You could cut this 18th Century Japanese scroll into neat squares and use the 24 images for a game of Guess Who? – Yokai. Does yours have one eye..? Does yours have teeth..? Does yours eat raw human anuses..? (The Kappa does.) The scroll, known as the Bakemono zukushi, was painted by an artist or artist now unknown. Matthew Mayer helps us know what a yokai is:
Put simply, they are the supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore. The word literally means “bewitching” and “strange.” It encompasses monsters, demons, gods, ghosts, magical animals, transformed humans, urban legends, and strange phenomena…
Hiroko Yoda put sit well in Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide:
“When the last rays of
Sunshine fade from the day:
That’s when Japan’s Yokai
Come out to play.”
Oyajirome (親白眼) has a bulging eye on the back of its head and a claw on its one-fingered hand.
Daichiuchi (大地打) is a mallet-wielding monster with a bird-like face
Dōmo-kōmo (どうもこうも) is a two-headed creature with gray skin
Sara-hebi (さら蛇) is a large, snake-like creature with the head of a woman
Mi-no-kedachi (身の毛立) has a coat of body hair that stands on end.
Nobusuma (のぶすま) has a brown body, human-like face, spiky hair, claws, and sharp black teeth
Uma-shika (馬鹿) is a horse-like monster with a horn on its head and a single bulging eye
Hajikkaki (はぢっかき) has a round white body with short arms and legs
Odoroshi (おどろし) is a red-faced monster with big eyes, black teeth, and long hair
Yume-no-seirei (“dream ghost” – 夢の精霊) appears as a thin old man in a white robe
Yamamba (山姥) is a mountain hag
Rokurokubi (ろくろくび), a long-necked woman, is pictured next to an Inugami (犬神) dog spirit
Ushi-oni (牛鬼) is a sea monster with the head of a cow and the body of a giant spider or crab
Yamawaro (山童) is a one-eyed kappa-like creature found in the mountains
Buraribi (ぶらり火) is a white, bird-like creature surrounded by ghostly flames
Uwan (うわん) is a creature that inhabits abandoned buildings
Yuki-onna (“snow woman” – 雪女) appears on snowy nights as a beautiful woman with long hair
Kami-kiri (“hair cutter” – 髪切) are known for sneaking up on people and cutting off their hai
Akashita (“red tongue” – 赤舌) is a hairy-faced creature that hides in a dark cloud
Boukon (亡魂), a departed soul, appears to have pale blue skin, long hair, and a distended belly
Via: here , Pink Tentacle and International Research Center for Japanese Studies – Yokai Database
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