In Japan the iris is believed to have purifying properties and the ability to dispel evil energies and protect those who wear it. These flowers are also said to represent loyalty, a noble heart & warrior spirit, possibly due to their sword shaped leaves.
#FolkyFriday
🎨Hiroshige

#FolkyFriday

#FolkyFriday

In Japan, Spring means cherry blossoms. Known as sakura, they represent springtime and symbolise fleeting beauty and the shortness of life. Festivals to celebrate the appearance of these beautiful flowers occur in spring and are known as hanami. 🌸
#FolkyFriday
1/20

Senbiki okami is a supernatural phenomenon relating to large packs of wolves that is found throughout #JapaneseFolklore . This strange #yokai occurrence tends to involve travellers being chased at night by wolves where their only option...
#FolkloreThursday #ofdarkandmacabre
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In Japan, tanuki are real animals but also #yokai . They are the tricksters of #JapaneseFolklore & are renowned for their shapeshifting abilities. Today they are seen as a sign of good fortune & statues of them can often be found outside restaurants & shops.
#FolkloreThursday
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In #JapaneseFolklore household objects work too. In fact, on their 100th birthday they are rewarded by obtaining a soul, or kami. They are thereafter known as tsukumogami, a type of #yokai which basically means tools that have acquired a spirit.
#FolkloreThursday
🎨 Shigekiyo

Hahakigami (broom spirits) are a type of #yokai that occur once a broom has reached very old age & is transformed into a spirit, known as tsukumogami. As magical charms they can be used to sweep things out as needed, such as aiding the smooth birth of babies
#FolkloreThursday
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'Minamoto no Yorimitsu preparing to kill the Earth Spider' from 'New Forms of 36 Ghosts' - Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 1892.
#ukiyoe #yokai #FolkloreThursday

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭
is a famous #goddess in Chinese #mythology and folk beliefs, also revered as a female immortal in #Taoism , residing at the Yaochi on Mount Kunlun.
This thread discusses the evolution of her image over time. 👇 1/4

'Butterflies' from the series 'A Set of Five Designs for the Katsushika Group: Textiles Dyed the Colors of Spring Dawn' - Yashima Gakutei, 1830.
#JapaneseArt #ukiyoe

In #JapaneseFolklore noderabō are a type of #yokai that hang around abandoned temples. They are the sad ghosts of priests who died in dishonour after pursuing forbidden vices such as women or money. They appear forlorn and wear tattered ragged monk's robes.
#FolkloreThursday
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Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto.
#DailyInari

In #JapaneseFolklore tsurube otoshi are a #yokai that live in the tops of trees beside paths through forested areas. They are disembodied heads of either humans, tengu or oni which can range in size from a regular head up to two metres across.
#ayokaiaday #FolkloreThursday
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In #JapaneseFolklore there is a #yokai known as hari onago, which translates as hook girl. This terrifying yokai originates on the island of Shikoku & initially appears just like any regular young woman with long hair worn loose. However...
#FolkloreThursday #ofdarkandmacabre
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In #JapaneseFolklore Urashima Taro is a folktale involving a hero who journeys to the Dragon King's palace beneath the ocean as a reward for his kindness. After spending time there he returns home to find hundreds of years have passed.
#FolkloreThursday curiousordinary.com/2021/07/urashi…

'Izu Province: The Hot Springs of the Shuzen Temple' from the series 'Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces [of Japan]' - Utagawa Hiroshige, 1853.
#ukiyoe #JapaneseArt

'Bat Before the Moon' - Biho Takashi, 1910.
#BatAppreciationDay #JapaneseArt

Kijo are female demons capable of powerful magic and evil curses. It is believed that they were once regular women who transformed into #yokai due to crimes or jealous rage. More below👇
#WyrdWednesday
🎨'Taira Koremochi Slaying the Female Demon Kijo' - Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1855.