-onna, the Snow Woman of Japanese folklore
Yuki-onna, the snow woman of Japanese folklore: origins, Lafcadio Hearn's tale, regional variants and the meaning behind Japan's winter y...
Japanese Halloween masks: which one actually scares?
Choose a Japanese mask for Halloween: Geisha Horror, Kuchisake-onna, Yuki-onna, Oni, Hannya or black Kitsune, with photos, meanings and c...
Fudō Myō-ō: meaning, sword, rope and Japanese mask
Fudō Myō-ō, the immovable wisdom king: his sword, rope and flames, his wrathful face, his place in Japanese art and tattooing, and the Da...
Foo Dogs and komainu: Japan's guardian lions
Foo Dogs, komainu, shīsā: Japan's guardian lion-dogs, their open-mouth / closed-mouth pair (A-Un), their origin and how to place them at...
Ōkami: the Guardian Wolf of Japan
The Ōkami, Japan's mountain guardian wolf: protected villages, okuri-ōkami, Mitsumine Shrine and the vanished Honshū wolf.
Amaterasu: Japan's sun goddess and founding myth
Amaterasu, sun goddess and supreme kami of Shinto: her birth, the cave myth, the three sacred treasures, and the link to the Japanese flag.
Shōgun: who really ruled Japan?
The shōgun, Japan's military dictator: the three shogunates, Tokugawa, the relationship with the emperor, and the link to mempo war masks.
Geisha and yokai: the dangerous women of Japanese folklore
Beauty and danger in Japanese folklore: the deadly-beauty motif through Jorōgumo, Tamamo-no-Mae, Yuki-onna, Kuchisake-onna and Hannya.
Rōnin: the masterless samurai, from the 47 rōnin to Musashi
The rōnin, masterless samurai: what the word means, how one became one, Miyamoto Musashi and the revenge of the 47 rōnin of Akō.
Inari Okami: the Rice God, the Foxes and 30,000 Shrines
Inari Ōkami, kami of rice, commerce and prosperity: why the Kitsune fox is his messenger (not the god), the 30,000 shrines and the red to...
Top 10 Japanese Yokai: folklore creatures explained
The 10 Japanese yokai to know: Oni, Kitsune, Hannya, Tengu, Kappa, Tanuki, Yurei, Jorogumo, Nekomata and Gashadokuro.
Yūrei: the ghosts of Japanese folklore
Japanese yūrei ghosts: what sets them apart from yokai, their codified look, the main categories (ubume, onryō, sorei) and the Obon festi...
Samurai: history, Bushido and the real arsenal
The samurai explained: where the word comes from, the great eras, the 7 virtues of Bushido, the real arsenal beyond the katana, and the m...
Gozu and Mezu: the guardians of Japanese hell
Gozu (ox head) and Mezu (horse head) guard the Japanese Buddhist hells and serve judge Enma. Origin, role and pop culture.
Watanabe no Tsuna: the demon-slaying samurai
Watanabe no Tsuna, the samurai who cut off Ibaraki-doji's arm at the Rashomon gate: the duel, the Onikiri sword and the Watanabe privilege.
Chōchin-obake: the haunted lantern of Japan
The Chōchin-obake, haunted lantern of Japanese folklore: a tsukumogami born from a hundred-year-old object, its single eye and lolling to...
Daruma: meaning, colours and the eye ritual
The Daruma, the Japanese good-luck doll from Bodhidharma: origin, colour meanings, and the eye ritual for making a wish.
Teke-Teke: the urban legend of the ghost cut in two
Teke-Teke, the Japanese urban legend of the ghost cut in two who crawls on her elbows: origin, the sound that names her and her link to t...
Nekomata and Bakeneko: Japan's demon cats
Nekomata and Bakeneko, the cat yokai of Japanese folklore: the split tail, the powers, and the difference between the two supernatural cats.
Gashadokuro: the Giant Skeleton Born from the Unburied Dead
The Gashadokuro, a giant skeleton born from the unburied dead. Its recent origin, the Kuniyoshi print, and the Takiyasha-hime legend.
Tanuki: the trickster yokai of good fortune
The Tanuki, Japan's shapeshifting yokai: the real animal, the eight symbols of the lucky statue, and the Bunbuku teapot legend.
Kappa: the River Yokai You Defeat with a Bow
The Kappa, Japan's river yokai: the water dish on its head, its love of cucumber, the shirikodama, and why you defeat it with a polite bow.
Dogū: the mysterious figurines of Jōmon Japan
Dogū, clay figurines of the Jōmon period: the snow-goggle eyes, the theories about their purpose, and why they were broken.
Yokai: the spirits and demons of Japanese folklore
Understanding Japanese yokai: definition, the difference with kami and yurei, the great families (Oni, Kitsune, Tengu, Tsukumogami) and o...
Kami: the Gods and Spirits of Japanese Shinto
What is a kami? Shinto deities defined, the "eight million gods", how kami differ from yokai, and the major ones: Amaterasu, Inari, Raiji...