Japanese Folklore

[:it]Yuki-Onna: la misteriosa incarnazione dell’inverno giapponese[:en]Yuki-Onna: the mysterious incarnation of the Japanese winter[:ja]Yuki-Onna: the mysterious incarnation of the Japanese winter[:]

[:it]Nello sterminato mondo degli yokai (creature soprannaturali della tradizione giapponese), spicca la figura della Yuki-Onna (雪女). Leggendaria donna delle nevi, col suo fascino algido e letale incarna la terribile bellezza dell’inverno nelle montagne del Giappone.
Pur essendo conosciuta con nomi e storie differenti nelle diverse prefetture, questo personaggio è rinomato soprattutto delle zone più fredde ed impervie dell’arcipelago.

La Yuki-onna viene descritta come una donna bellissima dalla pelle candida, che appare sui sentieri di montagna e nelle tempeste di neve. La raffigurano vestita di un leggero kimono bianco o nuda e coperta solo dai lunghissimi capelli, neri o candidi a seconda delle leggende. Apparizione eterea e fluttuante nel paesaggio innevato sul quale non lascia impronte, può improvvisamente scomparire trasformandosi in una nube di nebbia o di neve finissima.

Yuki-Onna: le Origini

L’origine di questa figura, come di altri yokai, si perde nei tempi più antichi. La prima traccia scritta della sua storia si ritrova nel Sōgi Shokoku Monogatari, risalente al periodo Muromachi (1333-1573). Qui il monaco Sogi descrive l’incontro con una donna di straordinaria bellezza durante la sua permanenza nella provincia di Echigo (attuale prefettura di Niigata). Questa donna misteriosa era vestita di bianco, alta e dalla carnagione pallidissima e con lunghi capelli candidi. Dall’aspetto di giovane età, ella apparve misteriosamente un mattino nel giardino ghiacciato del monaco. Tuttavia, scomparve altrettanto misteriosamente sotto lo sguardo incredulo dell’uomo.

photo credits: smitefire.com

I due volti dell’inverno

Come l’inverno che può manifestarsi con un abbagliante e sereno splendore oppure con una forza crudele e letale, così è la Yuki-onna. A volte essa appare come una spietata predatrice che attrae i viandanti smarriti nella tormenta per nutrirsi vampirescamente della loro energia vitale. Altre volte appare come una presenza benevola o addirittura a sua volta sedotta dal fascino umano.

Nelle storie più antiche prevale l’aspetto mostruoso e distruttore. Infatti in questi racconti, i genitori che hanno smarrito i propri figli in montagna vengono avvicinati da una donna. Essa chiede loro di prendere in braccio un bambino che lei stessa non riesce a portare. Gli incauti che accettano tale invito sono destinati a morire assiderati, sopraffatti dalla stanchezza di portare un fardello più pesante ad ogni passo.

photo credits: wikipedia.org

Oppure in altre storie, la Yuki-Onna seduce uomini soggiogati dal suo fascino ultraterreno. Questi finiscono per soccombere al suo bacio mortale, capace di prosciugare la loro forza vitale e congelare i loro cuori. O ancora in racconti drammatici, in cui la Yuki-Onna non si limita ad attendere il passaggio di viandanti disorientati. Qui infatti, essa entra prepotentemente nelle case, spalancando porte e finestre sotto forma di violente tormente di neve uccidendo i malcapitati abitanti.

In Occidente conosciamo un aspetto più romantico di queste leggente. Questo avviene soprattutto grazie all’opera di Patrick Lafcadio Hearn, giornalista e scrittore irlandese naturalizzato giapponese, conosciuto anche come Koizumi Yakumo (小泉八雲).

photo credits: letterboxd.com

La versione di Lafcadio

“Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things” è opera del 1904 contenente una raccolta di credenze popolari e anche un'interpretazione della cultura e dei costumi del Giappone. Qui la leggenda narrata da Hearn parla di due boscaioli, l’anziano Mosaku ed il suo giovane apprendista Minokichi, che tornano a casa dopo una giornata di lavoro in una fredda sera. I due personaggi sorpresi da una violenta tempesta di neve, trovano riparo in una capanna vicino ad un fiume. A seguire, i due uomini si adagiano sul pavimento della capanna e vinti dalla fatica si addormentano. Durante la notte Minokichi viene svegliato da un vento gelido, che sembra aver spalancato porta e finestre della capanna. Ancora confuso dal sonno e credendo di sognare, vede una donna vestita di bianco e dalla lunga chioma, china su Mosaku, intenta ad alitare su di lui un gelido fiato simile a nebbia.

Quando la donna si volta verso Minokichi, il giovane rimane come incantato dalla sua incredibile bellezza. Tuttavia, non riesce a sostenere quello sguardo che gli incute un indicibile terrore. Intenerita dalla giovinezza e dall’avvenenza del ragazzo, la donna decide di risparmiare la sua vita a condizione che egli non riveli mai a nessuno l’esistenza di una tale creatura. Se mai dovesse parlare a qualcuno di quegli eventi, la sua morte sarebbe certa.

Il mattino seguente un barcaiolo, proprietario del capanno, trova nel suo interno il corpo ormai congelato dell’anziano Mosaku, ma riesce a trarre in salvo Minokichi, ormai semi assiderato.

Un anno dopo...

Superati ormai il terrore e lo spossamento di quella terribile notte, il giovane prende in sposa una bellissima giovane donna di nome O-yuki. Improvvisamente comparsa nel suo villaggio ella fu subito ben voluta da tutti per il suo fascino ed i suoi modi gentili. Per molti anni i due vivono un matrimonio felice, benedetto dall’inspiegabile eterna giovinezza della ragazza, la cui bellezza sembra perdurare immutata nel tempo nonostante la nascita di dieci figli.

Finchè un giorno Minokichi, dimenticando la promessa fatta, racconta sconsideratamente a sua moglie di una creatura soprannaturale incontrata molti anni prima e che in qualche modo sembra ricordargli la sua incantevole sposa. Con sua immensa sorpresa, O-yuki, improvvisamente trasfigurata dalla rabbia, rivela essere proprio la donna da lui incontrata quella notte. Dopo aver rinfacciato al marito di non aver saputo tener fede alla promessa di segretezza fatta tanti anni prima, decide di risparmiargli la vita, per amore dei loro figli. Così, dopo averlo ammonito ad avere buona cura di loro, scompare per sempre.

photo credits: aminoapps.com

La Yuki-Onna nell’età contemporanea

Come la sposa di Minokichi, la leggenda della Yuki-onna, crudele e romantica al tempo stesso, sembra conservare intatto il proprio fascino nei secoli.
Infatti, in epoca contemporanea ha ispirato numerosi film. Ricordiamo infatti Kwaidan (怪談) del 1965, diretto da Masaki Kobayashi, vincitore del premio speciale della giuria al Festival di Cannes. Kwaidan fu anche in lizza agli Academy Award con una nomination per il Miglior film in lingua straniera.
Al successo di questo film ha fatto seguito, nel 1968, Kaidan yukijoro di Tokuzô Tanaka, fino ad arrivare nel 2016 con Yuki-Onna, diretto e interpretato da Kiki Sugino.

La bella e letale donna delle nevi, nelle sue innumerevoli varianti, compare poi come protagonista o personaggio di spicco in una vastissima gamma di videogiochi, anime e manga. Ricordiamo Nurarihyon no Mago o Ranma ½, solo per citarne alcuni. Tuttavia, il suo intramontabile fascino continuerà ad ammaliarci ancora a lungo, col suo eterno, candido inverno.[:en]In the endless world of yokai (supernatural creatures of the Japanese tradition), the figure of Yuki-Onna (雪女) stands out. Legendary snow woman, with her icy and lethal charm, embodies the terrible beauty of winter in the mountains of Japan.
Despite being known by different names and stories in the various prefectures, this character is renowned above all in the coldest and most inaccessible areas of the archipelago.

The Yuki-Onna is described as a beautiful woman with white skin, which appears on mountain trails and in snowstorms. She is dressed in a light white kimono or naked and covered only by very long hair, black or white depending on the legends. Ethereal and floating apparition in the snowy landscape on which it leaves no footprints, it can suddenly disappear turning into a cloud of fog or very fine snow.

Yuki-Onna: the Origins

The origin of this figure, like other yokai, is lost in the most ancient times. The first written trace of its history is found in the Sōgi Shokoku Monogatari, dating back to the Muromachi period (1333-1573). Here the monk Sogi describes the encounter with a woman of extraordinary beauty during his stay in the province of Echigo (current prefecture of Niigata). This mysterious woman was dressed in white, tall and with a very pale complexion and long white hair. From a young appearance, she mysteriously appeared one morning in the frozen garden of the monk. However, it disappeared just as mysteriously under the incredulous gaze of man.

photo credits: smitefire.com

The two faces of winter

Like the winter that can manifest itself with a dazzling and serene splendor or with a cruel and lethal force, so is the Yuki-Onna. Sometimes it appears as a ruthless predator that attracts lost travelers into the storm to feed on them with their life energy. At other times it appears as a benevolent presence or even in its turn seduced by human charm.

In the most ancient stories, the monstrous and destructive aspect prevails. In fact, in these stories, parents who have lost their children in the mountains are approached by a woman. She asks them to pick up a child she can't bring herself. The unwary who accept this invitation are destined to freeze to death, overwhelmed by the fatigue of carrying a heavier burden at every step.

photo credits: wikipedia.org

Or in the stories, the Yuki-Onna seduces men subjugated by its otherworldly charm. They end up succumbing to his mortal kiss, able to drain their life force and freeze their hearts. Or again in dramatic stories, in which Yuki-Onna does not simply wait for the passage of bewildered travelers. Here, in fact, it enters the houses forcefully, opening doors and windows in the form of violent snowstorms, killing the unfortunate inhabitants.

In the West, we know a more romantic aspect of this reading. This is mostly thanks to the work of Patrick Lafcadio Hearn, a Ireland-born journalist and writer from Japan, also known as Koizumi Yakumo (小泉八雲).

photo credits: letterboxd.com

The Lafcadio version

"Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things" is a 1904 work containing a collection of popular beliefs and also an interpretation of the culture and customs of Japan. Here the legend narrated by Hearn speaks of two woodcutters, Elder Mosaku and his young apprentice Minokichi, who return home after a day's work on a cold evening. The two characters surprised by a violent snowstorm find shelter in a hut near a river. Afterward, the two men lay on the floor of the hut and, overcome by fatigue, they fall asleep. During the night Minokichi is awakened by an icy wind, which seems to have opened the door and windows of the hut. Still confused by sleep and believing he is dreaming, he sees a woman dressed in white and with long hair, bending over Mosaku, intent on breathing a cold mist like breath over him.

When the woman turns to Minokichi, the young man remains enchanted by her incredible beauty. However, he cannot sustain that look that inspires an unspeakable terror. Softened by the youth and the attractiveness of the boy, the woman decides to spare his life on condition that he never reveals to anyone the existence of such a creature. If he ever spoke to any of those events, his death would be certain.

The following morning a boatman, owner of the hut, finds in his interior the now frozen body of the elderly Mosaku, but manages to rescue Minokichi, now semi-frozen to safety.

A year later...

Having overcome the terror and exhaustion of that terrible night, the young man marries a beautiful young woman named O-Yuki. Suddenly appearing in his village she was immediately well-liked by everyone for her charm and her gentle manner. For many years the two live a happy marriage, blessed by the girl's inexplicable eternal youth, whose beauty seems to endure unchanged over time despite the birth of ten children.

Until one-day Minokichi, forgetting the promise he made, recklessly tells his wife of a supernatural creature he met many years before and that somehow seems to remind him of his charming bride. To his immense surprise, O-Yuki, suddenly transfigured by anger, reveals herself to be the woman he met that night. After having reproached her husband for not having been able to keep the promise of secrecy made so many years before, she decides to spare his life for the sake of their children. So, after warning him to take good care of them, she disappears forever.

photo credits: aminoapps.com

Yuki-Onna in the contemporary age

Like the bride of Minokichi, the legend of Yuki-Onna, cruel and romantic at the same time, seems to preserve its charm over the centuries.
In fact, in contemporary times it has inspired numerous films. We remember in fact Kwaidan (怪怪) of 1965, directed by Masaki Kobayashi, winner of the special prize of the jury at the Cannes Festival. Kwaidan was also in the running for the Academy Awards with a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
The success of this film was followed, in 1968, by Kaidan Yukijoro by Tokuzô Tanaka, until 2016 with Yuki-Onna, directed and performed by Kiki Sugino.

The beautiful and lethal snow woman, in her innumerable variations, then appears as a protagonist or leading figure in a vast range of video games, anime and manga. Nurarihyon no Mago or Ranma ½, just to name a few. However, its timeless charm will continue to enchant us for a long time, with its eternal, candid winter.[:ja]In the endless world of yokai (supernatural creatures of the Japanese tradition), the figure of Yuki-Onna (雪女) stands out. Legendary snow woman, with her icy and lethal charm, embodies the terrible beauty of winter in the mountains of Japan.
Despite being known by different names and stories in the various prefectures, this character is renowned above all in the coldest and most inaccessible areas of the archipelago.

The Yuki-Onna is described as a beautiful woman with white skin, which appears on mountain trails and in snowstorms. She is dressed in a light white kimono or naked and covered only by very long hair, black or white depending on the legends. Ethereal and floating apparition in the snowy landscape on which it leaves no footprints, it can suddenly disappear turning into a cloud of fog or very fine snow.

Yuki-Onna: the Origins

The origin of this figure, like other yokai, is lost in the most ancient times. The first written trace of its history is found in the Sōgi Shokoku Monogatari, dating back to the Muromachi period (1333-1573). Here the monk Sogi describes the encounter with a woman of extraordinary beauty during his stay in the province of Echigo (current prefecture of Niigata). This mysterious woman was dressed in white, tall and with a very pale complexion and long white hair. From a young appearance, she mysteriously appeared one morning in the frozen garden of the monk. However, it disappeared just as mysteriously under the incredulous gaze of man.

photo credits: smitefire.com

The two faces of winter

Like the winter that can manifest itself with a dazzling and serene splendor or with a cruel and lethal force, so is the Yuki-Onna. Sometimes it appears as a ruthless predator that attracts lost travelers into the storm to feed on them with their life energy. At other times it appears as a benevolent presence or even in its turn seduced by human charm.

In the most ancient stories, the monstrous and destructive aspect prevails. In fact, in these stories, parents who have lost their children in the mountains are approached by a woman. She asks them to pick up a child she can't bring herself. The unwary who accept this invitation are destined to freeze to death, overwhelmed by the fatigue of carrying a heavier burden at every step.

photo credits: wikipedia.org

Or in the stories, the Yuki-Onna seduces men subjugated by its otherworldly charm. They end up succumbing to his mortal kiss, able to drain their life force and freeze their hearts. Or again in dramatic stories, in which Yuki-Onna does not simply wait for the passage of bewildered travelers. Here, in fact, it enters the houses forcefully, opening doors and windows in the form of violent snowstorms, killing the unfortunate inhabitants.

In the West, we know a more romantic aspect of this reading. This is mostly thanks to the work of Patrick Lafcadio Hearn, a Ireland-born journalist and writer from Japan, also known as Koizumi Yakumo (小泉八雲).

photo credits: letterboxd.com

The Lafcadio version

"Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things" is a 1904 work containing a collection of popular beliefs and also an interpretation of the culture and customs of Japan. Here the legend narrated by Hearn speaks of two woodcutters, Elder Mosaku and his young apprentice Minokichi, who return home after a day's work on a cold evening. The two characters surprised by a violent snowstorm find shelter in a hut near a river. Afterward, the two men lay on the floor of the hut and, overcome by fatigue, they fall asleep. During the night Minokichi is awakened by an icy wind, which seems to have opened the door and windows of the hut. Still confused by sleep and believing he is dreaming, he sees a woman dressed in white and with long hair, bending over Mosaku, intent on breathing a cold mist like breath over him.

When the woman turns to Minokichi, the young man remains enchanted by her incredible beauty. However, he cannot sustain that look that inspires an unspeakable terror. Softened by the youth and the attractiveness of the boy, the woman decides to spare his life on condition that he never reveals to anyone the existence of such a creature. If he ever spoke to any of those events, his death would be certain.

The following morning a boatman, owner of the hut, finds in his interior the now frozen body of the elderly Mosaku, but manages to rescue Minokichi, now semi-frozen to safety.

A year later...

Having overcome the terror and exhaustion of that terrible night, the young man marries a beautiful young woman named O-Yuki. Suddenly appearing in his village she was immediately well-liked by everyone for her charm and her gentle manner. For many years the two live a happy marriage, blessed by the girl's inexplicable eternal youth, whose beauty seems to endure unchanged over time despite the birth of ten children.

Until one-day Minokichi, forgetting the promise he made, recklessly tells his wife of a supernatural creature he met many years before and that somehow seems to remind him of his charming bride. To his immense surprise, O-Yuki, suddenly transfigured by anger, reveals herself to be the woman he met that night. After having reproached her husband for not having been able to keep the promise of secrecy made so many years before, she decides to spare his life for the sake of their children. So, after warning him to take good care of them, she disappears forever.

photo credits: aminoapps.com

Yuki-Onna in the contemporary age

Like the bride of Minokichi, the legend of Yuki-Onna, cruel and romantic at the same time, seems to preserve its charm over the centuries.
In fact, in contemporary times it has inspired numerous films. We remember in fact Kwaidan (怪怪) of 1965, directed by Masaki Kobayashi, winner of the special prize of the jury at the Cannes Festival. Kwaidan was also in the running for the Academy Awards with a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
The success of this film was followed, in 1968, by Kaidan Yukijoro by Tokuzô Tanaka, until 2016 with Yuki-Onna, directed and performed by Kiki Sugino.

The beautiful and lethal snow woman, in her innumerable variations, then appears as a protagonist or leading figure in a vast range of video games, anime and manga. Nurarihyon no Mago or Ranma ½, just to name a few. However, its timeless charm will continue to enchant us for a long time, with its eternal, candid winter.[:]

---

by Guest Author: Myriam

Japan Folklore: Oni

[:it]

Oni, yōkai del folklore Giapponese

Da creatura benevola ad essere maligno. Questa è la lenta trasformazione degli Oni (鬼), le creature mitologiche giapponesi che noi occidentali chiamiamo “demoni”, “troll” oppure “orchi”.

photo credits: tateandyoko.com

Prima dell’era Heian, gli Oni erano spiriti buoni in grado di allontanare il male. Tuttavia, durante questa era vennero relegati al ruolo di guardiani dell'inferno o torturatori delle anime dannate. Un esempio ne sono l’aka-oni (il demone rosso) e l’ao-oni (demone blu) descritti nella tradizione buddista, che assumono una connotazione negativa e diventano spiriti da tenere alla larga. Infatti, essi sono considerati come portatori di sventura o agenti delle calamità naturali.

Il loro aspetto non è certo rassicurante. Infatti, si dice che abbiano sembianze animalesche e mostruose, a volte con molti occhi e dalla pelle colorata (rosso, blu, nero, rosa oppure verde). Possono anche essere dotati di artigli, indossare pelle di tigre e portare con sé il kanabō (金棒, letteralmente: "bastone di metallo", una mazza da guerra chiodata usata nel Giappone feudale dai Samurai).

photo credits: forhonor.ubisoft.com

Oni fuori! Fortuna dentro!

Nell’epoca Nara, per scongiurare i disastri che questi spiriti potevano provocare, si praticava l’oniyarai 追儺, un rituale volto a cacciare il demone.

L’ultimo giorno di ogni anno una persona vestiva i panni del demone e veniva scacciato con archi e canne di legno di pesco. Nel tempo questa usanza si trasformò nei festeggiamenti del Setsubun, in cui le persone scagliano fagioli di soia fuori dalle case pronunciando: “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (Oni fuori! Fortuna dentro!).

Nonostante siano considerati spiriti malvagi, nella tradizione ci sono ancora delle tracce della loro natura benevola. Queste le ritroviamo durante le parate, quando alcuni uomini indossano il costume da Oni per allontanare la sfortuna. Inoltre sono anche raffigurati su delle tegole di alcuni edifici per lo stesso motivo.

photo credits: tripsavvy.com

Le tante curiosità della cultura moderna

Oggi incontriamo questi demoni non solo nelle storie folkloristiche e nelle filastrocche per bambini, ma anche come protagonisti di proverbi! Infatti, si dice che “Anche negli occhi degli oni sorgono lacrime” (鬼の目にも涙) per indicare che anche il cuore più duro talvolta prova pietà. Un altro proveribio è “La moglie di un oni diventa una divinità oni” (鬼の女房鬼神がなる) che si rifà al nostro “il discepolo supera il maestro”.

Naturalmente era impensabile non usare una figura così particolare negli anime e nei manga! Ci sono infiniti richiami agli Oni, ed uno dei più famosi e conosciuti è Lamù, il personaggio principale del manga di Rumiko Takahashi. Ma non è il solo. Infatti anche ne Il sigillo azzurro di Chie Shinohara ha come protagonista proprio la Regina di questi demoni. C’è anche Shutendoji di Gō Nagai il cui titolo dell'opera rimanda alla leggenda di un oni dallo stesso nome.

Tra i videogiochi horror/avventura più giocati e divertenti non possiamo dimenticare Ao Oni. Qui l'antagonista principale è un demone blu il cui adattamento anime è stato trasmesso in Giappone tra il 2 ottobre 2016 e l'8 gennaio 2017. I 13 episodi da 3 minuti ciascuno sono stati distribuiti in streaming anche in Italia col titolo Aooni The Blue Monster (あおおに〜じ・あにめぇしょん〜). Nonostante la sua semplicità, questo gioco è agghiacciante grazie alla musichetta di sottofondo che conferisce al videogioco la giusta atmosfera spaventosa!

photo credits: giantbomb.com
[:en]

Oni, yōkai in Japanese folklore

From a benevolent creature to an evil one. This is the slow transformation of the Oni (鬼), the Japanese mythological creatures that we Westerners call "demons", "trolls" or "orcs".

photo credits: tateandyoko.com

Before the Heian era, the Oni were good spirits able to ward off evil. However, during this era, they were relegated to the role of guardians of hell or torturers of damned souls. An example of this is the aka-oni (red demon) and the ao-oni (blue demon) described in the Buddhist tradition, which take on a negative connotation and become spirits to be kept away. In fact, they are considered as carriers of misfortune or agents of natural disasters.

Their appearance is certainly not reassuring. In fact, they are said to have animalistic and monstrous features, sometimes with many eyes and colored skin (red, blue, black, pink or green). They can also be clawed, wear tiger skin and carry kanabō (金棒, literally: "metal stick", a spiked war bat used in feudal Japan by the Samurai).

photo credits: forhonor.ubisoft.com

Demon Get out! Luck get inside!

In the Nara era, to avert the disasters that these spirits could provoke, people used to practice oniyarai (追儺), a ritual aimed at driving out the demon.

On the last day of each year, a person used to dress in the demon's clothes and was chased away with peach bows and reeds. Over time this custom turned into the Setsubun celebrations, in which people throw soybeans out of the house saying: "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! "(Oni out! Luck inside!).

Despite being considered evil spirits, in tradition, there are still traces of their benevolent nature. We find these during the parades when some men wear the Oni costume to ward off bad luck. They are also depicted on the tiles of some buildings for the same reason.

photo credits: tripsavvy.com

The many curiosities of modern culture

Today we meet these demons not only in folkloristic stories and nursery rhymes for children but also as protagonists of proverbs! In fact, it is said that "Even in the eyes of the oni tears arise" (鬼の目にも涙) to indicate that even the hardest heart sometimes feels pity. Another proverb is "The wife of an oni becomes an oni divinity" (鬼の女房鬼神がなる) which refers to our "disciple surpasses the master".

Of course, it was unthinkable not to use such a particular figure in animes and mangas! There are endless references to these spirits, and one of the most famous and well-known is Lamù, the main character of Rumiko Takahashi's manga. But it is not the only one. In fact, even in The Blue Seal by Chie Shinohara the Queen of the Oni is the protagonist. There is also Shutendoji by Gō Nagai whose work title refers to the legend of an oni of the same name.

Among the most played and entertaining horror/adventure video games we cannot forget Ao Oni. Here the main antagonist is a blue demon whose anime adaptation was broadcast in Japan between October 2nd, 2016 and January 8th, 2017. The 13 3-minute long episodes were also streamed in Italy under the title Aooni The Blue Monster (あおに〜じ・あにめぇしょん〜). Despite its simplicity, Ao Oni is terrifying thanks to the background music that gives the videogame the right scary atmosphere!

photo credits: giantbomb.com
[:ja]

Oni, yōkai in Japanese folklore

From a benevolent creature to an evil one. This is the slow transformation of the Oni (鬼), the Japanese mythological creatures that we Westerners call "demons", "trolls" or "orcs".

photo credits: tateandyoko.com

Before the Heian era, the Oni were good spirits able to ward off evil. However, during this era, they were relegated to the role of guardians of hell or torturers of damned souls. An example of this is the aka-oni (red demon) and the ao-oni (blue demon) described in the Buddhist tradition, which take on a negative connotation and become spirits to be kept away. In fact, they are considered as carriers of misfortune or agents of natural disasters.

Their appearance is certainly not reassuring. In fact, they are said to have animalistic and monstrous features, sometimes with many eyes and colored skin (red, blue, black, pink or green). They can also be clawed, wear tiger skin and carry kanabō (金棒, literally: "metal stick", a spiked war bat used in feudal Japan by the Samurai).

photo credits: forhonor.ubisoft.com

Demon Get out! Luck get inside!

In the Nara era, to avert the disasters that these spirits could provoke, people used to practice oniyarai (追儺), a ritual aimed at driving out the demon.

On the last day of each year, a person used to dress in the demon's clothes and was chased away with peach bows and reeds. Over time this custom turned into the Setsubun celebrations, in which people throw soybeans out of the house saying: "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! "(Oni out! Luck inside!).

Despite being considered evil spirits, in tradition, there are still traces of their benevolent nature. We find these during the parades when some men wear the Oni costume to ward off bad luck. They are also depicted on the tiles of some buildings for the same reason.

photo credits: tripsavvy.com

The many curiosities of modern culture

Today we meet these demons not only in folkloristic stories and nursery rhymes for children but also as protagonists of proverbs! In fact, it is said that "Even in the eyes of the oni tears arise" (鬼の目にも涙) to indicate that even the hardest heart sometimes feels pity. Another proverb is "The wife of an oni becomes an oni divinity" (鬼の女房鬼神がなる) which refers to our "disciple surpasses the master".

Of course, it was unthinkable not to use such a particular figure in animes and mangas! There are endless references to these spirits, and one of the most famous and well-known is Lamù, the main character of Rumiko Takahashi's manga. But it is not the only one. In fact, even in The Blue Seal by Chie Shinohara the Queen of the Oni is the protagonist. There is also Shutendoji by Gō Nagai whose work title refers to the legend of an oni of the same name.

Among the most played and entertaining horror/adventure video games we cannot forget Ao Oni. Here the main antagonist is a blue demon whose anime adaptation was broadcast in Japan between October 2nd, 2016 and January 8th, 2017. The 13 3-minute long episodes were also streamed in Italy under the title Aooni The Blue Monster (あおに〜じ・あにめぇしょん〜). Despite its simplicity, Ao Oni is terrifying thanks to the background music that gives the videogame the right scary atmosphere!

photo credits: giantbomb.com
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by Sara

Japan Folklore: Nippombashi Street Festa

[:it]

photo credits: jnto.go.jp

Ad Osaka gli anime e i manga prendono vita

Ogni anno dal 2005, tra primi giorni e la metà di marzo, le strade di Den Den Town situate tra la stazione di Ebisucho e Nihonbashi sono chiuse al traffico automobilistico per il più grande evento cosplay di tutto il Giappone: il Nippombashi Street Festa (日本橋ストリートフェスタ).

Den Den Town è il distretto elettronico di Osaka che, grazie ai suoi negozi di giocattoli, videogiochi e computer, ha iniziato ad attrarre un gran numero di appassionati di manga e anime, trasformandosi ben presto in una delle destinazioni “sacre” per gli Otaku. Ogni anno il festival si arricchisce attirando non solo i cultori a livello locale, ma anche a livello internazionale!

photo credits: reddit.com

Il Festival ha inizio!

I preparativi per l’evento hanno inizio all’incirca verso le 11:00 con la chiusura al traffico della strada, alla cui cima è posto il palco principale sul quale si alternano ospiti, cosplayer e sponsor per tutto il giorno.
La cerimonia di apertura comincia alle 12:00 quando per strada si crea un passaggio per la sfilata dei 1.000 cosplayer migliori di tutto il mondo. Dopo la sfilata, i cosplayer si esibiscono e posano per tutti coloro che desiderano avvicinarsi al proprio personaggio preferito. Molti di loro approfittano dell'evento per promuovere i propri account socials, scrivendone l’indirizzo su lavagne bianche o cartelli appoggiati accanto a loro mentre vengono immortalati nelle pose studiate anticipatamente.

Ovviamente l’evento non è aperto solo ai professionisti, ma centinaia e centinaia di persone indossano il proprio costume. Che questo appartenga alla cultura pop, agli anime, ai manga, ai videogiochi o persino ai cartoni animati e personaggi dei fumetti americani (in particolare Marvel, Adventure Time e Star Wars) non ha importanza, quasi 10,000 persone all’anno si trasformano nel proprio eroe! Naturalmente, il festival è gratuito, ma se si desidera partecipare alla parata, è necessaria una quota di iscrizione che si aggira sui 1,500 yen.

L’evento è anche l’occasione perfetta per poter reperire i disegni unici targati Nippombashi Street Festa e goods esclusivi.

photo credits: nippombashi.jp

Il progetto di scambio culturale tra Giappone e Francia e un ambasciatore d’eccezione

Dal 2018, anno del 160° anniversario di amicizia tra Francia e Giappone, è stato promosso il 「Japan-France pop culture Exchange project」al fine di approfondire lo scambio culturale tra manga, animazione, musica e altri aspetti della cultura pop giapponese con la Francia in collaborazione con il「Japan Expo」.

Per divulgare l’evento e renderlo ancora più vivo, KAMIJO, il talentuoso artista giapponese divenuto particolarmente famoso in Francia, è stato scelto come ambasciatore del progetto.

Quest’anno il Nippombashi Street Festa si terrà il 9 marzo e sarà l’occasione perfetta per immergersi non solo nel mondo magico della fantasia, ma anche in quello musicale![:en]

photo credits: jnto.go.jp

In Osaka, anime and manga come to life

Every year since 2005, between early days and mid-March, the streets of Den Den Town located between Ebisucho Station and Nihonbashi are closed to car traffic for the biggest cosplay event in all of Japan: the Nippombashi Street Festa (日本橋ストリートフェスタ).

Den Den Town is the electronic district of Osaka that, thanks to its toy stores, video games stores and computer stores, has begun to attract a large number of manga and anime fans, soon turning into one of the "sacred" destinations for Otaku. Each year the festival is enhanced by attracting not only the local but also a more international audience!

photo credits: reddit.com

The Festival begins!

Preparations for the event start around 11:00 am with the roads closing to traffic. Here, above the street the main stage on which guests, cosplayers and sponsors alternate throughout the day is built.
The opening ceremony begins at 12.00 pm when a road is created for the parade of the 1,000 best cosplayers from around the world. After the show, cosplayers perform and pose for all those wishing to approach their favorite character. Many of them take advantage of the event to promote their socials accounts, writing their address on whiteboards or signs placed next to them while they are immortalized in the poses studied in advance.

Obviously the event is not open only to professionals, but hundreds and hundreds of people wear their own costume. It doesn’t matter if this belongs to pop culture, anime, manga, video games or even cartoons and characters from American comics (especially Marvel, Adventure Time and Star Wars), almost 10,000 people a year turn into their own hero! Of course, the festival is free, but if you want to participate in the parade, an entry fee of around 1,500 yen is needed.

The event is also the perfect opportunity to find unique designs by Nippombashi Street Festa and exclusive goods.

photo credits: nippombashi.jp

The cultural exchange project between Japan and France and an exceptional ambassador

From 2018, year of the 160th anniversary of friendship between France and Japan, the 「Japan-France pop culture Exchange project」was promoted in order to deepen the cultural exchange between manga, animation, music and other aspects of Japanese pop culture with the France in collaboration with the「Japan Expo」.

To disseminate the event and make it even more alive, KAMIJO, the talented Japanese artist who became particularly famous in France, was chosen as the project's ambassador.

This year the Nippombashi Street Festival will be held on March 9th and will be the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself not only in the magical world of fantasy, but also in the musical world![:ja]

photo credits: jnto.go.jp

In Osaka, anime and manga come to life

Every year since 2005, between early days and mid-March, the streets of Den Den Town located between Ebisucho Station and Nihonbashi are closed to car traffic for the biggest cosplay event in all of Japan: the Nippombashi Street Festa (日本橋ストリートフェスタ).

Den Den Town is the electronic district of Osaka that, thanks to its toy stores, video games stores and computer stores, has begun to attract a large number of manga and anime fans, soon turning into one of the "sacred" destinations for Otaku. Each year the festival is enhanced by attracting not only the local but also a more international audience!

photo credits: reddit.com

The Festival begins!

Preparations for the event start around 11:00 am with the roads closing to traffic. Here, above the street the main stage on which guests, cosplayers and sponsors alternate throughout the day is built.
The opening ceremony begins at 12.00 pm when a road is created for the parade of the 1,000 best cosplayers from around the world. After the show, cosplayers perform and pose for all those wishing to approach their favorite character. Many of them take advantage of the event to promote their socials accounts, writing their address on whiteboards or signs placed next to them while they are immortalized in the poses studied in advance.

Obviously the event is not open only to professionals, but hundreds and hundreds of people wear their own costume. It doesn’t matter if this belongs to pop culture, anime, manga, video games or even cartoons and characters from American comics (especially Marvel, Adventure Time and Star Wars), almost 10,000 people a year turn into their own hero! Of course, the festival is free, but if you want to participate in the parade, an entry fee of around 1,500 yen is needed.

The event is also the perfect opportunity to find unique designs by Nippombashi Street Festa and exclusive goods.

photo credits: nippombashi.jp

The cultural exchange project between Japan and France and an exceptional ambassador

From 2018, year of the 160th anniversary of friendship between France and Japan, the 「Japan-France pop culture Exchange project」was promoted in order to deepen the cultural exchange between manga, animation, music and other aspects of Japanese pop culture with the France in collaboration with the「Japan Expo」.

To disseminate the event and make it even more alive, KAMIJO, the talented Japanese artist who became particularly famous in France, was chosen as the project's ambassador.

This year the Nippombashi Street Festival will be held on March 9th and will be the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself not only in the magical world of fantasy, but also in the musical world![:]

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by Sara