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Every country has a list of countless folktales that sometimes originated from a story of certain events or circumstances that can’t be explained by an individual. The ‘Yōkai’ in Japan, for instance, is a similar type of folklore where it’s referred to as a class of supernatural beings like monsters, phantoms, or a strange apparition with different stories from various cultures and places in the country.

It had existed in the Japanese folklore for centuries and even during the ‘Edo period’ (17th to 19th centuries) where these folktales have begun to be widely seen in art. These monsters have even made their way into the belief system of the localities in the country.

The most common types of ‘Yōkai’ are those originated from the animals like the ‘Nekomata or Bakeneko’ (cats), ‘Kitsune’ (foxes), ‘Hebi’ (snakes), or ‘Tanuki’ (raccoon dogs). There are also halflings, either half part animal and half part human, or half part animal and half part of another animal, like the ‘Kappa’ (frog and human), ‘Ningyo’ (fish and human), or the ‘Akamata’ (snake and human). The majority of them have extraordinary abilities like shapeshifting.

There are also some scary, dangerous ‘Yōkai’ which are known for attacking or taking revenge. Some of these are the reincarnation of people or ghosts, and others are even the personifications of fear itself. Their back story is mostly associated with terrible tales, like abuse and murder, which causes them to become revengeful spirits, vowing to share their pain to those unfortunate enough to cross them. Common types of these ‘Yōkai’ are the ‘Onryō’ (a cursed, revengeful, spirit that tortures the victim), ‘Jorōgumo’ (transform as a beautiful woman, and lure young men into their doom), ‘Yamauba’ (offer shelter to weary travelers, then eat them) and the ‘Oni’ (administer horrible punishment to other wicked people and can inflict disease, insanity, even death).

One thing that makes the ‘Yōkai’ different from the other lore is the fact that not every monster in it is bad or evil. Some ‘Yōkai’ just necessarily attacks or will cause a great misfortune when being provoked. One example of this was the ‘Zashiki-Warashi’, a type of ‘Yōkai’ which was considered as a good fortune when you have this lurking in your place. Unfortunately, this ‘Yōkai’ is very playful and mischievous that it likes to shift or move the furniture around, spill things, and even make weird phantom noises. Driving this ‘Yōkai’ away would only cause a house to decline and fall into ruin.

The strangest type of ‘Yōkai’ are those that are derived from nonliving things or objects, like the Karakasa (umbrella), Mokumokuren (paper screens with eyes), Bakezori (straw sandals), and Morinji-no-Kama (tea kettles). They are commonly old household objects that have been neglected or unceremoniously discarded which caused them to sprout some arms and legs and come to life.

‘Yōkai’ may seem like a fun bedtime story, but they are paramount to the country’s foundation – they’re lessons, art, imagination, perspective and history being brought together. Introducing these various ‘Yōkai’ nurtured the creativity and emotional development of various people, both old and young, and it increases the awareness of the citizens of the time.

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