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Folktales

Illustrated yokai folktales

Panel-art retellings from Japanese folklore. Each tale lives on its creature’s page.

295 illustrated stories

Ningyo

人魚

Yokai

In the sleepy fishing village of Katsuragi, where the misty dawn sea breeze carried the whispers of the gods, there live...

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Nikusui

肉吸い

Yokai

In the depths of rural Awa, where cypress trees pierced the moonlit sky and mist veiled the villages, there lived a youn...

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Nekomusume

猫娘

Yokai

In twilight's hush, where shadows danced upon old walls, whispers spread of a Nekomusume's presence in our village. Her...

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Nekomata

猫又

Animal Spirit

In the depths of rural Japan, where mist-shrouded valleys met the whispering woods, there lived an elderly cat breeder n...

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Nebutori

寝太り

Yokai

In a small village nestled between two great mountains, there lived a young woman named Emiko. She was known for her bea...

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Narikama

鳴釜

Yokai

In the misty hills of Aizu Province, where the air is crisp and the cherry blossoms bloom in silence, there lived an old...

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Nando-baba

納戸婆

Yokai

In the twilight hours, when shadows danced upon the walls, a young girl named Emiko would dare venture into the depths o...

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Namazu

Yokai

In the depths of the mountains, where the air was heavy with the scent of wet earth and decaying leaves, there lived the...

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Namahage

生剥

Yokai

In the depths of winter, when snowflakes danced in the biting wind, the villagers of Oga prepared for the arrival of the...

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Mōryō

魍魎

Yokai

In the shadowy depths of the ancient graveyard, where the wind whispered secrets to the stones, there lived a Mōryō name...

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Myōbu

命婦

Yokai

In the village nestled between two great hills, where the cherry blossoms bloomed in soft pastel hues and the rice paddi...

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Mujina

Yokai

In the mist-shrouded hills of Akakawa, where ancient forests whispered secrets to the wind, there lived a mujina named K...

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Morinji-no-kama

茂林寺の釜

Yokai

In the whispering hills of Tatebayashi, where cherry blossoms danced in spring and autumn leaves rustled with gentle whi...

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Momonjii

百々爺

Yokai

Deep within the mountains, where misty veils shrouded the valleys and ancient trees whispered secrets to each other, the...

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Mokumokuren

目目連

Yokai

In the sleepy village of Kakamura, where rice paddies stretched towards the mist-shrouded mountains, there stood an anci...

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Mizuchi

Yokai

In the depths of Shinano's great river, where willows weep and cedars whisper secrets to the wind, there dwelled a Mizuc...

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Mikoshi-nyūdō

見越し入道

Yokai

Deep in the mountains, where the trees grew twisted and gnarled, there lived a young traveler named Hiro. He had set out...

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Miage-nyūdō

見上げ入道

Yokai

In the village of Katsuragi, where the mountains rose like giant's shoulders and the forests whispered secrets to the wi...

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Mekurabe

目競

Yokai

In the mist-shrouded hills of Akashi, where the wind whispers secrets to the pines, there lived a samurai named Hiro. He...

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Makura-gaeshi

枕返し

Yokai

In the depths of Akakawa Village, where the mountains dipped into the valley and the air was thick with cherry blossom s...

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Maikubi

舞首

Yokai

In the depths of autumn, when night's veil shrouds the world in darkness, travelers on the mountain roads often speak of...

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Kyūketsuki

吸血鬼

Yokai

In the mist-shrouded mountains of Kii Province, where the cedar forests whispered secrets to the wind, there lived a you...

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Kyūbi-no-kitsune

九尾の狐

Yokai

In a secluded valley nestled between two great mountains, there lived an elderly priest named Kaito. For years, he had t...

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Kyōkotsu

狂骨

Yokai

In the depths of rural Shinshu, where misty valleys hid ancient secrets, there stood an abandoned well, its stone walls...

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