Folktales
Illustrated yokai folktales
Panel-art retellings from Japanese folklore. Each tale lives on its creature’s page.
41 illustrated stories
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Shōjō
猩々
Spirit
In the twilight hour, when the sun's fiery orb dipped into the waves and painted the sea with hues of crimson and gold,...
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Shōkera
しょうけら
Spirit
In the depths of winter, when snowflakes danced in the wind and candles burned brightly within homes, there lived a youn...
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Shōki
鍾馗
Hero
In the village of Akakawa, where cherry blossoms bloomed in profusion and the air was sweet with the scent of blooming s...
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Shunoban
朱の番
Spirit
In the dead of night, when the village was shrouded in darkness and the wind whispered through the bamboo groves, there...
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Shuten-dōji
酒呑童子
Oni
In the depths of Mount Ōe's ancient forest, where mist and moonlight entwined, the Shuten-dōji ruled with terror. His la...
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Sodehiki-kozō
袖引小僧
Spirit
In twilight's hush, where temple grounds whispered secrets to the wind, a lone traveler made his way through the winding...
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Sōgenbi
叢原火
Ghost
In the misty veil of evening, when the lanterns of Sōgen's temples cast flickering shadows on the ground, I chanced upon...
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Sōjōbō
僧正坊
Tengu
Deep in the heart of Mount Kurama, where mist veiled the peaks and ancient cedar trees whispered secrets to the wind, th...
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Son Gokū
孫悟空
Mythical Creature
In the mist-shrouded mountains of Kiso Province, where cedar forests whispered secrets to the wind, a lone traveler appe...
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Soragami
空神
Tengu
In a village nestled between two great mountains, there lived a young farmer named Kaito. He was known for his pride and...
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Soraki-gaeshi
空木返し
Phenomenon
Deep in the mountains, where the forest whispered secrets to the wind, there lived a young man named Kaito. He was a woo...
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Sorobanbōzu
算盤坊主
Spirit
In the forgotten recesses of the old temple's library, where dusty tomes and yellowed scrolls lay stacked upon shelves t...
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Sōtangitsune
宗旦狐
Fox Spirit
In the moonlit gardens of the Philosopher's Path, where cherry blossoms bloomed in ethereal silence, a young tea master...
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Sunakake-baba
砂かけ婆
Spirit
In the hills of Tottori, where the misty dawn clings to the thatched roofs, there lived an elderly woman named Kikuno. S...
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Sunekosuri
すねこすり
Yokai
On certain nights, when rain pattered against the thatched roofs and mist swirled about the fields, a traveler named Kai...
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Suppon-no-yūrei
すっぽんの幽霊
Ghost
In the mist-shrouded valleys of rural Akakawa, there stood an ancient bridge, its weathered stone pilings worn smooth by...
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Suzaku
朱雀
Dragon
In the sweltering heat of summer's peak, when the sun blazed like a thousand tiny fires across the parched fields and te...
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