In Japanese folklore there exists a subset of supernatural beings known as the Yokai. Yokai is Japanese for ghost or phantom, though the Western connotations of these terms do not really do the creatures true nature justice. Yokai can be evil demons, hell bent on killing and damning their victims, or mischievous-personified household objects who want nothing more than to annoy, shock or scare you. Throughout Japanese history they have been used to explain strange occurrences and bad fortune, and are still present in the pop culture of modern Japan today, but more so as cartoon characters and manga villains. Below are ten strange examples of Japanese Yokai. Enjoy.
1. Ashinagatenaga
Ashinagatenaga is not a single Yokai, but two separate entities. The name is an amalgamation of the names Ashinaga and Tenaga. Ashinaga is a human looking Yokai with extremely long legs while Tenaga is a similar looking Yokai with extremely long arms. The lore says that each man comes from his own civilization full of people just like him. The stories claim that the two men, seeing their oddities as complementary, decided to join forces. Ashinaga clambered onto Tenaga’s shoulders and soon the two were wading into the waters off Kyushu and gathering fish too far out for men on the shore. This seems to imply that not only does Ashinaga have super long arms, but his reflexes must be pretty good as well. Despite being a fairly tame Yokai, some Japanese fishermen believed that if you spotted Ashinagatenaga fishing out in the shallows, bad weather was imminent. While this undoubtedly bad news for a fisherman, considering what the other Yokai on this list are up to, bad weather is getting off easy.
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