Introduction

Some of the most fascinating aspects of Japanese mythology concern the stories of demons.  Based on such a name, many people would think demons are evil, cruel and heartless, only interested in causing death, destruction and mayhem - but not so!  Sometimes the demons that are portrayed within a story are exactly like this, but there are also stories with very benevolent demons who are interested in helping and protecting the humans within the stories.  It's also very interesting to see where many of these myths started.  Although these are Japanese stories, many of them are imported from other cultural traditions.  As the people of China, India and Korea explored their geographical area, they passed on many of their stories to the surrounding cultures.  These people then added their own twists to the stories, to make it all their own. 

For example, fox demons vary wildly in their characteristics within the stories.  The stories about kitsune, the Japanese word for fox, try to paint both ends of the spectrum.  Some foxes are very cruel and malicious, going so far as to actually torment humans.  However, they are also the messengers for the God of Rice, Inari.  The people of Japan lived very closely to foxes, and this is probably why so many of these myths developed.  Foxes are well-known to be tricksters of the highest degree.  They will lead travelers astray, confuse them with illusions, and even seduce unsuspecting humans.  These foxes can become very powerful, and are thought to be very long lived.  If a fox lives to be a thousand years old, they would become so powerful that they were nearly God-like!  Tomamo-no-Mae has become one of the more widely known stories about foxes.  This fox showed a variety of powers, and also proved how tricky they can be.

The dragons of Japanese mythology are also fascinating.  Typical Japanese dragons were snake-like, and very different from the dragons one would meet in European legends.  These dragons are often associated with a specific element, such as water.  Sometimes they were worshipped as Gods for local populations, and were often prayed to for rainfall to help with the rice paddies.  One of the most popular stories within Japanese mythology is that of the Yamata-no-Orochi.  Yamata-no-Orochi was an eight-tailed, eight-headed dragon that was considered immensely powerful, and eventually was slain by a God.   

One of the more frequently "bad" Japanese demons is the oni.  This is often translated into ogre, and they leave little doubt about such a term due to their physical description.  They're almost always hideous, giant creatures and are often blue or red.  They have been known to carry large clubs with them, and are considered immensely strong in terms of physical strength.  However, as with the infamous kitsune, not all of the oni were bad in the sense of willful destruction.  These oni sometimes served another purpose, as the assistants to Enma-Dai-O who was the Lord of Death.  They would help Enma punish sinners in hell.  One of the more famous Japanese folktales is the story of Momotaro.  He has many adventures, culminating with him defeating the leader of an army of oni.

Tengu are a very different set of demons.  It's somewhat unusual, for instance, that tengu translates into "heavenly dog," but their appearance is typically more of a combination of a human and bird.  At one time, they were even described with beaks but over time this changed, and now the most common way to depict them is with a very long nose.  They have been shown in a variety of ways, and were once thought to be harbingers of war.  Eventually this persona was softened, and now the tengu are often associated with the protection of mountains and forests.  Tengu are frequently portrayed as if they are Shugendo, mountain hermits or monks.  These hermits are considered supernatural warriors of immense strength.  The story being focused on is Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a man who was rumored to have been trained by the King of Tengu, Sojobo.