Yokai (Japanese spirits) and mythical creatures of Japanese lore have inspired artists, writers and poets for millennia. However, as the Japanese culture has changed, so have depictions of the ...

These Japanese mythical creatures were born from disaster. Many of the country’s most iconic legends come from the Tohoku region, where history is riddled with natural disasters, famine, and ...

In Japanese folklore, yokai, or imaginary monsters, emerged at a time when the only light available at night was from candles, which made people fearful and imagine something hidden in the darkness.

(These Japanese mythical creatures were born from disaster.) While Nurarihyon’s origins are murky, it has influenced manga and anime into the 21st century.