Japan Has The Creepiest Mythological Creatures, And Their Stories Will Make Your Skin Crawl
Japan has a rather rich folklore and mythological characters play a very big part in it.
For centuries the tales of Yokai (so-called strange, supernatural creatures) were told and slowly expanded into every aspect of Japan's culture. Even today, stories and illustrations of these beasts are very captivating and could be encountered pretty much everywhere, from manga and anime to video games and brand labels.
We've gathered some of the most interesting and quite terrifying mythological monsters of Japanese folklore.
#1 Nyoijizai
Nyoijizai is a spirit backscratcher. Its only power is its ability to scratch that itchy spot on your back which you can’t reach, no matter how hard you try.
#2 Mokumokuren
Mokumokuren is a ghost born from mistreated sliding paper doors ('shoji'). When the paper becomes riddled with holes, eyes begin to pop out of the holes, watching all that goes on inside of your house. Even though, this ghost is not dangerous it's extremely creepy.
#3 Betobeto-San
Betobeto-San follows travelers at night, making the sound "beto beto" with its wooden sandals. For the victims, this can be quite traumatic but Betobeto-San is not dangerous. To escape this monster you only have step aside and say after you, Betobeto-san".
#4 Shichinin Misaki
Shichinin Misaki are the ghosts of humans who died in accidents. By possessing and killing one person, one of the spirits of the Shichinin Misaki are able to go to peace and the one who has been killed takes its place. For this reason, Shichinin Misaki are always a group of seven and never decrease or increase.
#5 Futakuchi Onna
“The Two-mouthed Woman” has one normal mouth on her face and the second one at the back of her head beneath the hair. In many stories, the second mouth appears on a woman's head to force her to eat more. Other stories say the woman lets her stepchild die of starvation and the vengeful spirit inhabits her body to exact revenge.
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We've gathered some of the most interesting and quite terrifying mythological monsters of Japanese folklore.
#1 Nyoijizai
Nyoijizai is a spirit backscratcher. Its only power is its ability to scratch that itchy spot on your back which you can’t reach, no matter how hard you try.
#2 Mokumokuren
Mokumokuren is a ghost born from mistreated sliding paper doors ('shoji'). When the paper becomes riddled with holes, eyes begin to pop out of the holes, watching all that goes on inside of your house. Even though, this ghost is not dangerous it's extremely creepy.
#3 Betobeto-San
Betobeto-San follows travelers at night, making the sound "beto beto" with its wooden sandals. For the victims, this can be quite traumatic but Betobeto-San is not dangerous. To escape this monster you only have step aside and say after you, Betobeto-san".
#4 Shichinin Misaki
Shichinin Misaki are the ghosts of humans who died in accidents. By possessing and killing one person, one of the spirits of the Shichinin Misaki are able to go to peace and the one who has been killed takes its place. For this reason, Shichinin Misaki are always a group of seven and never decrease or increase.
#5 Futakuchi Onna
“The Two-mouthed Woman” has one normal mouth on her face and the second one at the back of her head beneath the hair. In many stories, the second mouth appears on a woman's head to force her to eat more. Other stories say the woman lets her stepchild die of starvation and the vengeful spirit inhabits her body to exact revenge.
