Oyajirome—this monster will see you sneaking up with its big eye in the back of its head and then rip you apart with its one-talon claw.
At the edge of town, before the dark of the forest, live the monsters and creatures and shapeshifters who come out at dusk and roam the night preying on those who’ve lost their way. They live in the half-light, the gray area between memory and loss, known and unknown. They are called yōkai—supernatural monsters, spirits, and demons as recounted in Japanese folklore.
According to the myth, should you be so unlucky to meet one of these yokai, then you may perish or be taken captive for their twisted pleasure.
The Bakemono zukushi or “monster scroll” features 23 yokai like Dōmo-kōmo, a two-headed creature, and Rokurokubi, a woman with with elongated neck. The scroll was produced sometime in the 18th- or 19th-century by an artist or artists unknown. You can view the whole scroll here.
Daichiuchi—this big muscly bird will flatten you into millet with its huge cartoon mallet.
Dōmo-kōmo—two heads are better than none with this tall gray-skinned monster.
Sara-hebi—snake with a woman’s head.
Mi-no-kedachi—looks kinda like a kissy monster all-covered in hair.
Nobusuma—no one fucks with the Nobusuma, a human-face, big-clawed, big-toothed, spiky monster.
Uma-shika—a pop-eyed, horse-headed beast.
Odoroshi—red, angry-looking monster with big crossed eyes, black ugly teeth, and incredibly long hair.
Rokurokubi—a rubber-necked woman stretching out beside Inugam, the dog spirit.
Boukon—just your run-of-the-mill dead person a-coming back to haunt your dreams and maybe eat your face.
Ushi-oni—a sea monster apparently consisting of part-cow, part-crab, and part creepy-crawly spider.
Buraribi—white ghost bird with flames.
Uwan—a snaggle-toothed monster that hides out in creepy, old, abandoned buildings.
Akashita—a big red-tongued monster that lives in black clouds.
Kami-kiri—this kinky fella sneaks up on unsuspecting people and cuts off their hair.
Via Public Domain Review.
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Weird monsters of Japanese folklore
Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps): The ghoulish artwork of Gōjin Ishihara
Anatomical Diagrams of Mythical Japanese Monsters
Anatomical illustrations of Godzilla and other Japanese monsters
Anatomical illustrations of Japanese folk monsters
Sodomy, sake, murderous monsters & sketches straight from Hell: The art of Kawanabe Kyōsai
Hilariously crude Japanese ‘fart battle scrolls’ from the Edo period
The king of Kinbaku: The erotic works of Japanese bondage artist Seiu Ito
Strange Japanese illustrations of raccoon dogs with huge balls