In Japanese folklore, cats and snakes are often associated with witches, with most snake witch-related yokai originating in Shikoku. The story of Jakotsu Baba, or the “snake-bone old hag”, is particularly infamous. Witches often have a feline friend to assist in their evil doings. The boundary between master and assistant is often blurred, and blindness has long been associated with spiritual powers. The most common name given to Japanese esoteric culture is onmyōdō, although magic is closely related to the entire esoteric and religious culture.
Paganism, mainly Witchcraft, was imported from the West in Japan, and Japanese witches do not resist the traditional religion. There are two possibilities of Paganism in Japan: Shinto and Western Witchcraft. Western Pagans often think Shinto is similar to Paganism, but the Shinto is widely spread and accepted in Japan. Japanese witches who practice modern Western witchcraft are deeply influenced by Wicca, Western magic, and Celtic traditions. At the same time, some witches like to adopt and combine Japanese religious traditions.
In Japanese folklore, the witch can be separated into two categories: those who employ snakes as familiars and those who employ foxes. The fox witch is by far the most commonly seen witch figure in Japan. Japanese witchcraft does not take a role of alternative faith or social movement, such as feminism or nationalism. Witches are involved in various aspects of Japanese society, including onmyodo, which was demonized as “witchcraft”, and practitioners were jailed, punished, or even killed.
In Japanese folklore, witches are involved in various activities, such as forest dwelling, potion brewing, and bringing love candles to make love. Baba Yaga, one of the most powerful witches in mythology and folklore, is one of the most powerful witches in mythology and folklore.
📹 Curse of the Samurai (Japanese Witchcraft)
The Curse of Taira no Masakado is a legend well known in Japan and often taken with great seriousness. Taira no Masakado was …
What is the witch symbol in Japanese?
The Kanji 魔, which translates to “witch,” is a prevalent and pervasive character in the Japanese writing system.
What religion rituals does Japan have?
Most Japanese people follow religious rituals during ceremonies like birth, weddings, and funerals, visiting shrines or temples on New Year, and participating in local festivals with religious backgrounds. Other religions include Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, and Buddhism. Basics for Muslim travelers include visiting shrines and temples, attending weddings, and participating in annual events like obon.
Do Shinto believe in God?
The Shinto religion is primarily centered around the “kami,” which are Japanese Shinto gods. The sun’s most significant kami, Amaterasu Okimaki, represents the sun, and these spirits and deities are divided into various groups.
What are Japanese witches called?
Itako, yuta, and miko are blind women trained as spiritual mediums in the Tohoku area, often compared to witches in the West due to their shamanic skills. Despite the lack of Christian influence on Japanese witches, there is no image of evil connotation with witches in Japan. However, people practicing witchcraft face depictions of the “witch” in anime and children’s literature. Japan serves as a contact zone between Western witchcraft and Japanese tradition, producing various images of witches without the Christian context, leading to a localized witchcraft faith.
What is the forbidden magic in Japanese?
Forbidden Magic is a classification of spells that draw power from the underworld, using negative mana, a sinister mana from the underworld. These spells are more powerful than normal magic and ignore the limits of normal magic. Forbidden Magic can regenerate entire upper bodies and becomes difficult to break. Mages who use this magic are collected in the Arcane Stage of the Magic Stages system. It can also permanently alter the souls and magic of users and victims, as seen in Licht’s demonic transformation, which destabilizes his soul and tainted his magic. Elves who succumb to despair and are influenced by Forbidden Magic become dark elves, and humans who overuse it risk developing Weg, a pair of black horns, and losing their humanity.
What is the spirituality of Japan?
Religion in Japan is primarily manifested in Shinto and Buddhism, the two main faiths practiced by the Japanese people. As many as 70 percent of the population follow Shinto rituals to some degree, worshiping ancestors and spirits at domestic altars and public shrines. An almost equally high number is reported as Buddhist. Synchronic combinations of both, known as shinbutsu-shūgō, are common and represented Japan’s dominant religion before the rise of State Shinto in the 19th century.
The Japanese concept of religion differs significantly from that of Western culture. Spirituality and worship are highly eclectic, with rites and practices often associated with well-being and worldly benefits being of primary concern. Religious affiliation is an alien notion, with only some 3 individuals identifying as Shinto in surveys. Some identify as “without religion”, but this does not signify rejection or apathy towards faith.
Shinto, also known as kami-no-michi, is the indigenous religion of Japan and most of the people. It focuses on ritual practices to establish a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient roots. In the 21st century, Shinto is the religion of public shrines devoted to the worship of a multitude of gods ( kami), suitable for various purposes such as war memorials and harvest festivals. Practitioners express their diverse beliefs through a standard language and practice, adopting a similar style in dress and ritual dating from the Nara (710–794) and Heian (794–1185) periods.
What are the witch animals in Japan?
Yanagita Kunio, a distinguished Japanese ethnologist, distinguished two principal categories of witch animals: snakes and foxes or dogs, which are quadrupedal creatures.
What is Japan’s sacred symbol?
Mount Fuji, located on the island of Honshu, is the highest summit in Japan at 3, 776 meters. It holds significant cultural and religious significance for the Japanese people. The mountain’s conical shape, covered in snow in winter and surrounded by cherry blossoms in spring, makes it an impressive sight. In 2013, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing its exceptional natural history, cultural importance, and place in Japanese spirituality. This designation reinforces the protection and significance of the mountain and its surrounding areas, making it a symbol of Japan’s cultural and religious significance.
What do ghosts symbolize in Japan?
The belief in ghosts in Japan dates back to the indigenous Ainu people, who considered spirits as manifestations of a person’s evil side. They were believed to appear in dreams, pass on messages from the dead, or guide individuals on spiritual journeys. The Shinto religion also incorporates the belief in spirits or kami, with prominent natural features like mountains, springs, and rocks being considered manifestations of kami, often a prominent god.
Buddhism, with its focus on the afterlife, brought stories from China of ghosts and goblins, personifying temptations and obstacles to enlightenment. In Japanese culture, ghosts represent a separate world from the living, and they can be banished or eliminated through spells and rituals performed by those in the know.
What are the nature spirits associated with Japanese religion?
Shinto gods, called kami, are sacred spirits that represent life’s essential elements such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers, and fertility. Humans become kami after death and are revered by their families. The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered the most important kami in Shinto. Shinto is an optimistic faith with no absolute right and wrong, believing that humans are fundamentally good and evil spirits are responsible for it. Rituals aim to keep away evil spirits through purification, prayers, and offerings to the kami.
Shinto shrines serve as worship places and homes for kami, with regular festivals (matsuri) to showcase the outside world. Priests perform Shinto rituals and live on shrine grounds, with both men and women being priests. Younger women (miko), who wear white kimono and are often the priests’ daughters, assist priests during rituals and shrine tasks.
What are the familiars of Japanese witches?
In Japan, foxes and snakes are the most common familiars, with foxes being more prevalent. Kitsune, or foxes, can attach to individuals or families and can provide various magical services. The Kitsune-mochi, a solitary practitioner, gains their familiar through food offerings and makes a formal pact for care. The Kitsune can become invisible, retrieve objects, shape-shift, and deceive enemies. However, the most dreadful power is the Kitsune’s ability to posses another human, known as Kitsunetsuki, as described by 19th-century folklorist Lafcadio Hearn.
📹 How is Witchcraft in Japan? @annetmaya_phdstudent
I like how even the U.S got scared when they tried to butt in. They were just like: “Oh guys c’mon it’s just some dead guy and a bunch of coincidences! What’s the worst that could happen?” construction worker dies horribly upon merely touching the remnants of a hundreds of years old grave. “Understood, have a good day.”
I LOVE Japanese stories and history. The Japanese are known to be some of the greatest as far as writing down their history. So if that’s what is written than yes, I believe it. Now whether the story is told from a second person narrative, hearing stories from other people….that I don’t know. Although to be fair, when severed from the body, the brain doesn’t die immediately…….
Asian culture has fascinated me since I was a kid, I adopted a lot of Shinto beliefs from a young age, the idea of all living things having Kami is something I’ve always kept with me. To this day I hate killing and do everything in my power to avoid taking life, because it is all precious and beautiful.
I’ve been playing Elden Ring, and it’s amazing how many things are connecting here. There’s a location which is popular for rune farming in the game where the enemies are frog-like people. Deeper in the area, theres one that has bloodred skin and it summons a giant skeleton to attack. Just like Takiyasha.
I just came across your website, literally just now. I can’t tell you how you can captivate viewers so quickly. I absolutely love the topic, & the work you put into it, & displayed it. You just got a new sub. I’m also showing my kids. They’re really into the Japanese culture. May daughter actually studied the language, & her brother, cousin have plans to go over seas, when it becomes safe. Again, excellent work. Will share. Thanks for the fantastic content.
As someone who watches some anime, it is very clear where they get their inspiration from. Sometimes I find myself wondering “where do they come up with this stuff?” while I’m perusal, but now I get it. Shintoism has a robust history. You wonder how mythical beliefs were so widely believed in the ancient world. Egypt, the Middle East, Chinese Buddhism and Taoism, African tribal religion, Norse mythology, Gaelic paganism, Native American tribal spirituality, etc. it goes on and on. And it was so widely accepted by the entire world as if it was undeniable by the masses. This can even be seen by Christianity in the 20th century. The amount of devout Christians has fallen off dramatically in the last 100 and even 50 years. I understand science has made leaps and bounds in that time, but I don’t understand how an explanation on how nature works would ever disprove the things that are supernatural. The word “supernatural” implies a disconnect from science. How people think the world is purely matter is beyond me. I’m also not saying all tales of folklore are real, but I will say that in the current times we live, where documentation of events is very easy, that spiritual activity would cease as spirits are said to be cunning and follow a specific set of rules. Evil spirits wouldn’t want to be proven beyond a doubt because non-belief is said to be dooming for one’s soul and proof for a mystical evil would turn many non-believers into progressive believers. Also, God wouldn’t reveal Himself outwardly enough to stop people from having Faith.
I am a firm believer in the paranormal and magick. I know it’s a pay to play type of venture that’s why I choose to learn about it with the utmost respect and not participating in rituals even though we are constantly being thrown into them without our knowledge but giving our energy none the less. Not knowing is no excuse that’s why I learn.
This was so fascinating! Id love to hear more about the spiritual/magic/religious beliefs of their beggining days in Japan if you ever need a topic for more articles😎💖😇 been diving deep into all of the world’s different beliefs and finding out there’s more fact than fiction than I ever would’ve imagined. Seems like a topic we all need to return to especially during these times. Might prove helpful to us all
The head was taken away because it wasn’t decaying, the rulers of our world don’t want us know how magical our world actually is, and want is stuck in stagnation. I wouldn’t be surprised if those events you talked about where all planned by our rules to direct the future of Earth to where we’re at now.
Wow!!! This is truly deep, however I do have a question?? Wasn’t there a live action horror movie that was made by Toho Studios, back in the early 90s or probably 1991!!! And, also, maybe before that a horror Anime, as well!!! Live Action: Doomed Megalopolis, and Tokyo Megalopolis!!! However, your story was truly more detailed and historical!!! Awesome, upload!!! New Subcriber!!!
Wait… so why not reunite his head with his body to appease him? That’s what he had begged for each night right? Wouldn’t that make more sense than shrines, cash, respect and titles? Genuinely curious and couldn’t find the answers I was looking for on the internet. I would love to hear anyone’s thoughts on this! Wonderful article. I found this website from the demonology article and hit subscribe 5 minutes in. So glad I did~
America needs to take notes from Japan. We literally ignore the spiritual implication of our actions, then people wonder why certain things happen. Japan is at least balance in the sense, they recognize the fundamental essence behind all things. That the physical world isn’t severed from the metaphysical. How small tangible actions can cause cosmic consequences. I wanna visit his gravesite, but I value my life. I’d rather meet a Bishounen kitsune. 💗
Hey Mr. Mythos. Really enjoyed the article! I would recommend you stop premiering your articles and just upload them like normal. I love you articles and watch everyone but this article was pushed down so far in my sub feed I didn’t even see it. This article deserves so many more views and I think many subscribers of yours ran into the problem I had. Just a recommendation :)))
I LOVE articles like this! You actually took the time to properly research this topic, and, was respectful to the culture of the subject matter! FEW even bother these days! I am a big believer in things like this, and have been studying the occult, mystical practices, and magick for years! It has become really hard to find information this good, that is not full of bias, rumor, and bs! Just by the title alone, giving the word “magick” the proper spelling, I was like:’This article is going to be good!’ New subscriber! Hope for more in the future!
The Japanese folklore is fascinating as any other out there in the world! Thanks for sharing! Maybe the story of this samurai becomes the tale of the Froge-prince or princess (Russan folk’s tail). Not the Grimms tales! Who knows!? In any case, it’s a tail for a shape-shifting human-reptile creature that has paranormal abilities and doesn’t decay or at least has access to different dimensions ….
Japan is prone to earthquakes it is also prone to messing with a certain ancient noble – perhaps they shouldn’t..As for the head I hate to be “Mr Obvious” but perhaps somehow someway someone got the unheard of idea of bringing head and body together and the fire was a great opportunity to do so unofficially….If anyone wants to check I would suggest ground penetrating radar..unless they want another rematch…
I believe his head was stolen by one of the pilgrims as they were worried that the Japanese govt would not learn their lesson and respect the spirit. So by stealing the head they could keep Masakado happy by looking after him in a way that he deserves to be looked after. I find it crazy that even the US govt understood very quickly what was happening and didn’t turn his shrine into a carpark.
I’m not sure how much I believe in magic spells, I think it’s all about manipulating energy and spirits, and that’s done with intention, will, understanding, etc. So I’m not sure any specific ritual is important so much as a person’s belief in what they’re doing. I also doubt that big things like gashadokuro are actually possible, or at least I very much hope that’s only a legend. But as for ghosts and spirits, I believe in them. I’ve seen both ghosts and spirits of nature. I’ve never seen a demon, and I very much hope I never do, but I know someone who has seem them more than once. I don’t know about gods. I’ve never seen a god. I’m not an atheist, I don’t think the universe came from nothing so I’m willing to believe it was created by a god, I just don’t know what to believe in that whole religion thing. There’s too many competing claims and none of them have any proof. It could be they all are right and wrong, that they all have a shard of the truth of the divine but have pretty much all the details wrong. Anyway, back to supernatural stuff. I know people who grew up in a haunted house. I lived in a haunted apartment for a while, it wasn’t bad, just an old man who’d sometimes sit on the couch. I do not believe the dead should be casually disrespected. With a vengeful spirit, I do think placating them and avoiding angering them is the wisest thing to do. I’ve met people will all sorts of little psychic abilities. I sometimes dream about the future, though since it’s limited to me and about a year in advance and provides zero context it’s totally useless.
My father was the curator of the main museum in Hawaii. He was accredited for massing the best Japanese ceramic collection in the free world. He had a wooden Shinto statue of a famous monk/master in our living room. Our family had tragedy after tragedy and our Japanese housekeeper said it was because of this statue. She wanted it put in a Shinto temple. When my father died she told me he had promised it to her upon his death. She was not in the will but I gave it to her anyway. I am the last surviving member in my family and have led a charmed life ever since I parted with the statue. that was 50 years ago.
We Japanese usually call Masakado’s formidable spirit as “on-ryo” rather than “goryo”, the “on” being that in the title of horror movie “Ju-on”. I checked the definitions or the difference of the words, and indeed Masakado’s soul should be called as Goryo now that he’s awed and respected as the guardian spirit of Tokyo. Very informative recap indeed!
Very excellent and well done article, Japanese culture until now days has never cease to fascinate me with very deeply-rooted customs and continuously evolving life style, Japan is equally both proudly traditional and ultramodern as this nation has a very strong and remarkable cultural identity. In the context of their beliefs, I have adopted in my personal life some beliefs from the Shinto and Buddhist religions, given the aspect that I believe more on the spiritual or in the supernatural, in this case the existence of a life after death or the existence of spirits (kami). The great difference is that unlike the western concept of gods, the Kami are not omnipotent nor perfect. They, like humans, sometimes make mistakes and misbehave. As the goal is for people to strive towards exemplifying qualities of good kami. This is because the bad behavior of negligent people or people who doesn’t show proper respect can be seen as a sign of pride and lack of care for others and could bring harm upon themselves. Although nothing is a sin on the Shinto religion, the certain acts of people can create a sort of ritual impurity that one should clean only for one’s own peace of mind and good fortune. Basically the way of how I conceive the Shinto beliefs into my life perspective, is by my love to nature or in this case my harmony through it. Since one of its beliefs is that kami can possess anything, including nature itself so it is important to keep places clean and being aware of the environment.
I’m not one to write off spirits, but I also know the power of belief, wether or not there is a spirit of a samurai, there are a multitude of individuals the vehemently believe that the disruption of the shrine would cause turmoil, and that can have real world implications. The art of the occult isn’t tapping into a hidden realm and making deals with spirits, it is the art of reinforcing ones own souls power, the tools used are nothing more then show pieces to convince the mind of the power it wields. Performances used to entice the subconscious to achieve a goal the logical mind refutes. Nothing is impossible, and those who practice the occult know this the most. Those who hold a strong spirituality also know this, they put faith into beings and items and rituals and from this they manifest in the world the changes they believe in their heart to be true.
Very nicely done bio on Taira No Masakado. OMG Mr.Mythos you are awesome bro! Thank you for taking your time to bring us Rabbit holes of the kind we like. I have a strong deep love affair with Japanese Samurai Feudal Japan man. I never knew about Frog Magic. Shinto is declining for now many have left but they will come back,……..they always do. Its usually not pretty what makes them come back. Yes, The Japanese people are not hallucinating. The Masakodo grounds, the appeasement, the 458 coincidences, are real. If anyone disagrees (the armchair masters of modernity) then go defile the shrine and Tweet the aftermath for us. The Japanese people are a lot of things, one thing they are not is stupid. Thank you. That game looks sick.
His head was taken and burned by an old witch doctor to remove the curse. When he was turned to ash the ashes were sprinkled into the pigs feeding trough. All pigs were slaughtered by the end of the day and then they were burned to ash and buried. It would have worked but no one burned the rest of his body….
If the spirit of Masakado is vengeful towards the illegitimate government of Japan, then it should be no surprise to see why Masakado strike important financial and government buildings. I would find it no surprise to see the Upheavals in Japan’s economy in, arguably, the 19th and 20th centuries considering that the Emperor in question (and possibly the government) still had shown no recognition nor respect for such a historical figure. Even in the afterlife, his iron will is what a warrior should aspire to, a boundless conviction to fight for his own memory. To Taira no Masakado, may the Spirits of the Order of Anura protect and appease your soul, and may they forever honor your conviction to return.
Btw goryo can be read a gorei. Rei = ghost in Japanese. There is a word called haigorei which means that a ghost is lingering on your back and that ghost can either be good or bad. Good ghosts are ancestors who protect your back, bad ghosts are ones who has malicious intentions to you and surrounding family/friends’.
Another historical figure of the Taira Clan(Henke) that also become a ghost after his death was of the prominent commander Taira no Tomomori, after the Minamoto Clan(Genji) defeated the Taira in the Battle of Dan-no-ura that occurred in the sea during the Genpei War, Tomomori tied an anchor to his feet and leapt into the sea so that he may die by his own hand and not from enemy, his death become a very popular Kabuki play later on named The Tale of the Henke(Henke Monogatari), It’s also said that the a species of crab called heikegani that is native of Japan and can be found in the same place that the Battle of Dan-no-ura contain the spirit of the defeated Taira warriors that died that day.
So when I was 17 year old some of my friends got into the fad of ghost hunting. Now they were very serious about it. It was about fun so much as documenting things for fun. I being in the beginning of my journey into rationale and good reason decided to ask if I could join them as the opposition. I didn’t believe they were really expiring any other than there imaginations running wild in the dark. It way more normal then you might believe it is to see an illusion you believe is real but just isn’t upon further inspection. They agreed and the unofficial leader of the group really like the idea. He thought it would help validate things or at least verify things having a nonbeliever with them. Suffice to say long story short I went along a few times. The last we didn’t even investigate because it was too scare. If people are more interested in what I experienced I’ll elaborate but it’s a lot to say.
I know I’m way late on the comment but legends are born in the same way as people. They have a mom and dad. In the case of legends, the mom is the truth, and the dad is the telling of those truths. Simply meaning, there’s always a kernel of truth in every legend. That being said, I’d wouldn’t risk saying or doing something disrespectful, just in case.😂
Sugawara no Michizane, a Heian period aristocrat, scholar, Chinese poet, and politician who is revered as the god of learning in Japan, was brutally murdered.After his death, the Kyoto Imperial Palace, where the Heian period emperor lived, It is said that he became an evil spirit and struck a very large thunderbolt. Since that incident, Sugawara no Michizane has been enshrined as the god of learning.
Some may say that truth and belief walk hand in hand with one another. However, what I believe and accept as truth doesn’t always mean it is the accepted truth of someone else. Even though I am a professing Christian, it’s clear that there are things that we cannot understand and things that we simply, as human beings, aren’t meant to see or comprehend. There are so many facets to this world that we cannot see. Could it be coincidence used as a cautionary tale? Sure. Does that mean there isn’t something to it? Not at all. How many legends and bits of lore hold some relationship with actual events (exaggerated or not)? Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. Better to be safe than sorry 🙂
So Mr. Mythos, I’m sure your perspective on life has changed since the start of your spiritual journey. Please share, did you lose it for a bit as you struggled to understand it in the beginning. Was It eventually a lesson learned for a more in-depth understanding that seemed to evolve you ultimately
wow….I wonder if the legend of Masakado inspired the Galliant Jeriayah. I remember being exposed to the legend of Masakado’s angry spirit via Doomed Megalopis or Teito Montogei (Tale of the Imperial Capitol). always loved that horror anime, never read the book or manga as there was no translation into english besides Doomed Megalopis 4 part OVA.
Okay holy damn… I met a demon named “Oni!” My good friend of 5 years sat down next to me and revealed himself to me! I said nothing for a minute while I saw his face aging forward and backward, with a thousand translucent ribbons floating out of his back. Then I asked him,”How are you doing that, Nate?” Bc he stared at me with such intent that I KNEW he was doing it on purpose and he said,”Not Nate. Oni. You can see the aging face, can’t you?” Explain that, PLEASE, somebody! Because since then I can see anyone’s soul that I want to look into and he still won’t tell me what it means!!!!
I SERIUSLY BELEIVE,IN CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE HIS,THAT HE WAS NOT READY TO GO YET…..IT HAPPENS ALOT ON THE BATTLEFIELDS…..I MEAN ALOTTT!!! ESPECIALLY AT ATEITAM BATTLEFIELD AND GHETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD,AND SOOO MANY OTHER PLACES!!!!! I FEEL SOOOO BAD FOR ALOT OF THEM…..AND I FEEL I AM GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE STATISTICS MYSELF,BECAUSE I AM HAVEING ALOTTT OF PROBLAMS WITH MY HEALTH AND I AM VEEERY STUBERN AND DEF DONT WANT TO DIE YET,AND I AM JUST GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE SO CALLED FLOATERS,JUST WONDERING AROUND AIMLESSLY,YA KNOW LOL….THATS HOW I FEEL…
1. Meiji definitely destroyed the head out of disrespect and as a point of no return. 2. Um, there are plenty of spiritual parts of the West, including America. No one ever thinks about non-white parts of “the West” but in Central and South America and in the Caribbean Islands, there’s spiritualism everywhere. One of the most famous is Day of the Dead in Mexico. While a large portion of Central and South American populations are Catholic, their beliefs on death, ghosts, and spirits don’t line up at all with the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings or beliefs. And in the Caribbean Islands and in Louisiana, you have the practice of hoodoo and voodoo (both are religions in their own right), which took aspects of Catholicism that was forced upon natives and slaves and incorporated it with their own existing beliefs. There’s even parts of the Midwest and South and Southwest that, while christian, have traditions and beliefs and superstitions and rituals not in line with Christianity or the church. Hold your breath as you go past a graveyard or the dead will hear you breathe and attach themselves to you so they can live again, Never hang a horseshoe with the open end pointing down or the good luck will fall out/never hang a horseshoe with the open end pointing up or it’ll only catch bad luck (your belief depends on where you’re born), never move/mess with/remove the offerings on a gravestone (unless you’re refreshing the flowers) or the ghost will haunt you, salt along any openings in a house to prevent spirits from coming in (as made famous by Supernatural), hang sage leaves over doorways and windows to repel bad spirits, etc.