Japanese Mythology

Tetsume

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Iron Horse
Category: Horse

The Myth

Tetsume, the Iron Horse, is one of the infernal creatures that inhabit the Iron Chariot, Iron Ox, Iron Donkey, and Iron Horse Hell, one of the Buddhist hells reserved for monks who have broken their religious vows. This realm is described in the Mahayana Lotus Sutra: Questions and Answers of Bodhisattva Retribution, included in the thirty-volume Buddha’s Name Sutra.

The hell is surrounded by four gates and an immense iron fortress. Within it, blazing fires rage as burning iron chariots race through the infernal landscape. Horse-headed rakshasas, iron oxen, iron donkeys, and the Iron Horse relentlessly torment the damned.

The Iron Horse is covered with a mane and tangled tail as sharp as sword blades. It breathes flames and smoke as it charges through the fiery realm.

Sinners are forced onto the backs of the Iron Horses, where they are cut by the razor-sharp mane and tail. Powerful blows from the creature’s tail crush their bodies. Although the condemned die from these agonies, they are immediately restored to life, only to endure the same punishments again for all eternity.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). 鉄目 (Tetsume). In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010655037.html

Tabibitoma

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Traveler’s Horse
Category: Horse

The Myth

The Tabibitoma is a folktale told in several regions of Japan, including Kyushu and the San’in region.

The story tells of two close friends, one the son of a wealthy family and the other from a poor household. Although their backgrounds differed, they set out together on a journey. When night fell, they found lodging in a stranger’s house.

During the night, the poor boy secretly watched the woman of the house behaving strangely beside the hearth. After raking the ashes, she sowed rice seeds into them. The rice instantly grew to maturity, and she harvested it to make dumplings.

The following morning, the travelers were served the dumplings. Despite his friend’s warnings not to eat them, the wealthy boy tasted one. The moment he swallowed it, he was transformed into a horse.

The woman placed a bridle on the transformed boy and led him away to work as a horse, while the poor traveler escaped. Along the road he met an old man, who listened to his story and revealed that an eggplant tree bearing seven eggplants facing east could reverse the enchantment. If one of those eggplants were fed to the horse, it would become human again.

After searching for several days, the poor boy finally found the magical tree. He returned to the house, where his friend had become weak and emaciated from hard labor in the fields. He forced the seven eggplants into the horse’s mouth, and the spell was immediately broken.

The two friends returned home and told their families what had happened. Deeply moved by the poor boy’s loyalty and courage, the wealthy boy’s father bestowed his fortune upon him. The two friends then lived happily together for the rest of their lives.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). 旅人馬 (Tabibitoma). In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010655044.html

Sagari

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: –
Category: Horse

The Myth

Sagari is a yōkai found in the folklore of western Japan, particularly in Okayama and Kumamoto prefectures. It appears as the grotesque severed head of a horse hanging from the branches of hackberry trees.

The apparition suddenly drops down in front of travelers passing beneath the trees, startling them with its horrifying appearance. It does little else besides hanging from the branches, screaming and neighing with an unnatural cry.

Those who hear the Sagari’s eerie whinnying are said to be afflicted with a terrible fever.

According to tradition, the Sagari originates from the spirits of horses that die on the roadside and are abandoned where they fall. As the souls of these horses rise from their bodies, some become trapped in nearby hackberry trees. Unable to pass on to the next world, they transform into the yōkai known as Sagari.

Sources

Foster, M. D. (n.d.). Sagari. In Yokai.com: The Illustrated Database of Japanese Folklore. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://yokai.com/sagari/

Mezu

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Mezuki, Horse Head Demon
Category: Horse, Demon

The Myth

Mezu is one of the demon generals who guard the gates of hell in Japanese Buddhism. He appears as a powerful oni with the head of a horse and serves Great King Enma, the ruler of the underworld.

Together with his counterpart Gozu, who has the head of an ox, Mezu is among the first beings encountered by souls entering Jigoku. The two demons are immensely strong, possessing the power to move mountains, and rank among Enma’s chief servants. They oversee the punishment and torture of the wicked within hell.

If a soul attempts to escape from the underworld, Mezu and Gozu are dispatched to pursue and capture the fugitive, returning it to its rightful punishment.

Although Mezu and Gozu are the best-known of Enma’s servants, they are not the only animal-headed demons in hell. Other guardians with the heads of deer, tigers, lions, and boars also serve among the higher ranks, operating the torture chambers of Jigoku and supervising the torment of countless souls.

According to Buddhist tradition, Mezu and the other animal-headed demons ultimately trace their origins to Indian mythology, from which they spread to Japan through China along with Buddhism.

Sources

Foster, M. D. (n.d.). Mezu. In Yokai.com: The Illustrated Database of Japanese Folklore. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://yokai.com/mezu/

Kubiki-uma

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Headless Horse, Head-cutting Horse
Category: Horse

The Myth

Kubiki-uma is a yōkai that appears as a horse without a head. It is known throughout various parts of Japan, although the traditions of Shikoku, particularly Tokushima Prefecture, are the most famous.

While the details differ from region to region, the stories generally agree that the headless horse appears at a specific place and time, wandering silently through the night. Sometimes it appears alone, while in other tales it carries a deity, a headless person, or a yōkai known as Yakō-san.

Encountering a Kubiki-uma is generally regarded as a sign of misfortune. However, in some areas, such as Tamagawa Town in Ehime Prefecture, seeing the headless horse is considered a good omen instead.

Various legends explain the origin of the Kubiki-uma. Some say it is the spirit of a horse that was loved by a princess but was killed out of jealousy. Other traditions claim it is the ghost of a horse slain together with the monk riding it, or of a horse killed by thieves after they broke into a temple.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). クビキ馬 (Kubiki-uma). In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010655026.html

Giba

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Horse Demon
Category: Horse

The Myth

Giba is a yōkai described in the Sōzan Chōmon Kishū, where it is blamed for the sudden and mysterious deaths of horses. In the provinces of Owari and Mino, the fatal disease known as Teima was instead believed to be the work of this horse demon.

According to tradition, Giba enters a horse through its nostrils and leaves through its hindquarters, causing the animal to collapse and die almost instantly.

One account recorded by Miyoshi Sōzan comes from Yoshimatsu, a former horse handler from Mino Province who claimed to have encountered Giba twice. Local people believed that the demon was the spirit of the daughter of an Eta family from Ōtsu in Ōmi Province, who became a Giba after her death and wandered the countryside killing horses.

The demon was described as a woman dressed in scarlet robes and wearing a golden necklace while riding a small horse with an iridescent golden sheen. She descended silently from the sky like a kite. As she approached, the horses in nearby stables would begin to neigh strangely. Her small mount would leap upon a larger horse, pressing its forelegs against the victim’s mouth while its hind legs gripped the ears and mane. As the creature clung tightly to the horse’s face, the demon smiled before vanishing. Immediately afterward, the horse would turn three times to the right, collapse, and die.

Experienced stable hands were said to know how to save a horse from Giba. They wore their work jackets loosely without fastening them. As soon as the demon seized the horse, they slipped the right sleeve from the jacket, draped it over the horse’s neck together with the invisible demon, forced the horse to turn left instead of right, and pierced the spine above its tail with a needle. If performed in time, these actions were believed to drive away Giba and save the animal.

The Sōzan Chōmon Kishū also records other stories of horses dying in succession because of Giba, making the creature one of the most feared supernatural causes of disease among horses in regional Japanese folklore.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). ギバ (Giba). In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010655041.html

Bakotsu

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Horse Bone
Category: Horse

The Myth

Bakotsu is a yōkai that appears in the Tosa Obake Zōshi (Tosa Ghost Scroll), an illustrated collection of supernatural creatures from Tosa Province.

According to the legend, Bakotsu is the transformed spirit of a horse that perished in a fire. After its death, the horse returned as a yōkai rather than passing on.

In the scroll, Bakotsu is depicted inside a mosquito net, calmly conversing with the keeper of an inn. Beyond its fiery death and ghostly transformation, little else is recorded about the creature, making it one of the more mysterious yōkai preserved in the Tosa Obake Zōshi.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). 馬骨 (Bakotsu). In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654261.html

Baki

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Horse Demon (馬鬼, Baki)
Category: Horse

The Myth

Baki is a modern yōkai described by Ariyuki Sato in his Yokai Encyclopedia (1980). According to Sato, it is born from the curse of a horse that suffered cruel treatment at the hands of humans. After death, the animal’s resentment transforms it into a supernatural horse demon.

The creature is not based on an older traditional legend. Its illustration in the encyclopedia uses a still photograph of the Uma-oni from the 1968 Daiei films Yokai Hyaku Monogatari and Yokai Daisenso. However, that film monster was originally depicted as a prison guard and has no traditional connection to the yōkai called Baki.

For this reason, Baki is generally regarded as a modern yōkai created by Ariyuki Sato rather than a creature from classical Japanese folklore.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). バキ (Baki). In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010655032.html

Enkirigumo

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Relationship-Severing Spider
Category: Spider

The Myth

The Enkirigumo is a giant spider yōkai associated with the forests at the foot of Mount Katsuragi in Nara Prefecture. It was believed to descend from the ancient giant spider of Katsuragi and lived for generations within a woodland known as Spider Forest.

At night, the Enkirigumo did not always appear in its true form. Instead, it transformed into a glowing orb the size of a lantern, drifting silently through the trees as it searched the forest.

During the Meiji period, the forest was cut down to provide timber for the reconstruction of Honganji Temple, destroying the spider’s home. Homeless, the Enkirigumo began wandering into the nearby village every night, floating through the darkness around houses that still had large trees.

The villagers became terrified of the mysterious glowing apparition and stopped leaving their homes after sunset. Young couples could no longer meet secretly beneath the cover of night, and romances quietly came to an end.

Because its nightly appearances unintentionally separated lovers and prevented relationships from forming, the creature became known as the Enkirigumo—the Spider That Severs Relationships.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). Enkirigumo [縁切蜘蛛]. In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654031.html

Ushioni

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Gyūki, Goki
Category: Spider, Cow

The Myth

The Ushioni is a terrifying yōkai that usually appears as a monstrous ox-like creature, although its appearance varies greatly between regions. Some traditions describe it as a giant ox, while others portray it with the face of an oni and the body of a huge spider, or as a two-legged beast with wing-like membranes. It is a violent predator feared for attacking both humans and animals.

The Ushioni is most commonly associated with dangerous places near water, including deep pools, rivers, waterfalls, marshes, and the seashore. Numerous locations throughout Japan bear names such as Ushioni Pool or Ushioni Waterfall, reflecting the belief that these monsters once haunted them.

Along the coasts of western Japan, the Ushioni often works together with other sea yōkai such as the Nure-onna and Iso-onna. It may first appear as a beautiful woman carrying a baby and ask a traveler to hold the child. As soon as the victim accepts, the infant becomes impossibly heavy, making escape impossible before the Ushioni reveals itself and attacks.

In the mountains of the Kumano region, the Ushioni was believed to kill without even touching its victims. It simply stared relentlessly at anyone it encountered until they gradually weakened, collapsed, and died. This mysterious affliction was known as having one’s shadow swallowed. People believed the only protection was to recite the strange charm: “Stones flow, leaves sink, cows neigh, and horses roar.”

Another tradition from Izumo says that during long periods of rain, a mysterious white light could cling to a person’s body. This phenomenon was called meeting a Ushioni and was believed to disappear only when exposed to fire.

One famous legend tells of an Ushioni that terrorized the region around Negoro-ji Temple in Kagawa Prefecture, killing people and livestock until it was finally slain by the master archer Yamada Kurōdo Takakiyo. The temple is said to preserve the monster’s horns as proof of its existence.

Across Japan, the Ushioni is remembered as one of the country’s most feared monsters—a savage ox demon that haunts lonely waters, deceives travelers, and brings death to anyone unfortunate enough to meet its gaze.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). Ushi Oni [牛鬼]. In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010653546.html