The house spirits Zashiki warashi, are described as being the size of a five- or six-year-old child and prone to playing harmless pranks and occasionally causing mischief.
Yōsei (Japanese: 妖精, lit. "bewitching spirit") is a Japanese word that is generally synonymous with the English term fairy (フェアリー). Today, this word usually refers to spirits from Western legends, but occasionally it may also denote a creature from native Japanese folklore. For example, according to an old folk belief from Iwate Prefecture, it was once feared that the yōsei could bring the dead back to life. It is also mentioned that the people of Mt. Hōrai are small fairies that have no knowledge of great evil, and so their hearts never grow old. The Ainu also tell of a race of small people known as the Koro-pok-guru in their folklore. Another fairy-like being from Japan is the Kijimuna, tree sprites told in the Ryukyuan religion of Okinawa.
See also[]
- Yaoguai
- Yōkai
References[]
- "Definition: Yōsei". Daijirin Dictionary. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
{{cite web}}: - "Yōsei". Kaii-Yōkai Denshō Database. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
{{cite web}}:
Japanese folklore 
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| Folktales | Awa Tanuki Gassen • Bunbuku Chagama • Hakuzōsu • Hanasaka Jiisan • Issun-bōshi • Kachi-kachi Yama • Kasa Jizō • Kintarō • Kobutori Jiisan • Kurozuka • Momotarō • Nezumi no Sumō • Saru Kani Gassen • Shita-kiri Suzume • Taketori Monogatari • Tamamo-no-Mae • Tawara Tōda • Tsuru no Ongaeshi • Urashima Tarō • Yamata no Orochi • Yotsuya Kaidan • Oto-hime | |
| Texts | Konjaku Monogatarishū • Otogi-zōshi • Uji Shūi Monogatari | |
| Legendary creatures | Abura-akago • Abura-sumashi • Aka Manto • Akaname • Akashita • Akateko • Akuma • Amabie • Amanojaku • Amazake-babaa • Amefurikozō • Ameonna • Amikiri • Aobōzu • Aonyōbō • Aosaginohi • Ashinagatenaga • Ayakashi • Azukiarai • Bake-kujira • Bakeneko • Baku • Basan • Binbōgami • Chimimōryō • Daidarabotchi • Dodomeki • Dragon • Enenra • Funayūrei • Furaribi • Fūri • Futakuchi-onna • Gagoze • Gashadokuro • Goryō • Hanako-san • Harionago • Hibagon • Hiderigami • Hitogitsune • Hitotsume-kozō • Hitotsume-nyūdō • Hone-onna • Hyōsube • Ikiryō • Ikuchi • Inugami • Ishinagenjo • Isonade • Janjanbi • Jinmenju • Jorōgumo • Jubokko • Kamaitachi • Kamikiri • Kappa • Kasa-obake • Kasha • Kawauso • Keukegen • Kijimuna • Kinoko • Kirin • Kitsune (Hakuzōsu) • Kitsunebi • Kodama • Komainu • Konaki-jiji • Korpokkur • Koromodako • Kotobuki • Kuchisake-onna • Kuda-gitsune • Kudan • Kyubi • Mikaribaba • Mikoshi-nyūdō (Miage-nyūdō) • Misaki • Mizuchi • Mokumokuren • Mononoke • Mōryō • Mujina • Namahage • Namazu • Nekomata • Ningyo • Noderabō • Noppera-bō • Nue • Nuppeppō • Nurarihyon • Nure-onna • Nurikabe • Nyūdō-bōzu • Obake • Oboroguruma • Oiwa • Okiku • Ōmukade • Oni (Ibaraki-dōji • Kijo/Onibaba • Kidōmaru • Rashōmon no oni • Shuten-dōji) Onibi • Onikuma • Onryō • Ōnyūdō • Osaki • Otoroshi • Ouni • Raijū • Rokurokubi • Samebito • Sankai • Satori • Sazae-oni • Shachihoko • Shidaidaka • Shikigami • Shinigami • Shiranui • Shirime • Shiryō • Shōjō • Shōkera • Sōjōbō • Sunekosuri • Takaonna • Tanuki (Danzaburou-danuki • Inugami Gyōbu • Shibaemon-tanuki • Yashima no Hage-tanuki) • Ten • Tengu • Tennin • Tenome • Tesso • Tōfu-kozō • Tsuchigumo • Tsuchinoko • Tsukumogami (Abumi-guchi • Bakezōri • Biwa-bokuboku • Boroboroton • Chōchin-obake • Ittan-momen • Kasa-obake • Koto-furunushi • Menreiki • Ungaikyō) • Tsurubebi • Tsurara-onna • Tsurube-otoshi • Ubagabi • Ubume • Umi zatō • Umibōzu • Ushi-oni • Uwan • Waira • Wanyūdō • Yamabiko • Yamawaro • Yamajijii • Yama-uba • Yanari • Yobuko • Yōkai • Yōsei • Yosuzume • Yuki-onna • Yume no seirei • Yūrei • Zashiki-warashi | |
| Folklorists | Kunio Yanagita • Keigo Seki • Lafcadio Hearn • Shigeru Mizuki • Inoue Enryō | |
| Other | Mythology in popular culture | |
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