Yokai
Personifications Of The Unaccountable
Yokai are a class of supernatural entities and spirits from Japan. Despite often being translated as such, yōkai are not literally demons in the Western sense of the word, but are instead spirits and entities. Their behavior can range from malevolent or mischievous to benevolent to humans.Basic Information
Anatomy
All Shapes and Sizes
Yokai are anomalous in nature and their appearance varies as such with literal millions of different species of yokai. Yōkai often have animal features (such as the kappa, depicted as appearing similar to a turtle, and the tengu, commonly depicted with wings), but may also appear humanoid in appearance, and some are inanimate objects that have gained sentience. Some yokai don't have physical forms at all and are manifestations of natural phenomena.Biological Traits
There are several different classifications of yokai that the uncountable number of different species may be placed under due to some shared traits. As with any grouping system, there are, of course, exceptions and deviations with some yokai belonging to multiple categories.
- Yurei - The spirits of humans still lingering on Earth. Examples include onibi, hitodama, and onryo.
- Obake or Bakemono - Are animal yokai that have vast intelligence and are able to shapeshift into a human form. The most prominent examples are kitsune and bake-danuki.
- Kaiju - The largest category of yokai and the most diverse in terms of appearances. Kaiju are animals that have magical abilities. Some may be more animal in shape like the kamaitachi. While others may be of a more humanoid shape, such as the kappa. Regardless, what separates this category of yokai from bakemono is an inability to shapeshift into a human form.
- Oni - Not to be confused with the oni species who also belong to this group. Broadly speaking, oni are characterized by their overwhelming malevolence, superhuman strength, and magical powers. Along with a propensity for murder and cannibalism. Some oni were born as humans but were twisted by an evil nature or strong negative emotions. Examples include; oni, kijo, namahage, otoroshi, gaki, and ushi-oni.
- Tsukumogami - These are inanimate objects that have been around for over one hundred years and become kami. Gaining sentience and magical abilities.
Be They God or Demon, Let Man decide
The line between yokai and a kami, Japanese Shinto gods, is paper thin. With the only difference being if the entity in question is worshiped at a shrine or not. For example; Yamata no Orochi was originally a local god but turned into a yōkai who was slain by Susanoo. Yasaburo was originally a bandit whose vengeful spirit (onryō) turned into a poisonous snake upon death and plagued the water in a paddy, but eventually became deified as the "wisdom god of the well". Kappa and inugami are sometimes treated as gods in one area and yōkai in other regions. From these examples, it can be seen that among Japanese gods, there are some beings that can go from god to yōkai and vice versa.
Genetics and Reproduction
In Japan’s creation myth, the land itself—the rocks, trees, mountains, and rivers—are infused with latent magical energy. This energy needs only a focus to give it life. Just as nebulous gas ignites to form stars, this energy is compressed by events like volcanoes or earthquakes or strong human emotions like fear or hatred, that may linger on a person or place like a pollutant, transforming objects in their environment such as an animal or even a household item into one of Japan’s menagerie of monsters and phenomena.
Reproduction between the yokai themselves can vary from an individual to a family level. Sometimes, a child may be born as a completely different species of yokai than either of its parents, as was the case for the tengu king, Sojobo, and his wife, the mountain witch, Yama Uba, who gave birth to nine yokai daughters and one son. Each of whom were born as different species of yokai. Yokai can also interbreed with humans. The offspring of these unions are typically born human but can inherit some yokai abilities.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Similar, if not completely identical, to that of Japan.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Despite their haughty demeanor and general view of being superior to humans, lesser yokai can be warded off or outright controlled by humans by way of magical spells and charms.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Yokai are traditionally endemic only to Japan and its territories. Although starting in the 20th century, some began to immigrate to Hawaii.
Like the Fae, yokai have their own extradimensional realm that they can access at will. Every day at 4:00 am, the border between their realm and ours thins. Allowing for yokai to enter our world and humans to unwittingly stumble into theirs.
Average Intelligence
Most species of yokai possess intelligence vastly superior to that of humans. Capable of wielding vast magical powers and knowledge.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
While yokai usually operate on an individual or family level, organization among them can be divided by species, clan-based, or regionally. Typically, smaller, weaker yokai will serve a stronger, individual yokai in a given area by acting as servants or retainers. This stronger yokai, who may also be a lesser kami, may control a province, settlement, or even a singular landmark. They themselves may serve as vassals to an even greater yokai or kami who holds dominion over an entire region. Tengu and certain oni are the species that most often act as these yokai lords and act like kings in a feudal system.
In other cases, the line of leadership can be drawn across an entire species of yokai. Such as the daitengu king, Sojobo, who is lord of all tengu, or Shuten Doji, king of the oni. The thunder beasts, raiju, are controlled by the thunder god, Raijin.
The yokai's supreme leader is an ancient being known as Nurahiyon.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Hyakki Yagyō
The Hyakki Yagyō, "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" is an event that occurs anually on a summer night during which the yokai shogun, Nurarihyon, will lead all of the yokai through the streets of Japan. Sometimes an orderly procession, other times a riot, it is a terrifying eruption of the supernatural into the real world. Anyone who comes across the procession would perish or be spirited away by the yōkai, unless protected by exorcism scrolls handwritten by Onmyōji spell-casters. It is said that only an onmyōji clan head is strong enough to pass the Hyakki Yagyō unharmed.History
Yokai had existed in Japanese folklore for centuries, being spoken of in oral traditions. But was during the Edo period (17th-19th centuries) that they began to be widely seen in art.
One of the oldest examples of yokai art was the Hyakki Yagyo Zu, a 16th-century scroll that portrayed a pandemonium of Japanese monsters. This formed the basis for Japan’s first definitive encyclopedia of yokai characters through the work of 18th-century printmaker Toriyama Sekien.
Even before these accounts were made, yokai had a large influence on Japan and its history. Being older than the human race itself, many types of yokai can directly trace their heritage to the god, Izanagi. With many of his original yokai and kami children still alive and well to this day.
Common Myths and Legends
The ancient times were a period abundant in literature and folktales mentioning and explaining yōkai. Literature such as the Kojiki, the Nihon Shoki, and various Fudoki expositioned on legends from the ancient past, and mentions of oni, orochi, among other kinds of mysterious phenomena can already be seen in them. In the Heian period, collections of stories about yōkai and other supernatural phenomena were published in multiple volumes.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Their behavior can range from malevolent or mischievous to benevolent to humans.
Genetic Descendants
Scientific Name
Yokai
Origin/Ancestry
Japanese
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
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