세모괴(세상의 모든 괴이)

The Chinese characters mean 'eyes like torches.' It is described as being several dozen feet tall, wearing a conical hat, with a round face and eyes that shine like torches. It is said to emit intense heat and be able to fly. During the Joseon Dynasty, Seong-hyeon encountered it, and by remaining calm without panic, it disappeared. The following is an excerpt from Seong-hyeon's 'Yongjaechonghwa.' Seong-hyeon was returning home drunk along the Namgang River (near present-day Yongsan) when a drizzle began. His horse suddenly foamed at the mouth and refused to move. Suddenly, a warm, fire-like sensation brushed his face. Looking towards a valley to the east of the road, he saw a person wearing a conical hat, standing tall, dozens of feet high. The person had a face as round as a small table and eyes that shone like torches. Seong-hyeon thought, 'If I don't pull myself together, I'll be taken by that thing.' He stopped his horse and stared for a long time. The figure then turned its head, looked up at the sky, and flew away into the distant heavens.

The name literally translates to 'hand-eye,' and it's a yokai resembling an old man with only a nose and mouth on his face, and his two eyes located on the palms of his hands. It is depicted in Toriyama Sekien's Gazu Hyakki Yagyō, but its origins are unclear due to the lack of explanation. According to the Hyakki Yako Shūi, a man in Kyoto's Shichijō Kawara went to a cemetery known for frequent Tenome appearances as a test of courage. He was attacked by a Tenome and fled to a temple, but ultimately had his bones extracted, leaving only his skin. A legend states this. In Iwate folklore, it is said to be the vengeful spirit of a blind man murdered in a field. One interpretation suggests it originated from a pun, likening the way a blind person feels their surroundings with their hands to 'eyes attached to hands,' but this is not recognized as a definitive origin. It is presumed to be the motif for the arrow demon 'Yahaba' (4th image) from 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba' and 'Pale Man' (5th image) from Guillermo del Toro's film 'Pan's Labyrinth' (5th image).

This is a yokai depicted with a human face embedded in the center of a wheel engulfed in flames, or carrying a woman on its back. It was feared because it was said to bring misfortune if one peeked at it or spread rumors about it. In Kyoto, it appears with a child's leg in its mouth, shouting, "Look at your child, not me." If you peek, the child's leg is said to be severed and found in Katawa Guruma's mouth. It was believed to appear if its name was spoken three times, so people referred to it indirectly as 'one-wheeled fire' or 'wheel sound.' In Shiga Prefecture, one first hears the sound of a sleeping child's name being called from afar. If a household peeks or talks about Katawa Guruma the next day, misfortune such as the child disappearing or the mother's milk drying up is said to befall them. However, it is said to forgive if one shows a repentant attitude. One woman peeked at Katawa Guruma and her child disappeared. She regretted her sin and posted a waka poem filled with the sorrow of losing her child on her door. The next night, Katawa Guruma read it aloud and returned the child, saying, 'This is a person of great compassion.'

A yokai that appears as an old man's bald head embedded in the center of a flaming wheel, said to roll through the night streets spitting flames. According to Toriyama Sekien's 'Gazu Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro', it steals souls, leaving those who make eye contact or fall into terror in a daze. As countermeasures, it is said to be effective to post a talisman on the door with 'This is the village of Katsu-no-Sato (此所勝母の里)' written on it, or to avoid eye contact and hide. It is believed to originate from the tale of a wheel yokai in Higashinotoin, Kyoto, from 'Shokoku Hyaku Monogatari'. There is a similar wheel yokai called 'Katawaguruma' (one-wheeled cart), which is presumed to have originated from the same tale as Wanyudo, leading to confusion and divergence. The difference between the two yokai is that Wanyudo often has a male face, while Katawaguruma is often depicted with a female face, and unlike Wanyudo which steals souls, Katawaguruma is known to steal babies.

Written with the kanji for 'back' (後) and 'god' (神), its literal translation is something like 'god behind' or 'back god.' It is said to be a yokai that appears behind people walking alone at night and pulls the hair on the back of their head. In Toriyama Sekien's 'Gaiken Hyakki Yako,' it is depicted as a woman with a large single eye. Sekien's commentary states that it attaches itself to timid or indecisive people, whispers hesitation in their ears, and when they are about to act, it pulls the hair on the back of their head from behind, clouding their judgment or intensifying their fear and lingering doubts. While some legends from the Tsuyama region describe it as a tangible monster that messes with women's hair or makes them feel a cold touch or hot breath on their neck, it is generally interpreted not as a being with a concrete form, but rather as a personification of the sensation of hair being pulled from behind, or an embodiment of hesitation and lingering doubt. The recommended way to deal with it is to ignore the feeling of your hair being pulled and continue on your way without looking back.

A yokai that appears in various parts of Japan, resembling a giant monk. Its size varies greatly depending on the region or folklore, ranging from slightly larger than a human, around 2 meters tall, to sometimes as large as a mountain. People feared the Oonyudo, as it was said that being stared at by one could cause fainting or illness. There are also theories that they are transformed animals like foxes, tanuki, weasels, otters, or even large rocks and Buddhist statues. In Iwate Prefecture, an Oonyudo appeared at a temple, but it disappeared after the weasels around the temple were driven away. In Sendai, an Oonyudo was shot down with an arrow and turned out to be a giant otter. In Awa, it is said that if you place grain on a mill's waterwheel, an Oonyudo 28 shaku (approx. 8.5m) tall will appear and pound the grain for you, but it would startle you if you peeked at it. In some depictions, it is described as having only one eye and one leg, in which case it is sometimes distinguished as 'Hitotsume-nyudo' (One-Eyed Nyudo) or 'Hitotsume no Oonyudo' (The One-Eyed Oonyudo).

There was a young female ghost hanging from the beams or pillars of the Yangju Jeong family's house. The ghost was good at predicting the family's fortune and misfortune and knew people's secrets. It was also adept at finding lost items. When a housewife from a prestigious neighboring family lost her hairpin and suspected her maid, the maid asked the ghost about the hairpin's location. The ghost replied, "I'll tell you when the owner arrives." When the housewife asked directly, the ghost avoided answering, saying, "You will be put in a difficult position." Angered, the housewife was told by the ghost, "You went to the paper mulberry field with a man from next door, didn't you? It's caught on that tree." Another time, when an item was stolen from the house, the ghost identified the thief. The culprit, instead of confessing, became angry, suddenly collapsed, and after waking up a while later, claimed, "A man with a purple beard grabbed my head, and I was so startled that I fainted." The ghost feared and avoided the presence of the Sanguk (high-ranking official). When the Sanguk, aware of this, told the ghost, "Don't stay in people's houses; go to the forest," the ghost lamented, "I have only worked to bring prosperity to the household and have never caused any disaster. However, since you, a great person, command me to go, I shall," and departed in tears.

Using the Hanja characters for 'huge' (巨), 'mouth' (口), and 'ghost' (鬼), it means 'a ghost with a huge mouth.' As its name suggests, it is said to have such a massive mouth that its upper lip touches the sky and its lower lip touches the ground. Despite its terrifying appearance, when it encounters an extraordinary person, it transforms into a boy in blue clothes called 'Cheonguidonja' (Blue-Clad Boy) to assist and protect that person. The following is an excerpt from the Eou Yadam: Shin Suk-ju was on his way to Sungkyunkwan with his friends to take the state examination when he encountered Geogugwi. His terrified friends fled, but Shin Suk-ju immediately walked straight into Geogugwi's mouth. Then, in front of Shin Suk-ju, Cheonguidonja appeared, bowed, and asked to be taken along, promising to do as instructed. Shin Suk-ju agreed, and Cheonguidonja stayed by his side constantly, helping him achieve the top rank in the exam and informing him of all good or bad events before they happened. As years passed and Shin Suk-ju's death approached, Cheonguidonja tearfully bid farewell and disappeared somewhere. Shortly after, Shin Suk-ju also passed away.

A monk-like yokai that appears before people walking alone at night. It grows endlessly the more you look up at it, threatening those gripped by fear. It frequently appears in Edo-period ghost stories and essays, and is said to be passed down throughout Japan. Initially, it appears as small as a young monk, but it gradually grows larger as you stare at it. If you keep looking up, it's said you'll break your neck and die, or be crushed to death. Countermeasures include shouting phrases like "Mikoshita (I saw it beforehand)" or "Minuita (I saw through it)," or calming your mind and forcing yourself to look down. In the Iki region, shouting "Mikoshi-nyudo, minuita" makes it retreat, and in Okayama, it disappears if you calmly look down. In Shizuoka, it uniquely disappears if you try to measure its height with a ruler, and in Kanagawa, there's a legend that it disappeared after someone bravely smoked a cigarette. Depending on the region, it's sometimes feared as an evil spirit bringing plagues or sudden deaths. There are also legends that its true form is an animal like a tanuki, fox, weasel, or badger that has transformed.

It's a crow carrying a silver box. The box has a warning written on the outside, and it's said that inside is a prophecy about whoever opens the box. During the reign of King Soji of Silla, on the 15th day of the first lunar month, a crow brought a silver box to a pavilion called 'Cheoncheonjeong' in Gyeongju. The outside of the box read, 'If you open it, two people will die; if you don't, one person will die.' The king intended not to open the box, thinking, 'It's better for one person to die than two,' but a minister present advised, 'One person refers to the king, and two people refer to the ministers,' so the king opened the box. Inside was a paper that read, 'Shoot the king's musical instrument case with an arrow.' When the king returned to the palace and shot the musical instrument case with an arrow, he found Beonsuseung (a monk training in a palace temple) hidden inside, who was colluding with the queen to kill the king. The king was able to stay safe by killing the queen and Beonsuseung. In gratitude to the crow, the king made food every year, and this food is said to be 'yakbap' (sweet rice).