Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative Names: Ao Andō, 青行燈
Category: Demon
The Myth
The Ao Andon, meaning “blue lantern,” is a supernatural spirit associated with the Japanese tradition of hyakumonogatari kaidankai, gatherings in which people told one hundred ghost stories. It appears as a demonic woman with long black hair, blue skin, blackened teeth, sharp claws, and horns. She wears a white or blue kimono and emits an eerie blue light.
During the Edo period, hyakumonogatari kaidankai became a popular summertime activity, particularly among the aristocratic classes. Groups gathered together to tell frightening stories in the hope that the fear would provide relief from the intense summer heat.
One hundred candles were placed inside blue paper lanterns called andon. The guests took turns telling increasingly frightening stories about yokai, demons, ghosts, and other supernatural beings. After each story, one candle was extinguished. As the night continued, the room gradually became darker until only the hundredth candle remained, its dim blue light casting long and unsettling shadows.
According to superstition, something terrible would happen when the final candle was extinguished. The accumulated fear of the participants would cause an actual spirit to materialize from the darkness. This spirit was called the Ao Andon.
The Ao Andon was said to emerge from the smoke of the final candle and attack the storytellers. Exactly what happened during this attack was never established. It might slaughter the participants in a horrific finale resembling the stories they had told, or it might simply appear suddenly and give them one final fright before disappearing.
In practice, however, the final story was traditionally never reached. By the time ninety-nine ghost stories had been told, the participants were supposedly too frightened to tell the hundredth. The gatherings therefore ended before the last candle was extinguished and the Ao Andon could appear.
The belief behind the Ao Andon was essentially that speaking about supernatural beings could cause them to appear. By gathering together, telling stories about ghosts and demons, and concentrating their fear upon them, the participants risked bringing the very spirits they discussed into the room.
Sources
“aoandon.” Yokai.com: The Japanese Yokai Encyclopedia. Accessed September 6, 2026. https://yokai.com/aoandon/