Yokai of Okinawa
The Ryukyu islands of the far south kept their own kingdom and their own beliefs. Their spirits — the kijimuna of the banyan trees among them — belong to a tradition distinct from the yokai of the main islands.
Zan
ザンA dugong-like fish of Okinawa and the Amami islands, cast as a mermaid in a tale that warns fishermen of a tsunami.
mysterious
Eighth-Day Fire
八日火Fireballs seen all year, but the ones around the tenth of the eighth month get their own name.
ominous
Mishigē
飯笥A rice paddle thrown out after long service, which gets up at night and makes trouble.
playful
Inenbi
遺念火A fire that stays fixed in one place, while other ghost-lights wander.
sorrowful
Milk Parent
乳の親She waits at the children's graves and nurses the ones buried there.
sorrowful
Majimun
マジムンThe Ryukyuan word for all of them at once. Let one crawl between your legs and you die.
ominous
Akagantā
アカガンターA red-haired baby that slips into old houses at night to flip sleepers' pillows and press down on their chests.
mischievous
Kijimuna
キジムナーA red-haired child that lives in an old tree, most often a banyan. It brings endless fish to people who befriend it, but kills livestock or drowns those who harm its tree.
mischievous
Basho no Sei
芭蕉精The spirit of a banana plant that takes a woman's shape at night and speaks to whoever answers.
mysterious