Hahakigami (broom spirits) are a type of #yokai that occur once a broom has reached a very old age and is transformed into (or possessed by) a spirit, known as tsukumogami. Because brooms were used in ritual purifications, they can become powerful magical charms. #MythologyMonday 1/2

Just over one week until my next Kickstarter launches! This is going to be a cool one, folks! You won't want to miss it! --> www.kickstarter.com/projects/osa... Also, free pin badge if you pledge on Oct 1st!

'Fireflies and Lighted House' - Kobayashi Kiyochika, ca. 1930s. #JapaneseArt #shinhanga

In the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), cats graced the royal court not just as pets but as living poetry. Each was given an elegant name: a pure white cat became “A Piece of Jade,” a black cat with a white belly, “Black Clouds Covering Snow,” while a yellow-tailed white one was 1/2 #caturday #history

Just when you thought #JapaneseFolklore couldn't get any weirder, I present you with ringo no kai. This #yokai is the spirit of apple trees whose fruit has been left too long without being picked. They appear in the evening near apple orchards, taking... #FolkyFriday 🎨Matthew Meyer @yokai.com 1/3

The early bird catches the empty moss garden🙌 #Kyoto #京都 #Saihoji #西芳寺 #Kokedera #苔寺 #mosstemple #moss #苔 #Arashiyama #嵐山

Namazu Benkei - [Yokai|Charm] - Dressed up and proudly posed like the famous monk-turned-warrior who stole 1000 weapons from samurai whom he deemed unworthy; This catfish instead wields tools that would be useful in repairs after an earthquake! samkalensky.com/products/nam...

In #JapaneseFolklore, rokurokubi are #yokai that appear as regular women but with the curious ability to extend their necks. There are actually two types of rokurokubi, one whose neck is able to stretch out to an extraordinary length and wander around while the body is... #FolkloreThursday 1/4

In #JapaneseFolklore there are many types of fireball #yokai and onibi are one of the most dangerous. They look like beautiful blue balls of fire and appear floating in large groups. Never follow them as they'll surround you and suck out your life force. #FolkloreThursday 🎨Matthew Meyer @yokai.com

#MonochromeMonday : Okumura Masanobu (Japan, 1686-1764) #Tiger and bamboo Woodblock print, ishizuri-e Hosoban: 12 ½ x 5 7/8 in. (31.8 x 14.9 cm) www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6... #JapaneseArt

Hiroshi Yoshida - Sacred Bridge #ShinHanga #Woodblock #Print #JapaneseArt #Ukiyo-e

'Woman and Child Catching Fireflies' - Eishosai Choki, ca. 1793. #WyrdWednesday #JapaneseArt

#WyrdWednesday #yokai

🦋 Queen Mab for #WyrdWednesday 'Her Chariot ready straight is made' Illustration by Thomas Maybank (1906) Frontispiece, 'Nymphidia, the Court of Faerie' by Michael Drayton, first published in 1627.

#WyrdWednesday #yokai

It's always a weird but good feeling to see your books on a shelf in a bookstore. Spotted in the wild at Katsuki Shoten Ninomiya Shop in Fukui.

The Butterfly Lovers is considered one of China’s four great folktales. Set in the Eastern Jin dynasty, it tells the tragic love story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. Zhu was the only daughter of a wealthy family. Despite living in a time when women were not allowed to... #LegendaryWednesday 1/6

'Moon Goddess Chang E with Rabbits' - Kimpodo, 1831. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe

The Farmer and the Tanuki is a Japanese folktale that ends with a rabbit drowning a tanuki in a lake. This seems very cruel but it's actually done to avenge the terrible murder of a farmer's wife. #FairyTaleTuesday 🎨'Rabbit Setting Fire on the Firewood Carried by Tanuki' - Yamada Ho_gyoku, 1835. 1/2

'Rabbit and Rooster' from the series 'Fashionable Matched Pictures of Zodiac Pairs' - Tamagawa Shucho, ca. 1790s. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe

🌕HOW A RABBIT CAME TO BE ON THE MOON🖌️ The Heian period "Konjaku Monogatarishū" includes an ancient Buddhist tale, explaining how Taishakuten (帝釈天 'Commander of the 4 Heavenly Kings', often shown as the 'Old Man of the Moon') came to draw the image of a rabbit on the moon. #moonrabbit #月見

Okuninushi Shrine, in the grounds of Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto. #ToriiTuesday #Shinto #Japan

'Hiranoya' - Nishijima Katsuyuki, ca. 1990s. #ToriiTuesday #JapaneseArt

Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. #ToriiTuesday #Shinto

🎑THE MOON RABBIT🐇 In many Western countries people see a "Man in the Moon" (often considered "god of drunks"), but in Japan folk see the image of a rabbit pounding rice cakes in a mortar. China's rabbit is crushing laurel leaves to create an immortality potion. #Japan #rabbit

Liuyi Delivers a Letter (《柳毅傳書》) tells of a scholar whose act of kindness changes fate. When Liuyi aids the Dragon King’s daughter, trapped in misery, by carrying her letter home, his courage sparks divine intervention. 1/2 🎨 戴宏海 #art

Evening mood 🎨 Meraylah Allwood

Something for #OwlishMonday from Hiromi Nishizaka. #artsky #JapaneseArt #owls

Japanese ukiyo-e print by Utagawa Sadahide, originally made in the Edo era, this re-carved edition is from the late 20th Century. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe #dragon

'Map of Kuon-ji Temple' - Utagawa Kunisada, ca. 1820. From the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston collection. #MapMonday #ukiyoe #JapaneseArt

We're just over 2 weeks away from the launch of my next #yokai Kickstarter! I can't wait! In the meantime, I shared some photos of the unique and really special add-on rewards I'll be offering during the campaign, all made by local traditional artisans! Take a look: matthewmeyer.net/blog/2025/09...

In ancient Chinese #folklore, the Plague God, embodied by the Five Pestilence Messengers (五瘟使者), was both feared and worshipped. Each season had its own bringer of disease: Spring Plague Zhang Yuanbo, Summer Plague Liu Yuanda, Autumn Plague Zhao Gongming, Winter Plague Zhong Shigui, 1/2

🐴 This earthenware figure of a horse is over 1000 years old. It is a fine example of the many tomb models of horses and other domestic animals that have survived from the T'ang Dynasty. If you look closely, you can see traces of original orange pigment.

THE FAERIES by William Allingham 1850 Up the airy #mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren’t go a-hunting For fear of little men #FairyTaleTuesday Image: Henry Meynell Rheam

Happy Sunday ☀️ 'Pine Tree and the Sun' - Suzuki Shonen, ca. 1900-20. #JapaneseArt #shinhanga

'The Toy Seller' illustration for 'The Fresh-water Clam' from the series 'A Matching Game with Genroku-period Poem Shells' - Katsushika Hokusai, 1821. From the Art Institute of Chicago collection. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe

In ancient Chinese lore, the Huan (讙) is a fierce, one-eyed cat-like beast crowned with three flowing tails. Its roar silences a hundred beasts, tearing through the air like thunder. But Huan is no mere predator. It’s a sacred guardian. 1/2 #caturday

'Portrait of Sakuma Shokan with a Cat' from the series 'Kokka Review' - Kano Tanyu, printed in the 1930s. #Caturday #JapaneseArt

'Watching the Water Festival from Azumabashi' - Torii Kiyonaga, 1782. From the Art Institute of Chicago collection. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe

I published a new article today about the yokai known as yama uba. It includes a few folktales and lots of art. My Substack is completely free so you can subscribe to receive new monthly articles or visit to read past articles. open.substack.com/pub/curiouso... #JapaneseFolklore #yokai

In Japanese mythology, Izanagi and Izanami are primordial deities said to have created the islands of Japan. They undertook a sacred wedding but soon after, Izanami died giving birth to the god of fire, Kagutsuchi. She retreated to yomi, land of the dead. Izanagi wanted to... 1/3 #FolkloreThursday

In Japanese mythology, kagutsuchi is the god of fire and destruction. His birth caused the burning and subsequent death of his mother Izanami. His father Izanagi was grief-stricken and so cut off kagutsuchi's head. He then chopped his body into eight... #FolkloreThursday #JapaneseFolklore 1/3

Thank you SO much to those who support my work here on Bluesky (and my monthly newsletter) via Ko-fi. For me it is a labour of love, but it's still heartening and encouraging when people choose to offer a donation. I don't always know who you are, but I am so grateful. 🙏 ko-fi.com/curiousordin...

Yama-Oroshi - [yokai] - A worn-out Daikon grater used to make garnish. It was left abandoned in the mountains, after decades of neglect, it came to life and ran about wildly scratching its porcupine like head on whatever it could! but alas, its spines had grown dull: samkalensky.com/products/yam...

In #JapaneseFolklore there is a #yokai known as hone onna (bone woman). This yokai occurs when a woman dies but her love for the one she left behind in life continues. She is able to return and be with her lover from beyond the grave. To her lover she appears young and... #WyrdWednesday 1/2

In #JapaneseFolklore there is a tale about a powerful kijo (demon woman) called Momiji. The name Momiji is connected to maple leaves and the story takes place during autumn, when the leaves begin to fall. The tale begins with the samurai Koremochi who was given the task of... #LegendaryWednesday 1/5

#WyrdWednesday #yokai

#WyrdWednesday #yokai

'Moto-Hachiman Shrine' from the series 'One Hundred Famous Views of Edo' - Utagawa Hiroshige, 1856. #JapaneseArt #ukiyoe #ToriiTuesday

In Japanese myth, earthquakes are caused by the thrashing of Namazu, a giant underground catfish. The famous map Jishin-no-ben depicts earthquake damage to Japan from 1854 to 1855, along with a dragon encircling the continent as a possible reference to Namazu. #MythologyMonday