1. Earthquake victims take revenge on the giant catfish responsible for the destruction [+]

The popularity of namazu-e exploded, and as many as 400 different types became available within weeks. However, the namazu-e phenomenon abruptly ended two months later when the Tokugawa government, which ordinarily maintained a strict system of censorship over the publishing industry, cracked down on production. Only a handful are known to survive today.

* * * * *

2. Namazu and the kaname-ishi rock [+]

Namazu are normally kept under control by the god Kashima using a large rock known as kaname-ishi. The Great Ansei Earthquake of 1855 is said to have occurred when Kashima went out of town and left Ebisu (god of fishing and commerce) in charge. In this print, the giant subterranean catfish unleashes destruction on the city while Ebisu sleeps on the job. Kashima rushes home on horseback while the city burns, and Raijin the thunder god defecates drums. Large gold coins fall from the sky, symbolizing the redistribution of wealth during the rebuilding phase.

* * * * *

3. Tug-of-war between namazu and the god Kashima [+]

This print shows a namazu engaged in a fierce game of "neck tug-of-war" with the god Kashima. A group of earthquake victims root for Kashima, while those who typically profit from earthquakes (construction workers, firemen, news publishers, etc.) root for the catfish.

* * * * *

4. Ancient catfish (Artists: Kyosai Kawanabe and Robun Kanagaki)

Produced two days after the earthquake, this work by Kyosai Kawanabe and Robun Kanagaki is considered the first namazu-e catfish print. The picture, which makes reference to a popular kabuki play of the era, inspired the creation of many namazu-e prints to follow.

* * * * *

5. Magical method of earthquake protection [+]

This protective print, which claims to prevent earthquake damage to one's home if attached to the ceiling, shows a group of remorseful catfish apologizing to the god Kashima for causing earthquakes while he was away.

* * * * *

6. Catfish family

This print shows a mob of earthquake victims coming to take revenge on a namazu and its children.

* * * * *

7. For peace and tranquility [+]

In this print, which claims to offer protection from earthquakes, the god Kashima and prostitutes from the Yoshiwara red-light district express their anger toward the catfish responsible for earthquakes.

* * * * *

8. Namazu saviors

Some prints show the benevolent side of namazu. Here, they are seen rescuing people from the rubble.

* * * * *

9. Daikoku, the popular god of wealth, restrains a namazu and showers people with money [+]

* * * * *

10. Kashima restrains a namazu using the kaname-ishi rock

* * * * *

11. Kashima, kaname-ishi, and namazu [+]

In this print, the god Kashima is pictured in the top right corner. The kaname-ishi rock, portrayed as a person, stands on the head of the catfish, while a crowd of people try to subdue the giant beast. The people on the left who are not helping subdue the catfish include construction workers and others who typically profit from earthquakes.

* * * * *

12. Earthquake hand game

This print is a reference to the old Japanese saying, "The most frightening things are earthquakes, thunder, fires, and fathers." Here, a namazu plays janken (paper-rock-scissors) with the gods of thunder and fire while an elderly man (father) looks on.

* * * * *

13. Earthquakes, thunder, fires and fathers [+]

This print also makes reference to the old Japanese saying, "The most frightening things are earthquakes, thunder, fires, and fathers." Here, a namazu and the gods of thunder and fire discuss their powers over a fish dinner while a middle-aged man (father) looks on.

* * * * *

14. Tipsiness following the great namazu [+]

In this print, the god Kashima stabs his sword into the throat of the namazu, which is laid out on a giant table. The crowd of onlookers is divided into two groups. The people in the top half of the picture are labeled as "smiling" (those who benefit from the earthquake) and the people at the bottom are labeled as "weeping" (those who are harmed by the earthquake). The top group includes a carpenter, a plasterer, a lumber salesman, a blacksmith and a roofer, as well as an elite courtesan, an ordinary prostitute, a physician, and sellers of ready-to-eat foods. The bottom group includes a teahouse proprietor, an eel seller, various entertainers such as musicians, comedians and storytellers, a seller of luxury goods, a diamond seller, and a seller of imported goods.

* * * * *

15. Prosperity of the Ansei era [+]

This print, which shows a namazu punishing a rich man and a famous actor, illustrates a popular theory that the gods deliberately allowed the earthquake to happen in order to rectify some of the imbalances in the world.

* * * * *

16. Namazu attacked by the citizens of Edo [+]

* * * * *

17. Catfish and construction workers partying in the Yoshiwara red-light district, pt. 1 [+]

This print depicts a crowd of namazu and newly prosperous construction workers living it up at a parlor house in the Yoshiwara pleasure district.

* * * * *

18. Catfish and construction workers partying in the Yoshiwara red-light district, pt. 2 [+]

This print also shows carpenters, plasterers and roofers drinking and making merry in the Yoshiwara pleasure district while a namazu is restrained with a gourd.

* * * * *

19. The earthquake and a "million prayers" [+]

This print depicts a namazu as a priest seated inside a giant rosary. The creature does not want to cause any more earthquakes, but the "worshipers" -- tradesmen such as lumber dealers and carpenters who profit from the disaster -- are praying for it to act up again. The ghosts of earthquake victims float overhead.

* * * * *

20. Earthquake catfish and world rectification [+]

In this print, a group of construction workers pay respect to the namazu for helping them strike it rich.

* * * * *

21. The shaking of greater Edo [+]

This print shows a massive steamship-like namazu approaching the city. The creature is spouting money, and people on shore beckon for it to come closer. The depiction of this namazu conjures up images of Commodore Perry's black ships, which arrived in Japan in 1853 and eventually forced the country to open its ports to Western commerce.

* * * * *

22. The perpetrators of three big quakes captured alive [+]

In this print, the god Kashima has captured the catfish responsible for the major earthquakes in Shinshu, Edo, and Odawara. A carpenter, fireman, plasterer and roofer try to persuade the god to release the catfish, saying the creatures have apologized enough. The unforgiving Kashima sentences the fish to be cooked in a nabe stew.

* * * * *

23. Namazu of Edo and Shinshu

* * * * *

24. Ebisu apologizes [+]

In this print, Ebisu (god of fishing and commerce) apologizes to Kashima for falling asleep on the job after drinking. The catfish leader is also apologizing, saying it was the thoughtless ones that went wild.

* * * * *

25. Peace in the Ansei era

This print shows the god Kashima using the kaname-ishi to subdue the namazu responsible for the recent earthquakes.

* * * * *

26. Namazu is wrestled into submission and placed under the kaname-ishi rock [+]

* * * * *

27. Ridgepole raising

This print shows a group of namazu construction workers erecting the kanji character 平 (hira), which can symbolize "peace."

* * * * *

28. A man entertains a namazu [+]

* * * * *

29. People inspect a namazu picture

* * * * *

30. Monster namazu in the storehouse [+]

* * * * *

31. Gourd and catfish

In this print, a namazu tries to help a comrade escape from a trap by handing it a gourd. The image is a reference to the old Japanese expression "gourd and catfish" (meaning "slippery" or "elusive"), which originates from a famous 15th-century Zen painting of a man trying to catch a catfish with a gourd.

* * * * *

32. Mob takes revenge on a namazu [+]

* * * * *

33. Catching a catfish with a gourd (Artist: Kunisada Utagawa) [+]

* * * * *

34. People who profit from earthquakes make offerings to a namazu [+]

* * * * *

35. Fear of Kashima

This print shows people dancing around a namazu dressed as a representative of Kashima shrine in an annual ritual held before the start of the new agricultural season. The image of the rabbit represents the zodiac year of the rabbit (1855).

* * * * *

36. Reassurance of the quake-suppressing rock [+]

A crowd of elderly people, carpenters, young wives, china-shop owners, entertainers, Yoshiwara prostitutes, physicians, and others are offering prayers to the kaname-ishi rock, believed to have the power to keep earthquakes in check. When a person in the crowd voices his doubts about the rock's powers, the rock responds, "I assure you that if the earth moves even a little I will stand on my head." In the original Japanese, this answer features a pun on the words ishi-gaeshi ("overturning a rock") and ishu-gaeshi ("taking revenge").

* * * * *

37. Earthquake protection song

In this print, Daikoku, the popular god of wealth, showers people with money while the god Kashima restrains a namazu.

* * * * *

38. Frightened namazu [+]

This print shows a mother namazu chasing a mob of people who have kidnapped her two children. The message on the flag carried by a person in the crowd suggests they intend to grill and eat the young catfish.

* * * * *

39. Namazu with construction tools, portrayed as the legendary warrior Benkei

* * * * *

40. The god Ebisu restrains a giant catfish with a gourd [+]

[More: Disaster Prevention Museum, National Diet Library]

Mikoshi-nyūdō -- Monk-like creature that grows taller the more you look at it

Nue -- Chimera-like bringer of misfortune that can fly and morph into a dark cloud

Futsukeshibaba (a.k.a. Hikeshibaba) -- Mysterious old woman in white who extinguishes lanterns

Kasha -- Cat-like demon that descends from the sky to feed on corpses before cremation

Noderabō -- Strange creature standing near a temple bell

Waraime (a.k.a. Kerakera-onna) -- Giant cackling woman

Daibutsu-kaibutsu -- Mysterious pile of crumbling skulls

Ubagabi -- Fiery ghost of old woman encountered along the Hozu River in Kyoto

Yamao -- One-eyed mountain creature (possibly related to the yama-waro of Kyushu)

Nyūnaisuzume -- Sparrows flying from the mouth of exiled poet Fujiwara no Sanekata

Buruburu -- Forest-dwelling ghost that causes victims to shiver violently

Aoi no Ue -- Character from The Tale of Genji who suffers episodes of spirit possession

Nekomata -- Fork-tailed cat with a host of supernatural abilities

Umizatō -- Blind lute player who walks on the sea

Shuten Dōji -- Fearsome oni known for kidnapping, enslaving and devouring young Kyoto maidens

Yūrei -- Ghost

Ubume -- Ghost of woman who died during childbirth

Raigō -- 11th-century monk reborn as a giant book-eating rat (a.k.a. Tesso - "Iron Rat")

Hitotsume-bōzu -- Monk with cyclopean eye

Shiriyau (a.k.a. Shiryō) -- Spirit of the dead

Tanuki-bō -- A monk who turned into a tanuki

Sōgenbi -- Fiery ghost of oil-thieving monk (based on Kyoto legend)

Teratsutsuki -- Mononobe no Moriya's resentment turns into a woodpecker

Tengu -- Bird-like demon

Yanari -- Little demons that produce the creaking sounds heard in old houses

[Link: Kaibutsu Ehon]

Hari-onago ("Hooked woman" with deadly hair, from Ehime prefecture)

Kijimuna (Okinawan tree sprite)

Kerakera-onna ("Cackling woman")

Gagoze (Demonic ghost haunting Gango-ji temple in Nara prefecture)

Aonyobu ("Blue wife," the ruined aristocrat)

- Kappa (river imp), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Jorōgumo (lit. "whore spider"), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Kubire-oni (strangler demon), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Rokurokubi (long-necked woman), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Onmoraki (bird demon), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Nekomata (cat monster), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Tengu (bird-like demon), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Tenjō-sagari (ceiling dweller), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Enma Dai-Ō (King of Hell), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Kyūbi no kitsune (nine-tailed fox), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Baku (dream-eating chimera), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Yūrei (ghost), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Yamasei (mountain sprite), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Rashōmon no oni (ogre of Rashōmon Gate), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Waira (mountain-dwelling chimera), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Nure-onna (snake woman), Illustrated Book of Japanese Monsters, 1972

- Hell of Repetition (Illustrated Book of Hell, 1975)

- Burning Hell (Illustrated Book of Hell, 1975)

- Demons of the Orient (The Complete Book of Demons, 1974)

- The appearance of Satan (The Complete Book of Demons, 1974)

- Gorgon (Illustrated Book of World Monsters, 1973)

- Aliens in ancient Japan (Mysteries of the World, 1970)

- Alien (Mysteries of the World, 1970)

- Emergency Command 10-4 10-10 (sonosheet book, 1972)

- Emergency Command 10-4 10-10 (sonosheet book, 1972)

- Kaiketsu Lion-Maru (sonosheet book, 1972)

- Kaiketsu Lion-Maru (sonosheet book, 1972)

- Prehistoric man as modern-day baseball player (Prehistoric Man, 1970)

- Prehistoric man as modern-day wrestler (Prehistoric Man, 1970)

- Prehistoric man as modern-day security guard (Prehistoric Man, 1970)

- The secretary who spied for 18 years (from Spy Wars)

- World's biggest glutton (World's Greatest Wonders, 1971)

- Precognition of plane crash (Mysteries of the Body, 1973)

- Nostradamus (Psychics of the World, 1974)

- Frozen planet (Year X: End of the World, 1975)

Dark star gravity (Year X: End of the World, 1975)

[Link: Gōjin Fechi]

Oyajirome (親白眼) has a bulging eye on the back of its head and a claw on its one-fingered hand.

Daichiuchi (大地打) is a mallet-wielding monster with a bird-like face.

Dōmo-kōmo (どうもこうも) is a two-headed creature with gray skin.

Sara-hebi (さら蛇) is a large, snake-like creature with the head of a woman.

Mi-no-kedachi (身の毛立) has a coat of body hair that stands on end.

Nobusuma (のぶすま) has a brown body, human-like face, spiky hair, claws, and sharp black teeth.

Uma-shika (馬鹿) is a horse-like monster with a horn on its head and a single bulging eye.

Hajikkaki (はぢっかき) has a round white body with short arms and legs.

Odoroshi (おどろし) is a red-faced monster with big eyes, black teeth, and long hair.

Yume-no-seirei ("dream ghost" - 夢の精霊) appears as a thin old man in a white robe.

Yamamba (山姥) is a mountain hag.

Rokurokubi (ろくろくび), a long-necked woman, is pictured next to an Inugami (犬神) dog spirit.

Boukon (亡魂), a departed soul, appears to have pale blue skin, long hair, and a distended belly.

Ushi-oni (牛鬼) is a sea monster with the head of a cow and the body of a giant spider or crab.

Yamawaro (山童) is a one-eyed kappa-like creature found in the mountains.

Buraribi (ぶらり火) is a white, bird-like creature surrounded by ghostly flames.

Uwan (うわん) is a creature that inhabits abandoned buildings.

Akashita ("red tongue" - 赤舌) is a hairy-faced creature that hides in a dark cloud.

Yuki-onna ("snow woman" - 雪女) appears on snowy nights as a beautiful woman with long hair.

Nekomata (猫また) cat demon plays the shamisen next to a kitsune (狐) fox spirit.

Kami-kiri ("hair cutter" - 髪切) are known for sneaking up on people and cutting off their hair.

- View the entire scroll.

[Via: International Research Center for Japanese Studies - Yokai Database]

White monster/Bird-dog hybrid [+]

The black creature on the right was born by a dog that mated with a bird in the city of Fukuoka in the early 1740s. Next to the bird-dog hybrid is an amorphous white monster -- also encountered in Fukuoka -- which is said to have measured about 180 centimeters (6 ft) across. People at the time believed this creature was a raccoon dog that had shape-shifted.

* * * * *

Old woman at the temple [+]

This illustration depicts a ghostly old woman known to appear late at night in a certain guest room at a temple in the Kaho area of Fukuoka prefecture. On multiple occasions, terrified lodgers ended up fatally wounding themselves after trying to strike her with a sword.

* * * * *

Russian fireball [+]

During heavy winds, this Russian hitodama (a fiery apparition composed of spirits of the recently departed) could be heard to say, "Oroshiya, oroshiya" ("Let me down"). There is some speculation that the author dreamed up the creature based on a play on words, as "oroshiya" sounds like the old Japanese pronunciation of "Russia."

* * * * *

Tiger meow-meow [+]

This illustration depicts a Zenshu priest who was transformed by greed into a strange feline creature with three toes on each paw and the forked tail of a nekomata.

* * * * *

Toad from the sea near Pusan [+]

The illustration shows a fearsome horned toad said to inhabit the sea near Pusan, Korea.

* * * * *

Chinese sneezer [+]

This creature resembles a half-naked, cold-ridden Chinese man and is thought to be a caricature of China, which had fallen prey to Western colonial powers.

* * * * *

Man with oversized testicles [+]

Long ago, a man with massive testicles reportedly made a living as a sideshow attraction at Mt. Satta, on the old Tokaido Road near the city of Shizuoka. His scrotum is said to have measured about a meter across.

* * * * *

Wild woman [+]

The "wild woman" shown here appears to be an aquatic humanoid with scaly skin, webbed hands and feet (each with three fingers and toes), long black hair, and a large red mouth. People claim to have encountered the creature in the 1750s in mountain streams in the Asakura area of Fukuoka prefecture.

* * * * *

Ox woman [+]

The "ox woman" pictured here was sideshow attraction at Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine (Fukuoka prefecture) in the mid-18th century. The armless lady entertained audiences by using her peculiar feet to run string through the center holes of coins.

* * * * *

Man with snakes in his legs [+]

The illustration shows a middle-aged traveling monk from Nagano prefecture who would bathe in hot springs without removing his leggings. If anyone asked him why he did not fully undress before entering the water, he would show them the holes in his shins, which contained snakes. The man was born with snakes in his legs as punishment for misdeeds in a previous life.

* * * * *

Bizarre creature at Kanezaki Inlet [+]

Many Edo-period scrolls featured illustrations of unfamiliar creatures -- animals that actually existed but were rarely seen in Japan (such as fur seals and sea lions), along with creatures generally regarded as imaginary (mermaids and kappa). This illustration shows a 3-meter-long seal that was captured in the early 19th century at Kanezaki Inlet.

* * * * *

Giant red fish [+]

This illustration depicts a giant red fish encountered by a shark fisherman in northern Japan. The head of the angry fish is said to have measured about 2 meters across.

* * * * *

Tiger meow-meow [+]

Much like the money-hungry priest described above, the people shown here have been transformed by greed into bizarre cat creatures.

* * * * *

Ezo wolf [+]

This illustration shows an Ezo Wolf (a.k.a. Hokkaido Wolf), which is believed to have gone extinct in the late 19th century (after this illustration was made). The animal is seen here with its paw on a human skull.

* * * * *

Korean monk [+]

The "Korean monk" in this illustration, seen singing and playing a gekkin (moon guitar), has the physical characteristics of a kappa (water imp).

* * * * *

Lantern man [+]

In the early decades of the 18th century, a man with a malleable head made a living as a popular sideshow attraction. It is said that he could collapse his head like a traditional paper lantern.

* * * * *

Ghost of woman with child [+]

This illustration shows the ghost of a woman from the Asakura area of Fukuoka prefecture, who died during a difficult childbirth.

* * * * *

Nekomata [+]

The nekomata is a cat monster with a forked tail and a taste for human flesh. The creature's powers include the ability to talk, walk on hind legs, shape-shift, fly, and even resurrect the dead. The nekomata pictured here was encountered in the Nasuno area of Tochigi prefecture.

* * * * *

Kawataro [+]

The kawataro is a variety of kappa (water imp) which, according to the accompanying text, likes to eat people and practice sumo. An indentation on top of the creature's head is filled with water. The kawataro becomes weak when the water spills out.

* * * * *

Monster hole [+]

This illustration shows a monster cave believed to exist deep in the mountains of Kumamoto prefecture. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary cave. But as you approach the entrance, the eyes and teeth become visible.

* * * * *

Snake woman [+]

The snake woman pictured here was reportedly encountered by six people on Mt. Mikasa in Nara prefecture. Five of the eyewitnesses died instantly. The sixth person survived long enough to make it home and tell the tale, but he grew ill and died three days later. The snake-bodied woman resembles the notorious nure-onna, except that this one has a beautiful face.

* * * * *

Rokurokubi [+]

This rokurokubi -- a woman with the ability to stretch her neck to extraordinary lengths -- is said to have been encountered by a messenger one night near Ninna-ji temple in Kyoto.

* * * * *

Mikoshi-nyudo [+]

The mikoshi-nyudo pictured here was encountered by a peasant on the road late one night in the Naka area of Fukuoka prefecture.

* * * * *

Unknown [+]

Although no explanation is given for this creature, it seems to resemble the notorious gagoze, a demon who attacked young priests at Gango-ji temple.

[Note: This is the latest in a series of weekly posts on Japanese urban legends.]

+ music video orchestra

For more kappa coolness, check out the video for "MOGU MOGU" by Chinza Dopeness, directed by Fantasista Utamaro. (Thanks, chee!)

+ 鎮座DOPENESSの｢MOGU MOGU｣ by EVISBEATS

Suiko [+]

The suiko (lit. "water tiger") is a king-sized variety of kappa living in and around the Chikugo River (Kyushu), Lake Biwa (Shiga prefecture), and other bodies of water across Japan.

In addition to prowling around at night and making mischief, the suiko has the power to possess people. Those possessed by a suiko descend into a temporary state of madness, but they recover quickly after the creature withdraws.

At least once a year, the suiko drags a human victim into the water, sucks out his blood, and returns the body to shore. It is best not to have a funeral for the victim of a suiko attack. Instead, the body should be left on a wooden plank inside a small thatched hut in a field. If done properly, this course of action causes the flesh of the suiko perpetrator to slowly rot until it dies.

* * * * *

Umi-bōzu [+]

Umi-bōzu are giant black bulbous beings that live in the sea. Sometimes they have glowing eyes and a beak, and other times they have no facial features at all. To survive an umi-bōzu encounter at sea, one should remain quiet and look in the opposite direction. Speaking or looking at the creature may send it into a rage -- and that usually ends in tragedy.

* * * * *

Bake-kujira [+]

Long ago, a mysterious sea creature known as the bake-kujira (lit. "ghost whale") used to appear at night in the waters around an island in Shimane prefecture. The thing looked like the skeleton of a giant whale, and it was usually accompanied by a flock of strange birds when it came drifting in with the tide. Later, when the tide started to recede, peculiar fish would become visible in the water around the monster. Fisherman trying to catch the bake-kujira claimed their harpoons passed through the creature as if it were not there.

* * * * *

Satori [+]

The satori is a type of mountain-dwelling goblin that can read human minds. When it encounters travelers passing through the mountains, the creature approaches them and begins speaking their thoughts aloud. Once the victims become thoroughly confused and disoriented, the satori captures and eats them.

It is said that an empty mind is the best protection against a satori attack. Thinking nothing at all causes the creature to turn away in boredom or flee in fear. A notorious satori named Omoi lives on the slopes of Mt Fuji.

* * * * *

Ōnyūdō [+]

The ōnyūdō (lit. "large monk") appears in numerous Japanese folk tales. His appearance varies from story to story, but he is always big, ranging anywhere from 2 meters (6 ft 6 in) tall to as large as a mountain. In most cases, the ōnyūdō is a malevolent figure that can cause people to fall ill simply by looking at them. Some stories describe him as a fox or tanuki (raccoon dog) that has shape-shifted, but in most stories his true identity is a mystery.

* * * * *

Tankororin [+]

One type of ōnyūdō, called tankororin, is known to spring forth from untended persimmon trees. The fruits transform into tankororin if left unpicked on the tree for too long.

* * * * *

Bakki [+]

The bakki is a furry creature with eyes on top of its head. It measures 60 to 90 centimeters (2 to 3 ft) long and usually appears as a blur because it runs so fast. The bakki is regarded as a great threat to the environment, as it causes moisture to disappear wherever it goes. Plants and trees wither, crops fail, and ponds evaporate. The only way to eliminate a bakki is to capture it and submerge it in dirty water.

* * * * *

Nuppefuhofu [+]

The nuppefuhofu (a.k.a. nuppeppo) is a man-sized lump of decaying human flesh usually found hanging around old abandoned temples and graveyards. Aside from the creature's massive flabs of flesh, the only features are its arms and legs -- and its horrid smell. The nuppefuhofu enjoys long aimless walks after dark, and it appears to derive satisfaction from frightening people on the street at night.

* * * * *

Koboku-no-kai [+]

Koboku-no-kai are spirits of old trees. One such tree spirit was encountered by Tarōemon, a man who lived in Niigata prefecture long ago. One drunken night, Tarōemon noticed a prowler standing next to the old tree in front of his house. He stepped outside to confront the stranger, and they started fighting. Tarōemon subdued the man and managed to drag him inside, only to discover that he had transformed into a large tree branch. The next morning, Tarōemon took the branch to a nearby temple. The resident priest told Tarōemon that the old tree in front of his house was occupied by a spirit. After the priest recited a chant, the tree never caused any trouble again.

[See also: Anatomy of Japanese folk monsters]

1. Animated stereoviews of old Japan: Meiji-period stereoview photographs by T. Enami, presented as animated GIFs to create the illusion of three dimensions.

* * * * *

2. Nocturnal Gundam: A glimpse of the Odaiba Gundam after dark.

* * * * *

3. Monster mummies of Japan: A look at some of the mummified monsters found at temples and shrines around Japan.

* * * * *

4. Pregnant dolls from Edo-period Japan: 19th-century dolls designed to teach the anatomy of pregnancy.

* * * * *

5. World Sand Sculpture Festival: Photos from the 2009 World Sand Sculpture Festival in Tottori, Japan.

* * * * *

6. All-purpose tanuki testicles: Ukiyoe prints by Kuniyoshi depicting the remarkable versatility of oversized tanuki (raccoon dog) testicles.

* * * * *

7. Anatomy of Japanese folk monsters: Cutaway diagrams from Shigeru Mizuki's Yōkai Daizukai, an illustrated guide to yōkai anatomy.

* * * * *

8. Ultrasonic bath: Video and photos of a futuristic human washing machine unveiled at the 1970 World Expo in Osaka.

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9. Giant robot spider in Yokohama: Photos and video of the first La Machine sightings in Yokohama.

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10. iREX 2009: Photos from the 2009 International Robot Exhibition held in Tokyo in November.

Have a Happy New Year! See you again in 2010.

Kuchisake-onna — slit-mouth woman

Akaname — bathroom scum licker

Nurarihyon — yōkai boss

Yama-uba — mountain hag

Hyōsube — river imp

[Link: A-Yokai-A-Day]