Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Yatsuzura no Tanuki, Eight-Headed Tanuki
Category: Marten

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The Myth

Yatsuzura Tanuki is a monstrous raccoon dog said to have lived near Hazzuma Falls in what is now Ikegawa, Kochi Prefecture, Japan. Unlike an ordinary tanuki, this creature possessed eight heads and preyed upon the beautiful young women of Inotani, coming to their homes every night to devour them. Its attacks caused the local population to decline, and the villagers lived in fear of the creature.

One day, a hunter arrived in the area and asked a local household for lodging. The owner refused, explaining that a dangerous tanuki haunted the region. Determined to hunt the monster, the hunter devised a trap. He concealed seven dogs inside a steaming apparatus used for preparing mitsumata and had a large cauldron of boiling water prepared. He then hid in the attic and waited for the tanuki to appear.

When the monster arrived and began pulling at the okuji, the hunter attacked and struck it down. The seven dogs were released from their hiding place and set upon the tanuki’s underlings, while the fallen monster was immersed in the boiling water. After the creature was defeated, the people of Inotani were no longer lost to its nightly attacks, and the village population ceased to decline.

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Sources

“Yatsuzura-Tanuki.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1021807441.html

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Sickle Weasel, Kamaitachi
Category: Marten

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The Myth

The Kama-itachi, or Sickle Weasel, is a supernatural weasel associated with the mountainous regions of Japan, particularly Yamanashi, Nagano, and Niigata. It rides cold, swirling whirlwinds and moves so quickly that it cannot be seen with the naked eye. Its fur is described as stiff and spiny like a hedgehog’s, it barks like a dog, and its claws are as sharp as razors. The creature appears and disappears with the wind, striking without warning.

Kama-itachi attack people in groups of three. The first knocks its victim to the ground by slicing at their legs, while the second inflicts thousands of tiny cuts using its forelegs and hindlegs. The third then applies a magical salve that heals most of the wounds almost instantly, preventing them from becoming fatal. The creatures are said to cut away entire chunks of flesh without spilling a drop of blood. Because their attacks and healing happen so quickly, victims often experience only a sudden fall, some pain, and a few scratches, with no clear understanding of what happened.

One explanation suggests that the creature’s name arose as a play on words involving kamae tachi, a sword-fighting stance. However, similar legends of invisible beings that ride the wind and injure people are found throughout Japan. The Kama-itachi remains a popular supernatural explanation for sudden, unexplained cuts and injuries.

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Sources

“Kama Itachi.” Yokai.com. https://yokai.com/kamaitachi/

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Ten, Japanese Marten, Weasel
Category: Marten

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The Myth

Itachi are supernatural weasels known for their trickery, strange magic, and ability to transform into other beings. They resemble ordinary Japanese weasels but are feared as ill omens, particularly in mountainous regions. Their cries are considered a warning of approaching misfortune, and hearing a group of itachi yelping is believed to be followed by despair and disaster. Although they generally avoid direct contact with humans, they sometimes stand upright on their hind legs to bewitch people, hypnotizing them into leaving food or performing tasks for their benefit.

Itachi possess a remarkable range of supernatural abilities and are considered among the most accomplished shape-shifters in Japanese mythology. A traditional saying declares that foxes have seven transformations, tanuki have eight, and itachi have nine. They often disguise themselves as young priests wearing oversized robes, a form they use to obtain alcohol, which they cannot brew themselves. They may also imitate other supernatural creatures to frighten people, especially the enormous Ōnyūdō, a bald-headed giant said to destroy houses, devour livestock, and even eat humans.

Their magic can become especially dangerous when they gather in groups. Itachi are said to climb onto one another’s shoulders to form enormous columns of fire that erupt into swirling whirlwinds. These supernatural fires are blamed for devastating conflagrations capable of burning down entire towns. Their association with destruction, deception, and ill fortune has made them feared creatures, despite their generally shy nature.

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Sources

“Itachi.” Yokai.com. https://yokai.com/itachi/

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Kakubei-danuki, Kakubei Raccoon Dog
Category: Marten

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The Myth

Kakubei Tanuki is a shape-shifting raccoon dog from Mount Tatsuzu who appears in a tale of supernatural rivalries, revenge, and a disastrous attempt to abduct a fox bride. He falls in love with the daughter of a powerful fox who serves as a messenger of the Inari deity, but his advances are dismissed because of his low status. Resentful of the fox’s arrogance, Kakubei forcibly takes the daughter and plots to challenge her family. To accomplish his ambitions, he seeks the help of Shiratawashi, a powerful yokai who is being escorted toward hell after committing violent acts against demons.

Kakubei first saves Shiratawashi by disguising himself as a strange boy carrying sake. The demons escorting the yokai are tempted by the drink, unaware that it is poisoned sake known as Onikoroshi. After they collapse and die, Kakubei reveals his true identity, frees Shiratawashi, and persuades him to help with his plans. Together with other tanuki, they later attack a nighttime bridal procession, hoping to seize another fox bride. However, their assault is interrupted by Mikoshi Nyudo, a righteous wandering yokai who defeats the attackers. Kakubei and Shiratawashi are captured and handed over to the supernatural beings they have antagonized.

Kakubei is sentenced to be tortured by smoke from burning pine needles. Hung upside down over the fire, he weeps and apologizes until Mikoshi Nyudo takes pity on him and releases him. Kakubei promises to change his ways, but his resentment toward the foxes remains. Later, he takes advantage of a raid on a fox mansion to steal the family’s treasured White Fox Ball, hoping to frame Shiratawashi. The foxes quickly discover the deception and capture Kakubei again, nearly killing him. The jewel is eventually recovered, but Kakubei’s fate remains unknown after the story turns to other conflicts among the foxes and their enemies.

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Sources

“Kakubei Tanuki.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1072057392.html

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Shichibi Mujina, Nanao Raccoon
Category: Marten

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The Myth

Shichibi-mujina is an aged, supernatural raccoon dog said to have seven separate tails. In 1846, in Edo, Japan, a soba shop in the Koishikawa Suidomachi area suffered from a mysterious theft: the dried dough scraps stored beneath the edges of the building kept disappearing during the night. The household suspected that a fox or raccoon was sneaking through the damaged walls. After the walls were repaired, the thefts stopped, but one night a dog-like creature was seen crawling beneath the veranda while customers entered and left the shop.

The shopkeeper and the gathered customers suspected that the creature was the culprit and pulled up the floor supports to capture it. They discovered an old raccoon whose tail divided into seven distinct parts. When startled, the animal waved its tail, revealing its unusual form; ordinarily, however, the seven sections remained grouped together and looked like a single tail. The captured creature was kept in boxes and fed the scraps it had apparently been stealing.

The seven-tailed raccoon became a public curiosity. When displayed at Dentsuin Daikokuten, it attracted enough spectators to earn more than eight kan in viewing fees. People jokingly compared it with the famous nine-tailed fox, traditionally described as golden-haired and white-faced. Since the raccoon dog was considered inferior to the fox, they found it amusing that it possessed seven tails rather than nine.

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Sources

“Nanao’s Badger.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1076296166.html

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Gonroku-danuki, Shushushinai no Gonroku Tanuki
Category: Marten

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The Myth

Gonroku Tanuki is a shape-shifting raccoon dog from the region between Rumoi and Mashike in Hokkaido, Japan. It lives near Shushushinai, a place whose Ainu name refers to a riverbank lined with willows. One moonlit night, after eating fish at Abun Beach, Gonroku passed the home of an elderly man named Yohei and noticed that the lights were still burning. Looking inside, he saw the old man crying because the following day marked the seventh anniversary of his wife’s death, yet he lacked the money to pay for her memorial service. Moved by the man’s sorrow, Gonroku decided to help him.

The tanuki placed a Japanese knotweed leaf on his head, recited a magical spell, and transformed himself into a gold coin worth a quarter gold piece. The next morning, Yohei discovered the unexpected money and believed it had been bestowed by the gods. Delighted, he immediately travelled to Ryuenji Temple in Mashike to arrange the memorial service. There, he handed the coin to a young monk named Kirigaku, who tucked it into his pocket. Gonroku, trapped in his disguise, found himself unable to escape.

The young monk boarded a ferry across the Shinsunagawa River, carrying the disguised tanuki away from Shushushinai. Realizing that he would soon be too far from home to return, Gonroku panicked. He bit the monk’s hand and leapt from his grasp, revealing his true form. The sudden appearance of the enormous raccoon dog caused chaos aboard the ferry, and with nowhere else to flee, Gonroku plunged into the river. The current carried him out toward the sea, and he was never seen again at Abun Beach.

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Sources

“Gonroku Tanuki.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1075303214.html

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Quince Weasel, Itachi Cucumber
Category: Marten

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The Myth

Kiuri-itachi is a curious creature described as a rare kind of weasel, though its identity is tied to a playful tradition involving cucumbers rather than an ordinary animal. It is said to appear around the time of Kyoto’s Gion Festival in June. According to the account, catching one and floating it down a river brings a curse that prevents kappa from being lured or caught. Despite its supposed rarity, it is considered inexpensive and is associated with the preparation of pickles.

The creature’s name comes from a humorous confusion between a weasel and the Japanese word for cucumber. In Kyoto, large, fully ripened yellow cucumbers were known as itachi cucumbers and were eaten as pickles, much like ordinary cucumbers. The account jokingly treats these cucumbers as a kind of weasel, giving rise to the notion of the Kiuri-itachi. Its supposed appearances on leftover cucumbers during summer evenings add to the playful absurdity of the creature, which blurs the boundary between animal lore, food traditions, and wordplay.

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Sources

“Mokko Weasel.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1074589309.html

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Koro Koro
Category: Marten

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The Myth

Korokoro is the name given to a mysterious dog spirit, or inugami, associated with a family in Toyooka, Hayami District, Ōita Prefecture. The family was known locally as a lineage that possessed an inugami. Although they worked as farmers and stonemasons, generations of the family were said to suffer from mental illness, and eventually their descendants died out.

An elderly woman from the family was known as an inugami keeper. According to local accounts, she retrieved an inugami living beneath a bridge over one of the rivers bordering the village and brought it home, where she kept it beneath the floor of her house. She affectionately called the spirit Korokoro and supposedly raised it alongside numerous others. However, these spirits were considered dangerous even to their owners: when their numbers grew too large, they could turn on their keeper and devour them. The woman therefore periodically culled them to prevent their population from becoming unmanageable.

The inugami of this region were described as weasel-like animals with black-and-white markings. Ordinary people could not see them, and they were believed to move through the air without touching the ground, making no sound as they travelled. Their hidden presence made them feared as supernatural familiars that could be kept and controlled by certain families.

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Sources

“Korokoro.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010655104.html

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