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Originally, these mythical creatures represented the fear of the unknown and the unexplained torments from which the Japanese suffered. The yōkai originate from Japanese legends, which are mainly derived from Shinto, Buddhism, Chinese history and tales from foreign countries.
#Types of spirits in japanese lore movie
You have probably already seen the famous animation movie of Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke, with its forest spirits? Well, these are the typical yōkai! Mononoke, which can be translated as "vengeful spirit" or "strange thing". Moreover, its kanji writing refers to the strange and extraordinary. This term, derived from the Chinese, remains quite mysterious. Yōkai stands for monster, ghost, demon, or supernatural phenomenon. Let's find out more about what a yōkai is, followed by the top 12 most popular yōkai in the archipelago. Since the Middle Ages, they can be found in paintings, sculptures, prints, and, more recently, in video games and mangas.īut who are these mysterious creatures? Where do they come from and what do they represent nowadays? 🧐
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The term yōkai can be translated as "spirit, demon or ghost." They exist in many varieties, from the scary to the wacky.Įver since the dawn of time, these malevolent or simply prankish spirits have been an inspiration to many artists in the Land of the Rising Sun. Yōkai (妖怪) are supernatural creatures that are very much present in Japanese culture. these spirits are just about everywhere around us. Impossible to talk about Japanese folklore without mentioning yōkai.
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