Mythic Creatures
These are some creatures that show up in Shinto myths. There are just a few but I hope to fill in more of the Japanese mythic bestiary as I’m able.
Tengu
Creatures of Shinto mythology. Believed to live in trees in mountainous areas particularly the pines and cryptomerias (Japanese cedars) growing near Shinto shrines. Tengu are minor kami in their own rights. Legend has it that they are descended from Susano.
Tengu are part man and part bird in appearance. Tengu are winged with large beaks or noses . Sometimes Tengu are red in color. They are known to wear cloaks (sometimes made of leaves or feathers) and small black hats.
Tengu live in colonies with a principle Tengu in charge. He is served by leaflet (messenger) Tengu. Tengu are skilled swordsman and taught Yoshisune (a Japanese hero) how to fight. The Tengu are more mischievous than evil. They take offense at being made the victim of a trick. Tengu are hatched from eggs like birds.
Oni
Oni are more properly creatures of Buddhist mythology but due to the intermingling of the two traditions in Japan they really should be mentioned. They have a tendency to rape, pillage and be killed by the heroes of the story. They are of giant size usually have horns, and sometimes three eyes, fingers or toes. They come in pink, red, blue and grey. Oni are stupid, malicious, lecherous, and generally evil. Oni are capable of flight but don’t use this to their advantage very often. They are known to carry a mallet.
A traveling Buddhist monk came upon an oni - looking as horrible and devilish as oni do but he was crying. Curious and compassionate the monk asked the oni what was wrong. The oni said that in his previous life he had been a man and at the moment of his death he was consumed by a desire for vengeance against his enemies. Because of this in this life he was incarnated as a oni. As an oni he visited vengeance upon his enemy and (because of the longer lives of oni) his children. He had just killed the last of his enemies line and he wasn’t crying because of remorse over his actions but because of self pity. He was an oni consumed with a thirst to wreak vengeance on his enemy with his whole life to live out without an enemy to visit vengeance upon now that the whole family was dead.
Kappa
The Kappa are small creatures more intelligent than the oni and not wholly evil. They can be placated by man and even have been known to impart skills, most notably bone setting.
Kappa resemble hairless monkeys with an indentation on the top of their heads. They are about the size of a 10 year old and are yellow green in color. They sometimes have scales or tortoise shell instead of skin. Kappa live in rivers, ponds, and lakes. They keep water in the indent on top of their heads if the water is spilled they lose their power.
Kappa are vampires feeding off the blood through the anus. They can live on horse and cattle blood as well as human. A drowning victim found with a distended anus as well as unrecovered bodies were thought to be their victims. Kappas are also known for raping women.
Kappas also have a liking for cucumbers and by inscribing a name and age on a cucumber and throwing into the body of water where a kappa lives a person can protect themselves from being a kappa victim. Despite all their bad habits kappas are strangely polite and completely trustworthy.
Amanojaku
Also Amanjaku
Japanese: 天邪鬼
Translated: Evil Heavenly Spirit
A demon like creature in Japanese folklore often depicted as a small oni. Amanojaku are capable of inciting dark desires and instigate people to wickedness.
Best known from the Melon Princess fairytale where a girl born from a melon and raised by a caring elderly couple. They protected her until the girl naively allowed an amanojaku to enter. At this point the amanojaku kidnapped and devoured the girl. The amanojaku might have also masqueraded as her by wearing her flayed skin.
The amanojaku also found its way into Buddhist thought.