Flashcards: Japanese folklore

The three wise monkeys (Japanese: 三猿 Hepburn: san'en or sanzaru, alternatively 三匹の猿 sanbiki no saru, literally "three monkeys"), sometimes called the three mystic apes, are a pictorial maxim.

Hyakki Yagyō, variation: hyakki yakō, (百鬼夜行; lit. "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons") is a concept in Japanese folklore.

Kaidan (怪談) (sometimes transliterated kwaidan) is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 (kai) meaning “strange, mysterious, rare or bewitching apparition" and 談 (dan) meaning “talk” or “recited narrative.

Otogizōshi (御伽草子 otogi-zōshi) refers to a group of approximately 350 Japanese prose narratives written primarily in the Muromachi period (1392–1573).

Yotsuya Kaidan (四谷怪談), the story of Oiwa and Tamiya Iemon, is a tale of betrayal, murder and ghostly revenge.

Kitsune (狐, キツネ, IPA: [kitsu͍ne] ) is the Japanese word for fox.

The Daruma doll (達磨 daruma), also known as a Dharma doll, is a hollow, round, Japanese traditional doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism.

Funayūrei (船幽霊 or 舟幽霊, literally "boat spirit") are ghosts (yūrei) that have become vengeful spirits (onryō) at sea.

Kuchisake-onna (口裂け女, "Slit-Mouthed Woman") is a figure appearing in Japanese urban legends.

Momotarō (桃太郎, "Peach Boy") is a popular hero of Japanese folklore originating from Okayama Prefecture.

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (竹取物語 Taketori Monogatari) is a 10th-century Japanese monogatari (fictional prose narrative) containing folkloric elements.

In Japanese mythology, the Namazu (鯰) or Ōnamazu (大鯰) is a giant catfish who causes earthquakes.

Yamauba (山姥 or 山うば), Yamamba or Yamanba are variations on the name of a yōkai found in Japanese folklore.

Banchō Sarayashiki or Bancho Sarayashi (番町皿屋敷 The Dish Mansion at Banchō) is a Japanese ghost story (kaidan) of broken trust and broken promises, leading to a dismal fate.

Kamishibai (Japanese: 紙芝居, literally "paper play") is a form of Japanese street theatre and storytelling that was popular during the Depression of the 1930s and the post-war period in Japan until the advent of television during the twentieth century.

Shisa (シーサー Shīsā, Okinawan: shiisaa) is a traditional Ryukyuan decoration, often in pairs, resembling a cross between a lion and a dog, from Okinawan mythology.

Botan Dōrō (牡丹燈籠 The Peony Lantern) is a Japanese ghost story (kaidan) that is both romantic and horrific; it is one of the most famous kaidan in Japan.

Ushi no toki mairi (Japanese: 丑の時参り) or ushi no koku mairi (丑刻参り) lit.