An old, forgotten dust cloth, rising into the night sky — meet the shirouneri.
Said to wrap around a person's face or neck while flying after dark. Here's where the word comes from.
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A voice that names your thoughts before you speak them — meet the satori.
Said to live deep in the mountains, reading the minds of travelers it meets. Here's where the word comes from.
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A figure standing in the branches who wasn't there a moment ago — meet the kodama.
Said to appear before woodcutters about to cut down its tree. Here's where the word comes from.
N5 vocab included in the video
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A shaggy little yokai hiding in damp houses — meet the keukegen. Said to bring illness wherever it appears, though it's rarely seen. Here's where the word comes from. N5 vocab included in the video
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A cow with a human face, speaking of what's to come — meet the kudan. Believed to foretell the future moments after birth. Here's where the word comes from. N5 vocab included in the video
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A call from deep in the forest — meet the kitsune. Said to shapeshift and trick people, while also serving as a messenger of the gods. Here's where the word comes from.
こんこんと、もりのなかでなくきつね。ばけるちからをもつといわれ、神さまのつかいとも。
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A splash from the river — meet the kappa. Known for the water-filled plate on its head, said to be the source of its strength. Here's where the word comes from.
ぴちゃぴちゃと、かわのなかからやってくるかっぱ。あたまのさらに水があるあいだ、ちからがつよい。
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Smoke that rises... and might be watching you.
Enra-enra is a yokai made entirely of drifting smoke. Soft, quiet, and a little unsettling.
けむりが、ふわりとそらにのぼっていく。
これは、えんらえんら。けむりだけでできた、しずかでちょっとふしぎな妖怪です。
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Roaring down from the mountains — Japan's most famous yokai.
Oni shows up in folktales, festivals, and even kids' games. Here's where the word actually comes from.
「がおー」と、やまのむこうからやってくる。
むかしばなしやおまつりにもでてくる、にほんでいちばん有名な妖怪。
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Sailors feared this one for centuries.
Umibouzu rises from the sea with a low rumbling sound — a giant black head, and nothing else.
うみが「ざわざわ」と、もりあがる。
あらわれたのは、くろいおおきなあたま。うみぼうず。ふなびとにおそれられてきました。
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