Tottori may be Japan's least populated prefecture in terms of people, but if it's yōkai you're counting then it will come out on top. In the city of Sakaiminato, they have taken over the streets with their somewhat disturbing charm. In Japanese folklore, yōkai are mischievous supernatural creatures akin to spirits or demons in Western culture. The... Continue Reading →
In my experience, where there are castles there are also stories. Himeji is no exception. This vibrant, serene city is also home to one of Japan's most famous ghost stories. Japan has hundreds of ghost stories, known as 怪談 which is pronounced kaidan. Living near Himeji made it was impossible not to learn a kaidan called 'Banchō Sarayashiki.' Its... Continue Reading →
Imagine going to boil some water, and suddenly your kettle sprouts legs and runs away. Or turning a light on, to find your paper lampshade grinning at you and waggling a long tongue. You might have a spirit problem, but these are no ordinary poltergeists. Meet the tsukumogami! Tsukumogami is the collective name given to a type of yōkai... Continue Reading →
Last week, Kristin's fabulous guest post discussed how folklore is used to motivate children's behaviour, particularly through fear. Most of us can probably remember being told as a child 'don't do that or the [insert monster here] will get you!' That got me thinking about my childhood. I grew up on the East coast of England, in the... Continue Reading →
IT'S OCTOBER! With Halloween in sight, now is the time us folklore bloggers to go into hyperdrive mode. This is our time, to share, post, research, and tweet about all things weird and spooky. And trust me, we know a lot of weird and spooky things... With this in mind, I thought I would... Continue Reading →
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