JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY (DEMONS, KAMI, ETC.).

[Noodles The Neko]

I'm noodle san meow and Id like to teach you about Japanese mythology if you need info on certain demons and such please ask. for now heres some of what I know about Obake (お化け?) and bakemono (化け物?) (sometimes obakemono) are a class of yokai in Japanese folklore. Literally, the terms mean a thing that changes, referring to a state of transformation or shape shifting.

These words are often translated as ghost, but primarily they refer to living things or supernatural beings who have taken on a temporary transformation, and these bakemono are distinct from the spirits of the dead.[1] However, as a secondary usage, the term obake can be a synonym for yūrei, the ghost of a deceased human being.[2]

A bakemono's true form may be an animal such as a fox (kitsune), a raccoon dog (tanuki), a
badger (mujina), a transforming cat (bakeneko), the the spirit of a plant — such as a kodama, or an inanimate object which may possess a soul in Shinto and other animistic traditions. Obake derived from household objects are often called tsukumogami.  

[NamidaTaki]

Website for the Gods and Goddesses biggrin

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/godsjapanese.htm  

[killerqueen121]

Why must every shinto goddess begin with Ame-No? And why isn't Kaguya -Hime there? Is that because she is princess of the moon and not goddess?  

[NamidaTaki]

Yeah... Kaguya-Hime is only the princess of the moon
Tsuki-Yumi is the God of the moon  

[Noodles The Neko]

Hello meow, Noodle san here again with part 2 of my lesson. This time I'd like to here what you the readers know of the nine tailed fox spirit kitsune and tell you about this next yokai

Hitotsume-kozō ("one-eyed boys") are monsters (obake) found in Japanese folklore. They are roughly the size of ten-year-old children, but otherwise resemble bald Buddhist priests. Their most distinctive feature, however, is a single, giant eye peering from the center of the face, along with a long tongue, much like a Tsukomogami monster.
Hitotsume-kozō are relatively harmless creatures, content to run about frightening human beings or telling loud people to be quiet (they enjoy silence). However, many people consider an encounter with a one-eyed goblin to be a bad omen. For this reason, the superstitious often leave bamboo baskets in front of their houses, as these are reputed to repel the creatures. A reason for this may be that, in seeing the basket's many holes, the hitotsume-kozō will see the basket as having many eyes, and run away jealous and ashamed at only having one.  

[killerqueen121]

NamidaTaki

Yeah... Kaguya-Hime is only the princess of the moon
Tsuki-Tumi is the God of the moon

Okay, thanks for clearing that up with me.  

[Noodles The Neko]

Konichiwa Noodle san here with part3 of my lesson today I'll talk about a favorite of many the Kitsune (fox). Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore and are akin to European faeries; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume human form. While some folktales speak of kitsune employing this ability to trick others—as foxes in folklore often do—other stories portray them as faithful guardians, friends, lovers, and wives.
Foxes and human beings lived close together in ancient Japan; this companionship gave rise to legends about the creatures. Kitsune have become closely associated with Inari, a Shinto kami or spirit, and serve as his messengers. This role has reinforced the fox's supernatural significance. The more tails a kitsune has—they may have as many as nine—the older, wiser, and more powerful it is. Because of their potential power and influence, some people make offerings to them as to a deity.
One ability a kitsune possesses is the kitsune-bi or fox-fire to lead travelers astray in the manner of a will o' the wisp.  

[Noodles The Neko]

Konichiwa Noodle san here with part2 the Tanuki, common Japanese name for the Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus). They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times. The legendary tanuki is reputed to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and shapeshifting, but somewhat gullible and absent-minded.
Tanuki is often somewhat mistakenly translated as raccoon or badger into English, animals which are similar to tanuki in appearance, but actually belong to different Carnivora families. When the Tanuki transformes it is commenly seen as a preist or women like many of the Obake; it is said that the Tanuki has been spotted walking through forests pounding on its absurdly large scrotum (testicle's).
Folklore

A popular tale known as Bunbuku chagama is about a tanuki who fooled a monk by transforming into a tea-kettle. Another is about a tanuki who tricked a hunter by disguising his arms as tree boughs, until he spread both arms at the same time and fell off the tree. Tanuki are said to cheat merchants with leaves they have magically disguised as paper money. Some stories describe tanuki as using leaves as part of their own shape-shifting magic.
The tanuki has eight special traits that bring good fortune, possibly created to coincide to the "Hachi" symbol (meaning eight) often found on the sake bottles the statues hold.
The eight traits are: a hat to be ready to protect against trouble or bad weather; big eyes to perceive the environment and help make good decisions; a sake bottle that represents virtue; a big tail that provides steadiness and strength until success is achieved; over-sized testicles that symbolize financial luck; a promissory note that represents trust or confidence; a big belly that symbolises bold and calm decisiveness; and a friendly smile.[1][2]
A common schoolyard song in Japan (the tune of which can be heard in the arcade game Ponpoko and a variation of which is sung in the Studio Ghibli film Pom Poko) makes explicit reference to the tanuki's anatomy:
Tan Tan Tanuki no kintama wa,
Kaze mo nai no ni,
Bura bura
Roughly translated, this means "Tan-tan-tanuki's testicles, there isn't even any wind but still go swing-swing-swing."[3] It continues for several verses, with many regional variations. It is sung to the melody of an American Baptist hymn called "Shall We Gather at the River?".[4]
In metalworking, tanuki skins were often used for thinning gold. As a result, tanuki became associated with precious metals and metalwork. Small tanuki statues were marketed as front yard decoration and good luck charm for bringing in prosperity. Also, this is why tanuki is described as having large kintama (金玉 literally gold ball, meaning testicles in casual Japanese).  

[White_crow2408]

killerqueen121

Why must every shinto goddess begin with Ame-No? And why isn't Kaguya -Hime there? Is that because she is princess of the moon and not goddess?

I agree. She is considered a legend, right?  

[Noodles The Neko]

bakeneko part 1

Konichiwa today I'd like to talk about my favorite the bakeneko
"ghost-cat able to appear in disguise"
In Japanese folklore, any cat that lives over thirteen years old, reaches one kan (3.75 kilograms) in weight or is allowed to keep a long tail can become a bake-neko or cat monster (Addis 2001). A bake-neko is a cat that gains paranormal powers after certain circumstances. They also have the ability to eat (bigger or smaller) anything in its way, no matter what it is. Poison is its main food, for example, a certain type of snake (unknown to man). It is rare to see people with a 'bake-neko' though some people have been known to see it. The breeding of the Japanese Bobtail may have some connection with this superstition. After a bake-neko tail grows long enough it forks into two tails, then the bake-neko is no longer called a bake-neko, but a neko-mata. Other forms of bake-neko are Maneki-neko (Addis 2001). Most of the stories about the bake-neko are told orally in Japan.

There are many stories about the supernatural abilities of the bake-neko: talking, walking on their two rear legs, shapeshifting, flying, killing people, A bakeneko will haunt any household it is kept in, creating ghostly fireballs, menacing sleepers, devour its own mistress in order to shapeshift and take her place, and even resurrecting the dead thats why cats aren't allowed in a room with a fresh corpse. Because of the stories about the bake-neko some Japanese people may have cut their cat’s tail off to stop them from becoming a bake-neko. Cats that were caught drinking lamp oil were also considered to be bake-neko. Cats may have regularly been drinking lamp oil as it was based on fish oil.  

[lunarwolf1228]

Can you go over the nue? I think people would be interested to learn about it xp It's a very interesting creature.  

[Noodles The Neko]

lunarwolf1228

Can you go over the nue? I think people would be interested to learn about it xp It's a very interesting creature.

indeed It is a very interesting creature, I think I will go over it.  

[Noodles The Neko]

Konichiwa I am back after a long time to bring you another creature from Japanese mythology this creature is...

The Nue

(鵺) is a legendary creature found in Japanese folklore. It is said to have the head of a monkey, the body of a raccoon dog, the legs of a tiger, and a snake as it's tail, and the voice of a White's thrush. According to the legend, a nue can transform into a black cloud and fly. Due to its appearance, it is sometimes referred to as a Japanese chimera. They were also known to bring forth misfortune and sickness.

According to The Tale of the Heike, the Emporer of Japan Konoe, became ill after having terrible nightmares every night, and a dark cloud appeared at two o'clock in the morning on the roof of the palace in Kyoto during the summer of 1153. The story says that the samurai Minamoto no Yorimasa staked out the roof one night and fired an arrow into the cloud, out of which fell a dead nue. Yorimasu then supposedly sank the body in the Sea of Japan. (Called the East Sea from Korean viewpoint)

In a local expansion of the story, the nue's corpse floated into a certain bay, and the locals, fearing a curse, buried it. A mound near the bay which exists today is supposed to be the grave created for this nue.  

[Noodles The Neko]

I've did my research and I have a new one: Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto (天宇受売命, 天鈿女命?) is the goddess of dawn and revelry in the Shinto religion of Japan. She famously relates to the tale of the missing sun deity, Amaterasu Omikami. Her name can also be pronounced as Ama-no-Uzume.

Amaterasu's brother, the storm god Susano'o, had vandalized her sacred buildings and brutally killed one of her maidens due to a quarrel between them. In turn, Amaterasu became terrified of his wrath and retreated into the Heavenly Rock Cave, Amano-Iwato. The world, without the illumination of the sun, became dark and the gods could not lure Amaterasu out of her hiding place.

The clever Uzume overturned a tub near the cave entrance and began a dance on it, tearing off her clothing in front of the other deities. They considered this so comical that they laughed heartily at the sight.

Amaterasu heard them, and peered out to see what all the fuss was about. When she opened the cave, she saw her glorious reflection in a mirror which Uzume had placed on a tree, and slowly emerged from her hiding spot.

At that moment, the god Ame-no-Tajikarawo-no-mikoto dashed forth and closed the cave behind her, refusing to budge so that she could no longer retreat. Another god tied a magic shirukume rope across the entrance. The deities Ame-no-Koyane-no-mikoto and Ame-no-Futodama-no-mikoto then asked Amaterasu to rejoin the divine. She agreed, and light was restored to the earth.

Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto is still worshiped today as a Shinto kami, spirits indigenous to Japan. She is also known as Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, The Great Persuader, and The Heavenly Alarming Female. She is depicted in kyogen farce as Okame, a woman who revels in her sensuality.  

[Noodles The Neko]

Konichiwa, I haven't posted her in a good while. I done more research, and today I'm gonna talk about dragons of japan.

Yamata no Orochi (8-branched giant snake) was an 8-headed and 8-tailed dragon slain by the god of wind and sea Susanoo, who discovered the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (legendary sword of the Imperial Regalia of Japan) in one of its tails.
Watatsumi (sea god" or Ryūjin) (dragon god) was the ruler of seas and oceans, and described as a dragon capable of changing into human form. He lived in the undersea Ryugu-jo (dragon palace castle), where he kept the magical tide jewels.
Toyotama-hime (Luminous Pearl Princess) was Ryujin's daughter. She purportedly was an ancestress of Emperor Jimmu, Japan's legendary first emperor.
Wani was a sea monster that is translated as both "shark" and "crocodile". Kuma-wani (bear (i.e., giant or strong) shark/crocodile) are mentioned in two ancient legends. One says the sea god Kotoshiro-nushi-no-kami transformed into an "8-fathom kuma-wani" and fathered Toyotama-hime, the other says a kuma-wani piloted the ships of Emperor Chuai and his Empress Jingu.
Mizuchi or was a river dragon and water deity. The Nihongi records legendary Emperor Nintoku offering human sacrifices to mizuchi angered by his river engineering projects.

P.S: if anyone ever reads this and needs info on Japanese mythology reffrences that I haven't already posted. Feel free to ask and I'll be happy to research it for you.