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Xuán Guī

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: 旋龟, Whirling Turtle
Category: Turtle

The Myth

The Xuán Guī is a strange turtle described in the ancient Chinese text Classic of Mountains and Seas. It resembles an ordinary turtle, with a black body, but has the head of a bird and a tail resembling that of a snake. Its cry sounds like wood being struck or split.

The Xuán Guī lives on Niuyang Mountain, where the Guai River originates. According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, wearing this creature was believed to prevent deafness and could also help treat calluses on the hands and feet.

Sources

“旋龟 (Xuánguī).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%97%8B%E9%BE%9F

Kinki

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 金亀, Golden Turtle
Category: Turtle

The Myth

The Kinki is a mysterious golden turtle reportedly discovered in Kōjimachi, Tokyo, in August 1880. It was found by a pet dog belonging to Shib a Shōzō. The dog had a habit of bringing stones to its owner when hungry, but on this occasion it dropped a turtle instead. The creature was approximately four sun in diameter, with a beautiful, translucent golden shell. It was placed in water to keep it alive and later donated to a museum.

A follow-up report in the Tōkyō Nichinichi Shimbun in October 1880 described a dream in which a small turtle appeared beside a person’s pillow and lamented that, had it emerged fifteen or sixteen years earlier, it might have been celebrated as a Kinki and become the inspiration for a new Japanese era name.

The story refers to the historical belief that extraordinary turtles could be regarded as auspicious omens. Rare turtles presented to the imperial court had previously been associated with era names such as Reiki (715–717) and Hōki (770–781).

Sources

“Golden Turtle.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1074264664.html

Oketsu

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: オケツ
Category: Turtle

The Myth

The Oketsu is a monstrous creature from folklore in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, particularly around Okayama City. It is said to sometimes be born during childbirth if proper precautions are not taken. It resembles a turtle with shaggy hair growing across its back and immediately attempts to crawl beneath the floor after birth. If it is not killed quickly, it hides beneath the birthing woman’s bed and kills her.

One tale tells of a woman from Oda District who gave birth to an Oketsu resembling a horned demon. It rushed beneath the floor as soon as it emerged. Another woman from the same district gave birth to an Oketsu in the form of a small snake. When those present attempted to kill it, the creature begged to be spared until the fifth month. It was kept in a box and continued growing larger as the days passed. When the appointed month arrived, a loud noise was heard during a heavy rainstorm, and the snake had mysteriously disappeared.

Sources

“Oketsu.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1067313183.html

San Zu Gui

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: 三足龟, Three-Legged Turtle, Bèn
Category: Turtle

The Myth

The San Zu Gui is a legendary turtle from Chinese tradition with two legs at the front and only one at the rear. According to the Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), three-legged turtles inhabit the Kuang River, which flows southwest into the Yi River. Eating one was believed to prevent serious illness and reduce swelling.

The Erya, an ancient Chinese dictionary, gives the three-legged turtle the alternative name Bèn (贲). It also records a distinction between three-legged softshell turtles and three-legged turtles.

Sources

“三足龟 (Three-Legged Turtle).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E8%B6%B3%E9%BE%9F

Heshangyu

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: , Monk Fish, Bōzufish
Category: Turtle

The Myth

The Heshangyu is a red supernatural creature said to inhabit the East China Sea. It has the head of a Buddhist monk and the body of a turtle. The Ming dynasty illustrated work Sancai Tuhui describes it as having a monk-like head, a turtle-shaped body, and red colouring.

In the Japanese encyclopaedia Wakan Sansai Zue, Terajima Ryōan identified the Heshangyu with the Umibōzu, a supernatural sea spirit associated with Japan’s western seas. In 1709, Kaibara Ekiken’s Yamato Honzō also recorded the name Bōzufish, although it provided little additional description.

The folklorist Kenji Murakami suggested that the creature may have originated from people interpreting sea turtles as supernatural beings.

Sources

“和尚鱼 (Héshàng yú).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%92%8C%E5%B0%9A%E9%B1%BC

Suppon

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Suppon, 泥亀, Softshell Turtle
Category: Turtle

The Myth

The Suppon, or Japanese softshell turtle, was regarded as a supernatural creature in various parts of Japan. It was sometimes associated with the Kappa and was believed in places such as Kyoto and Hyōgo to drag people underwater. The Suppon was also known for its vengeful nature, and many tales describe it taking revenge on those who mistreated it.

One story tells of a turtle seller in Sakai, Senshū, who accidentally dropped his knife into a well while preparing to butcher a Suppon. He jokingly promised to spare its life if it retrieved the knife. The turtle descended into the well and returned with the knife in its mouth. However, the man immediately broke his promise and cut off its head. The severed head clamped onto his neck and refused to let go, eventually biting him to death.

Another tale tells of Seisuke, a man from Yōida village in Tajima, who caught a large Suppon during the Tenmei era. While attempting to kill it near a temple pond, he dropped his knife into the water and promised to spare the turtle if it retrieved the weapon. The Suppon returned with the knife, but Seisuke killed it anyway and held a drinking feast with its meat. During the meal, he felt something caught in his throat, which developed into severe pain. After nine days, he died raving mad.

Sources

“Suppon.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654250.html

Kimyōja

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 奇妙蛇, Strange Snake, Deformed Snake
Category: Turtle

The Myth

The Kimyōja was a strange snake captured in 1906 in Shichigahama Village, Miyagi District, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, by a man named Kan tarō Satō. Its body measured approximately two inches long and one inch wide, while its tail measured seven inches. It was covered in snake scales, and the undersides of its body and tail had the segmented appearance of a snake’s belly.

The creature had unusual appendages: tail-like growths on both sides of its neck and additional limb-like tails extending from either side of its body. Local residents speculated that it might be a hybrid between a softshell turtle and a snake. Newspaper reports stated that it remained alive after being captured. The creature was reported under different headlines, including “Kimyōja” in Shin Aichi, “Deformed Animal” in the Yomiuri Shimbun, and “Strange-Shaped Snake” in the San’in Shimbun.

Sources

“Kimyoja.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654251.html

Shōgorō

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 鉦五郎, Gong-goro, Ghost Gong
Category: Turtle

The Myth

The Shōgorō is a type of tsukumogami, a spirit inhabiting an old household object. It forms when a neglected Buddhist gong called a shōgo, a small, bowl-shaped metal instrument struck with a mallet during religious services, becomes old and worn. The Shōgorō resembles a metal turtle and wanders around at night, striking its body and ringing out its notes. It is generally harmless, although its nighttime noises can disturb people’s sleep.

The creature’s name combines shōgo, meaning gong, with gorō, a common element in boys’ names. It can also be interpreted as a combination of shōgo and goryō, referring to the ghost of a noble or aristocrat.

One legend connects the Shōgorō to Yodoya Tatsugorō, a wealthy Osaka merchant whose family fortune was confiscated by shogunate officials in the early eighteenth century. Tatsugorō lost his possessions, including his beloved golden chicken, and died from grief. Unable to pass on, his spirit attempted to attach itself to the golden chicken but became confused by the similar Japanese readings of “gong” and “golden.” Instead, it entered a nearby Buddhist gong, which became a Shōgorō.

Sources

“Shōgorō.” Yokai.com. https://yokai.com/shougorou/

Raigōin

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 頼豪院, Raigō仙人 (Raigō Sennin)
Category: Rat

The Myth

Raigōin is a sorcerer and practitioner of black magic in Santō Kyōden’s historical fantasy novel Mukashigatari Inazuma Byōshi. Set during the Chōroku era (1457–1460), the story follows the intrigues of the Sasaki family, where powerful retainers plot to control the family inheritance. Raigōin is hired by the corrupt steward Fuwa Dōken to curse Tsukiwaka, the young heir to the family estate.

After Raigōin performs his rituals, Tsukiwaka falls gravely ill and suffers terrifying attacks by swarms of rats. The creatures first appear at night, while his attendants fall asleep, but eventually invade his room even during the day. They gnaw away his hair and scalp, leaving painful, poisonous sores. One night, the warrior Yamazaburō witnesses a gigantic rat, as large as a dog, attacking the boy. He strikes it with a small blade, whereupon the rat releases smoke and transforms into Raigōin. The sorcerer escapes by chanting spells, unleashing a violent wind, and spitting dozens of rats from his mouth to attack his pursuer. With the sorcerer wounded, Tsukiwaka begins to recover.

Raigōin later helps Dōken and his ally, Kuchide no Kata, frame Tsukiwaka and his mother, Ginnan no Mae, for using curses against the family. Their conspiracy leads to the mother and son being condemned, but they are rescued by loyal retainers. Eventually, Raigōin is captured and forced to confess his involvement in the plot, exposing the conspirators and bringing about their downfall. The character draws inspiration from the historical monk Raigō of Miidera, whose legend tells of his transformation after death into a swarm of rats. Stories about this monk often depict him becoming a giant rat or spewing rats from his mouth. Raigōin’s confrontation with Yamazaburō also echoes theatrical scenes in which the villainous Niki Danjō or Suganuma Kosuke reveals himself after taking the form of a rat.

Sources

“Raigouin.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1077252077.html

Mǎbànshé

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: 馬絆蛇, 馬絆, Maban, Hooked Snake
Category: Rat

The Myth

Mǎbànshé, also known as Mǎbàn, is a dangerous aquatic creature from Chinese folklore, particularly associated with rivers in Sichuan and Yunnan. Recorded in the Taiping Guangji, it is described as a type of jiao, a dragon-like water creature. One account compares its body to a leech, while another describes a creature with a head resembling that of a cat or rat and a body marked with patches of white. It is said to inhabit a deep pool at the ancient city of Hanzhou and to attack people who venture near its waters.

Because Mǎbànshé was considered a threat to local communities, villagers reportedly sought brave individuals willing to confront and kill it. The name itself was said to be a regional Shu term for a jiao, reflecting the varied names given to dangerous aquatic beings in Chinese tradition.

Other accounts identify Mǎbànshé with the goushe, or Hooked Snake, another legendary aquatic creature. These differing descriptions suggest that the name may have referred to more than one kind of dangerous water monster, with its exact appearance and identity varying between sources.

Sources

“馬絆蛇 (Mǎ bàn shé).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%A6%AC%E7%B5%86%E8%9B%87