Japanese demons

thumb|330px|An oni menaces the monk Kūkai, who wards it off by chanting the [[Buddhist tantras. Painting by Hokusai (1760–1849).]]

Tengu ( ; , , ) are a type of legendary creature found in Shinto belief. They are considered a type of yōkai (supernatural beings) or Shinto kami (gods or spirits). The Tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey and a monkey deity, and they were traditionally depicted with human, monkey, and avian characteristics. Sarutahiko Ōkami is considered to be the original model of Konoha-Tengu (a supernatural creature with a red face and long nose), which today is widely considered the Tengus defining characteristic in the popular imagination. He is the Shinto monkey deity who is

right|thumb|280px|A in a scene from Ehon Sayoshigure by Hayami Shungyōsai, 1801 is a malevolent figure in Japanese urban legends and folklore. Described as the malicious spirit, or onryō, of a woman, she partially covers her face with a mask or other item and carries a pair of scissors, a knife, or some other sharp object. She is most often described as a tall woman of about 175–180 cm; however, some people believe she is up to 8 feet tall, having long, straight black hair, white hands, pale skin, and otherwise being considered beautiful (except for her scar).

Japanese urban legend

right|thumb|upright=0.90|Jorōgumo from the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō by [[Toriyama Sekien.]]

Japanese folk story

supernatural beings in Japanese folklore

In Japanese mythology and fantasy, are supernatural beings, normally evil ones such as devils or demons. A or maou is a ruler of mazoku, or in fiction more generically a dark lord or powerful monster.