Curious Ordinary

Senbiki okami is a supernatural phenomenon relating to large packs of wolves that is found throughout Japanese folklore. This strange yokai occurrence tends to involve travellers being chased at night by wolves where they find that their only option to save themselves is to climb up a very tall tree. What happens next is that the wolves climb on top of each other's backs to form a living ladder.

In Japanese folklore there is a belief that when animals and birds reach advanced age they can transform into yokai. Aosagibi, which translates as blue heron fire, is a phenomenon that occurs when an elderly night heron develops supernatural qualities.

Nopperabo is a strange supernatural phenomenon from Japanese folklore. This yokai appears just like any normal human, but it is far from ordinary because it has no face. Generally nopperabo aim to scare unsuspecting victims out of their wits. They lurk around on dark streets, often keeping their backs turned until people get close, whereupon it turns to reveal a featureless face.

In Japanese folklore there is a strange tale of a magical wooden doll in the likeness of a sumo wrestler. Long ago, five bandits stormed into a wealthy man's mansion. They tied up his family and demanded that he take them to where his riches were stored.

In Japanese folklore there is a strange yokai phenomena known as tsurube otoshi. These creatures live in the tops of trees alongside paths that go through forested areas. They take the form of disembodied heads of either humans, tengu or oni which can range in size from a regular head up to around two metres across.

In Japanese folklore there are believed to be terrifying goblin-spiders. These yokai look exactly like regular spiders during the day but at night, when everyone is sleeping, they grow to an enormous size and develop supernatural powers. Goblin-spiders shapeshift and take on human form in order to do terrible things.

The Izu islands look like a picturesque and idyllic place to visit, but in Japanese folklore there is a tale about kainan hoshi, a type of yokai that haunts the area. They are believed to be the ghosts of drowned shipwreck victims who roam the open sea, riding in washtub boats.

In Japanese Buddhism it is believed that to enter the underworld the soul first needs to find and cross the mythical Sanzu River (river of three crossings), which is the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead. This river portal is believed to be located on a desolate yet holy volcano in northern Japan.

In Japanese folklore there is a tale of a kind-hearted young man called Gonzaburo, who was a beautiful flute player. He cared for his aging mother and would play the flute for her, which brought her much happiness.

In Japanese folklore, Sobojo was a tengu king who lived on Mt Karuma as a mountain hermit and taught warriors the arts of swordsmanship and magic. He was once a human but due to excessive pride he was reborn as a tengu . Legend says that after his death, 

In Japanese folklore there is a tale about a sister and brother and their encounter with a yama uba, a type of yokai sometimes translated as a mountain witch. One year their persimmon tree was full of ripe fruit so their mother suggested they take some to their grandmother who lived in the mountains.

In Japanese folklore there is a yokai known as hyakume, which means 'one hundred eyes.' This creature is about the same size as a human, but just a fleshy blob that is completely covered in blinking yellow eyes. Hyakume generally live in abandoned homes or empty temples.

Long ago in old Japan there was a temple in the remote countryside. The area was known for its prevalence of tanuki, a mischievous shapeshifting yokai. One evening a farmer was walking home and saw the local priest crouched down in pain.