Japanese Mythology - Spirits and Creatures Quiz

Answer: The Kappa

The Kappa is believed to dwell in ponds and may grab and eat children. It is invariably depicted as a green scaly animal, sometimes with a human-like face, long fingers, and a tail. The pool of water which the Kappa holds on top of its head is the seat of its power. If you are able to lure a Kappa from its pond, you may outwit it by bowing.

The Kappa may be an evil child-eater, but he's not impolite, and so will return the bow, causing the water to spill from his head, leaving him powerless.

Answer: Crabs

As told by Hoichi the Earless in another Japanese myth, the souls of the Taira warriors, who were defeated by the Minamoto clan in the Genpei war, remain in the form of crabs which scuttle along the beaches where many battles were fought. These crabs, which bear the angry faces of the Taira warriors were later found to actually exist. They are called Heikegani crabs.

Answer: Unicorn

Some accounts say that the Kirin is the "good unicorn" and that the Sin-you is the "bad unicorn". However, on closer inspection, these beasts seem to perform similar roles. Both are seen as symbols of justice, though more emphasis is placed on the Kirin as rewarding those who deserve reward, while the Sin-you is more known for punishing those who need punishing.

Answer: A dragon-god of the sea

Ryujin is one of many spiritual beings in Japanese mythology that is used to explain aspects of nature. Ryujin was believed to dwell at the bottom of the ocean, taking in vast breaths, thus explaining the ocean tides. From his seat at the bottom of the ocean, Ryujin was served by various sea creatures, notably the sea turtle, which acted as Ryujin's messenger.

Answer: It moves pillows

Some of us may have awoken after a bad night's sleep to find the pillow or the duvet on the floor. In Japanese folklore, this was believed to be the fault of Makura-Gaeshi, which seems to have been created specifically to account for this phenomenon. Another bizarre household spirit from Japanese mythology is Akaname, which was believed to clean the bathroom with its enormous tongue.

The mind boggles.

Answer: Ogres

The Oni are muscular, club-wielding creatures and were the natural enemies of brave warriors. At the same time, however, the Oni were often depicted on the tiles of houses in order to scare away malicious spirits. It was traditionally believed that throwing soy beans out of your front door would help to get rid of any of these creatures which happened to be nearby.

Answer: A fire-breathing chicken

The fire breathed by this bamboo-dwelling chicken was said to be a "cold fire". Such an idea of a fire-breathing chicken is not unique, however. The Basan is reminiscent of the Cockatrice, a European creature which was sometimes depicted as breathing fire, and which was said to be related to the Basilisk.

Answer: The Banshee

The appearance of both the Banshee and the Hitodama in a household are likely to represent the death of a loved one. Rather than appearing as a wailing female spirit (as with the Banshee), the Hitodama is usually depicted as a floating ball of luminescence.

The idea of this bright entity representing the soul of the deceased is much more akin to white butterflies or fireflies, which fill this role in some Western cultures.

Answer: Death

Much like the scythe-wielding Grim Reaper, the Shinigami were associated with death. One fundamental difference is that the Grim Reaper is usually described as appearing when people are just about to die, preparing them for their journey to the afterlife. On the other hand, the Shinigami appear to people who may very well be in good health, and induce feelings of wanting to die.

It is possible that these spirits were used to rationalise the tragedy of suicide in Japanese culture.

Answer: Bird people

Despite the word "Tengu" meaning "heavenly dogs", the Tengu are invariably depicted as human-bird hybrids. The appearance of these creatures varies remarkably, sometimes seen as winged humans, or as humans with bird heads, or birds with human heads. They were thought to dwell in the mountains and were skilled in the martial arts.