You are reading: Winter Monsters in Japan
As the nights get longer and winter approaches, Japanese people, like people all across the world, brace themselves for the cold. Winter is now a time for resting at home, eating sweet potatoes, and putting your feet in front of the heater, but it was formerly a time for caution and anxiety before the invention of electricity.
With so many hazards brought on by the cold, it’s no surprise that there are numerous myths about yokai (Japanese ghosts) and monsters hiding in the snow, from ice maidens to ice vampires. They are also known as winter monsters in Japan.
1. The succubi of winter
In winter, it’s hard to meet people. But be careful if you meet a perfect lady during a snowstorm. She might be a yuki-onna, a snow woman. Many men have been led to their doom by her.
There are many stories about these spirits. Most of them are scary because few people survive to tell the tale. The most common story is that if you look at a yuki-onna and try to talk to her, she will eat you. But some people say that if you ignore her, she will attack you.
Different parts of Japan have different stories about the yuki-onna. In the north, she is more dangerous. But not always. Sometimes, a yuki-onna is more interested in finding the perfect man than in eating. There are stories of men being taken away from their wives by a yuki-onna. Like many yokai, or spirits, the yuki-onna is very unpredictable. There are as many stories of her freezing her lover with a cold kiss as there are of her falling in love with them.
Like snow, most of these creatures can be thwarted by hot things…
There’s another story about a man who saw an icicle and thought it was so beautiful that he wanted a wife just as beautiful. Then, a strange lady appeared. He should have known she wasn’t human. She was a tsurara-onna, an icicle woman.
After a winter wedding, the mysterious lady disappeared in the spring. So, the man married another woman in the summer. But when winter came again, the tsurara-onna came back. Instead of a happy reunion, the man met his end with a perfect icicle cut into his neck. It’s a chilling tale!
2. Stranger peril
Winter stories in Japan often warn about helping strangers in the cold. Sometimes, these strangers can be bad. So, be careful if you hear a voice calling you in the snow. Imagine this: you’re walking in a snowstorm and you see a beautiful mother holding a cold baby. She asks you to hug the baby to keep him warm.
When you hold the baby, you feel colder, like your life is being drained away. Too late, you realize you’ve met a yuki-onba, a snowy nursing mother, and her icy baby.
Another story is about an old woman who asks travelers for help in the middle of the night. Who wouldn’t want to help an old woman? But the people who try to help meet a scary creature with fangs called a yukinba, a snow hag. Luckily, the hag hops on one leg, so she’s easy to outrun. These stories remind us to be careful and not everything is as it seems!
3. Keep an eye out for the warning indicators.
Some stories say that feeling very tired in the snow might mean something scary. You could be dealing with snow vampires. They freeze people and then take their energy.
Also, it’s important to know where you are. Many monsters like to trick people who don’t know the area. For example, the yuki-onna and the yuki-jiji, a snow woman and a snow old man, like to lead people who don’t know better to dangerous places like cliffs or deep ditches. So, always be careful and aware of your surroundings when you’re out in the snow!
4. Catch them off guard and beat them at their own game.
One cool thing about all yokai, or spirits, is that they often have weaknesses. Smart travelers can use these weaknesses to outsmart the yokai and stay safe.
If a beautiful lady comes up to you and you think she’s a yuki-onna, a snow woman, remember that many yokai don’t have feet like we do. Many stories say they seem to float above the snow without leaving any footprints. If you look closely, you might see this.
Another good thing to know is that, just like snow, most of these spirits can be stopped by something hot. For example, one winter yokai was stopped by a kind villager who gave it hot tea. The yokai drank the hot tea without thinking, and it melted away before it could do any harm.
5. How to Keep Yourself Safe
These winter ghosts can be scary, but they also teach us how to stay safe in the cold. The most important thing is to know where you’re going. Also, watch out for strange people, even if they seem nice. It’s important to pay attention, notice if you’re feeling tired, and always have a hot drink with you.
But the biggest thing to remember this winter is to stay safe, stay warm, and be careful of strange voices calling you into the snow.
Do you have a favorite winter spirit? Do you think you could handle meeting a yuki-onna in the cold? Let us know what you think!
