Japanese folklore
Kappa and kitsune
Japanese folklore encompasses the traditional beliefs, legends, and supernatural creatures of Japan.
It features spirits called yōkai—from mischievous kappa (water imps) to shape-shifting kitsune (foxes)—alongside ghosts, demons, and deities from Shinto and Buddhist traditions.
These stories explain natural phenomena, teach moral lessons, and populate everything from ancient texts to modern anime: The film draws heavily on Japanese folklore.
- yokaiJapanese supernatural entity
- AmaterasuShinto sun deity
- floating lanternBuoyant paper light source
- JapanEast Asian archipelago nation
- ancestral spiritsSouls of deceased kin
ghost stories · Kappa · demon mask · lucky cat · legend · fox spirit · storytelling · cultural heritage · kami · spirit world · fox · tanuki · raccoon dog · shapeshifter · haunted · folk tale · oni · supernatural
Japanese folkloreEuropean folklore
Traditional tales from Europe
Norse mythology · African folklore · Chinese folklore · Arabian Nights · Arthurian legend
Japanese folkloremodern fiction
Recent imaginative prose works
contemporary literature · science fiction · journalism · academic scholarship · fan fiction