Japanese Folktales: A Side View from the Japanese Culture

 Japanese Culture's Own Mythical Side: Folktales

    We as humans are always be fascinated by stories regarding supernatural beings or magical locations. It is in our blood to be curious. I wrote in my blog here last year, that we humans love horror stories because it gives us the thrills, the jumps. Now, I would like to write about folktales, simply known as myths, urban legends, or just horror stories to spook the kids. I would include some examples, that are personally interesting for me to further study about the folktales culture in Japan.

History of it.

    When we talk about folktales, surely we have to touch on the history of it. The stories draw influence from certain religions that are available in Japan at that time: Shintoism and Buddhism. Some stories also came from various countries such as China or India, due to the trade line of the economy that they did. Shintoism has a direct influence on the wealth and diversity of magical creatures and spirits in Japanese folktales because it is both an animistic and polytheistic religion that believes in a vast number of ‘kami' (deities and spirits) that inhabit animals, the landscape, and even objects. The Shintoshu, a Japanese mythological book about Shinto mythology, goes into greater detail about the origins of Japanese deities from a Buddhist perspective. However, because the nation’s folktales draw on a range of influences beyond Shinto, there are many other supernatural creatures and spirits featured in the most famous stories, including yokai (monster spirits), kappa (river-child or water sprite), tengu (heavenly dogs), yūrei (ghosts) and many more. Japanese folklore was traditionally separated into a number of distinct varieties such as ‘mukashibanashi’ (tales of long-ago), ‘namidabanashi’ (sad stories), ‘obakebanashi’ (ghost stories), ‘ongaeshibanashi’ (stories of repaying kindness), ‘tonchibanashi’ (witty stories), ‘waraibanashi’ (funny stories), and ‘yokubaribanashi’ (stories of greed). Japanese stories have many various versions but there are some that are sticking to the society until today. Traditional Japanese folktales had a strong oral tradition, and wandering storytellers would frequently travel across the country, from village to village, to tell their stories with illustrations on ‘kamishibai' paper.

Mythical Beings.

    An example that I can take is the story of Yuki-onna. According to the culture, Yuki-Onna is a yokai (spirit) that originates from Muromachi Period, as a poet (Sogi) saw this yokai flew in the Echigo. There are a lot of versions of this story but it will come down to one thing, this yokai will come during winter especially light snow, and will ask people around there to "give me ice, give me hot water" (koori gose yu gose) and answering false answer will resulting for Yuki-onna freezes its victims with her breaths. The majority of Yuki-onna stories are sad, and it is said that they began when people who had lived bleak lives, such as childless old couples or single men in mountain towns, would hear the sound of a blizzard knocking on their shutter door and fantasize that the thing they wished for had arrived. It is said that after that, they would live happily ever after with what they wanted in fantasy as fleeting as snow.

    There are many stories about the true identity of the yuki-onna, such as the yuki-onna being a snow spirit or the spirit of a woman who fell over in the snow. Yuki-onna can be found in traditional Japanese society in Kwaka such as the Fushimi Tokiwa, which can also be found in contemporary times. The story of Yuki-onna Gomai Hagoita by Chikamatsu Monzaemon is about a woman who was cheated and killed and became a yuki-onna who took revenge as a vengeful ghost. In such depictions, the bewitching and terrifying features of a yuki-onna are frequently used.

Locations.

    Speaking about culture and folktales, I would try to include a location that I have an interest in and not anyone who knows about it that is believed to be supernatural especially the effect of it today. The picture above is an entrance (now closed) to Inunaki Tunnel, one of the famous haunted tunnels around the world. This tunnel located in Miyawaka Town at Fukuoka Prefecture. This tunnel was a place where people have been killed or burnt to death. It is one of the most horrifying places, that murders take place not only inside but outside near the tunnel. Society believes this place held some grudge curse for whoever passing by this place. There is a myth, entering the tunnel and upon reaching the end of the tunnel, the passerby will arrive at a village that is home to crazy people that will hunt with hatchets and sickles. This place called the Inunaki Village is said to have been isolated from the outside world since the Edo Period and because of that, the government treats them as a “special reservation.” If you’re foolish enough to go in there, you are entirely on your own, and no-one who has entered has ever escaped alive. And once arrived there, there will be no way back to return home. This place sparks a video game called Inunaki Tunnel, where the player explored the tunnel and will arrive at the mythical village, where the game ends.

Personal View.

    Folktales of Japan is fascinating to delve into, these (Yuki-onna and Inunaki Tunnel/Village) are just the tidbits of how culture especially myths still alive to this day in Japanese society. For me personally, when talking about myths/urban legends/folktales, they are more than mere stories and they serve a more profound purpose in ancient and modern cultures. Myths are sacred tales that explain the world and man's experience. Myths are as relevant to us today as they were to the ancients. Myths answer timeless questions and serve as a compass to each generation.

We can seek it, we can study it, but, can it be real?