A quick word about what this book is not. It is not intended as an authoritative last word on the origins or purported behavior of these creatures. It is a collection of conventional wisdom (perhaps “uncanny wisdom” would be a better term?) concerning the yokai—the sorts of things the average Japanese individual might know about them. Think of it as a springboard for further exploration on your own, and a leg up to understanding the many references and allusions to yokai that appear in modern Japanese films, literature, and even everyday speech.
In traditional Japanese “yokai-ology,” the creatures are classified by where they generally appear. Typical habitats include in and around houses (both functional and abandoned), mountains, forests, Buddhist temples, the banks of lakes or rivers, coastal waters, and such. But to make things easier for the first-time reader who isn’t as intimately familiar with these traditional settings, here we group a small selection of the most famous and visually appealing yokai by personality. Ferocious Fiends are the sorts of creatures you wouldn’t want to encounter in a dark alley (or a bright one, for that matter). Gruesome Gourmets are yokai with peculiar eating habits. Annoying Neighbors are the sorts of things you pray never move in next door. The Sexy and Slimy enchant their prey with slithery svelteness or carnal charms. And The Wimps are just what their name implies: monsters who are probably more afraid of you than you are of them.
So forget Godzilla. Forget the giant beasties karate-chopped into oblivion by endless incarnations of Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and the Power Rangers. Forget the Pocket Monsters. Forget Sadako from The Ring and that creepy all-white kid from The Grudge. Forget everything you know about Japanese tales of terror.
If you want to survive an encounter with a member of Japan’s most fearsome and fascinating bunch of monsters, you’ve got some reading to do.
—Hiroko Yoda & Matt Alt
Tokyo
2012
Ferocious Fiends
Make no bones about it: a run-in with one of this fearsome crew will send you to the hospital if you’re lucky . . . and the grave if you’re not.
Ferocious Fiends: 001
Karasu-tengu
Ferocious Fiends: 001
Karasu-tengu
烏天狗
Pronunciation:
(KAH-rah-soo TEN-goo)
English Name:
Raven-tengu
Gender:
Male/Female
Height:
5 to 6 ft. (150 to 180cm)
Weight:
Unknown
Locomotion:
Bipedal, flight, teleportation
Distinctive Features:
Generally humanoid Bird-like or dog-like face with beak. When clothed, attire is similar to that of a Buddhist monk
Offensive Weapons:
Tremendous strength
Ability to cloud human minds
Possession of human hosts (according to some tales)
Claws and shape shifting
Abundance:
Prevalent
Habitat:
Mountainous regions
Feathers found near a Karasu-tengu sighting
Claim to Fame:
The wings on their backs may be reminiscent of angels, but the similarities end there. Crafty, adroit, and extraordinarily dangerous, these unpredictable tricksters are a constant presence in Japanese myth and folklore. Their portrayal has varied greatly over the centuries since their first recorded appearance in eighth-century Japanese literature, but let us boil those thousand years of history down for you: Tengu equal trouble.
According to the Tale of the Heike, a twelfth-century chronicle of Japanese military and political intrigue, the Karasu-tengu are “men, but not men; bird, but not bird; dog, but not dog; they possess the hands of a human, the head of a canine, a pair of wings, and are capable of both flight and walking.”
The Karasu-tengu are, essentially, a metaphor for the travails of becoming a Buddhist monk. In their earliest incarnation, they were portrayed as taking great pleasure in playing tricks, spiriting disciples away to far-flung locations, and taking various forms to tempt holy men and believers from the path of virtue. They were also said to have the ability to possess human hosts, causing madness or inciting political intrigue. Over the years they have been blamed for causing all manner of catastrophe and mayhem, including the spreading of plagues and other natural disasters. That being said, Karasu-tengu are not always viewed as harbingers of death and destruction. They are also famed for their skill with a variety of weapons and are credited with having taught some of Japan’s most renowned swordsmen their skills.
It is not exactly clear how Karasu-tengu reproduce, but the population includes females as well as males. They are said to hatch from enormous eggs, occasionally found deep in the mountains by wayward travelers.
The Attack!
Karasu-tengu are the foot-soldiers and enforcers of the Tengu world. Unlike the related Hanadaka-tengu (p. 22), who generally eschew random violence, the Karasu-tengu instigate