FMP Japanese Folklore

Japanese mythology and the creatures from folklore have always intrigued me, so I decided to start my research looking at them first. Most of their folklore involves spirits and demons, so called Onis/Obake, which tells me that Japanese people throughout history have had a superstitious attitude and fear what they cannot control (ghosts/spirits are known to be invincible and vengeful upon the living). This has affected how the creatures they believed in were imagined and drawn. Death is an important part of their beliefs and many of the mythical creatures I researched are created after death; for instance a Kappa, a humanoid turtle that dwells in rivers, was said to have been a drowned soul that has turned into a water demon.
Here are some of the creatures I researched;


KIRIN



KAPPA


TENGU

ONI

SHIRIME


AKANAME


KITSUNE


KASA OBAKE