Japanese Anime Loved Worldwide and the Stories of Oni and Yōkai”
Life in Japan - Issue 005
Thank you as always for reading Spiritual Japan Journal.
Japan is currently filled with conversations about anime. Among them, the film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle has drawn remarkable attention. As of November, it has surpassed 100 billion yen in worldwide box-office revenue, marking a historic achievement for Japanese entertainment.
Internationally, Japanese works such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, Attack on Titan, and Your Name are widely known, and many readers may have seen or heard of at least one of them.
Recently, at the World Athletics Championships, American sprinter Noah Lyles drew attention by striking a pose inspired by a popular Japanese anime. Moments like this demonstrate how the world recognizes anime and manga as an important part of Japanese culture—with genuine respect.
Among the many topics related to anime, this article focuses on two themes currently drawing particular attention: the “oni” featured in Demon Slayer, and the “yōkai” that appear in the works of Shigeru Mizuki (水木しげる), the creator of Gegege no Kitaro. Each reflects how Japan has long regarded oni and yōkai as significant cultural presences, and how these ideas continue to resonate in modern works.
As mentioned earlier, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle has surpassed 100 billion yen in worldwide box-office revenue as of November. This scale is said to be unprecedented for a Japanese film and has become a major topic both domestically and internationally.
Some readers may already be familiar with the anime or film, but here is a brief summary of the story.
Demon Slayer (鬼滅の刃) is set in Taishō-era Japan.
The protagonist, Tanjiro（炭治郎）, loses his family in an attack by demons, and his surviving sister Nezuko（禰豆子） is transformed into a demon.
Determined to restore Nezuko’s humanity and to defeat the demon responsible for his family’s death, Tanjiro joins the organization known as the Demon Slayer Corps（鬼殺隊・きさつたい）.
Demons prey on humans and possess power beyond human abilities. At the same time, the story reveals that many demons were once human and carry memories of sorrow or loss.
Together with his allies, Tanjiro travels across the country, confronting demons while searching for a way to save Nezuko—this is the central narrative of the series.
Several universal elements have contributed to the anime’s strong overseas appeal.
First is the theme of family bonds. Tanjiro’s journey to save his sister resonates deeply across cultures.
Second is the universal hero’s journey—Tanjiro’s steady growth through hardship and training, which appeals to viewers worldwide.
Third, the depiction of humanity within the enemy adds emotional depth. The demons’ tragic human pasts evoke sympathy, creating a complex and moving portrayal that has strongly resonated with international audiences.
Combined with the traditional Japanese concept of “oni,” these elements have helped Demon Slayer become a global hit.
This brings us back to the question: What have oni meant to Japan?
The origins of the word “oni”
The word “oni（鬼）” is associated with several origins.
One theory suggests it derives from the ancient word onu / onu（隠・おぬ）, meaning “invisible” or “otherworldly.”
Another explanation notes that the Chinese character 鬼 originally meant “spirit of the dead,” a meaning that influenced the Japanese use of the character to indicate an unseen presence.
In Japanese folklore, oni have often symbolized forces beyond human control—thunder, floods, epidemics, the dangers of mountains. Many place names and legends across Japan retain traces of this belief.
At the same time, oni have not only been symbols of natural power; they also appear in legends based on specific incidents or personal experiences.
For example, in Shingata Sanjūroku Kaisen（新形三十六怪撰）, a series of ukiyo-e prints from the Meiji period, the work Teishinkō Yaeichū nite Kai o Osoroshimu no Zu（貞信公 夜営中にて怪を懼しむの図） depicts an episode involving Fujiwara no Tadahira（藤原忠平）.
According to the classical text Ōkagami（大鏡）, Tadahira was grabbed by the scabbard of his sword by an unknown being during the night. When he turned, a hairy creature stood behind him. Tadahira drew his sword and drove the creature away.
This shows how encounters with mysterious beings were sometimes told as stories of bravery, shaping how oni and other supernatural beings were portrayed.
Oni in daily life: Setsubun
The most familiar example of “driving out oni” is the bean-throwing ritual of Setsubun every February.
Calling out “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi”—“Demons out, good fortune in”—is a tradition practiced at temples, shrines, and in homes across Japan.
In my own childhood, we threw beans in every room of the house—including the bathroom and toilet.
For many families, it remains an annual custom.
In February, SJJ will publish a detailed Setsubun feature in the Tuesday article series, including on-site coverage of how oni are symbolically expelled and how the tradition has been preserved.
Oni in folklore: Momotarō and Demon Slayer
When Japanese people hear “oni-taiji” (demon-slaying), many immediately think of the folktale Momotarō.
The boy born from a peach travels to Onigashima with a dog, monkey, and pheasant to defeat the oni—a story known throughout Japan.
SJJ has already published an article on Kibitsu Jinja（吉備津神社） in Okayama, traditionally linked to the origin of the Momotarō legend. The piece explores the legend of Ura（温羅）, said to be the model for the oni, as well as the shrine’s cultural treasures.
Reading that article alongside this topic may give a deeper sense of how oni have taken shape in Japanese imagination.
Demons that appear in Demon Slayer can also be understood as one category of Japanese yōkai（妖怪）.
Japan has long explained natural phenomena, unexplainable events, and even the turmoil of the human heart through the concept of yōkai.
Some yōkai have physical forms, while others exist only as atmosphere or strange occurrences. The history of Japanese yōkai culture is remarkably broad.
Among yōkai-themed works, Gegege no Kitaro is indispensable.
Beginning as a manga in the 1960s, it has since been adapted into anime more than seven times, along with live-action versions, films, and regional events. Yōkai such as Kitaro, Medama-oyaji, and Nezumi-otoko have been beloved for generations.
Its creator, Mizuki Shigeru（水木しげる）, spent many years researching local yōkai legends across Japan. He described yōkai as “the atmosphere of an otherworld that lies just beside everyday life.”
Because of his careful fieldwork and research, Mizuki’s works are regarded not only as entertainment but also as valuable cultural documents rooted in Japanese folklore.
Every November, Gegege-ki（ゲゲゲ忌） is held in his honor, primarily in his hometown of Sakaiminato（境港市） in Tottori Prefecture and in Chōfu（調布市） in Tokyo. Exhibitions, events, and yōkai-themed tours take place, reaffirming the richness of Japan’s yōkai culture.
Many yōkai appear throughout Japan, and each region has its own stories.
Kappa, tengu, yuki-onna, rokurokubi—countless yōkai have been passed down through generations.
Kappa, for example, appear in illustrated works from the Edo period.
Rokurokubi and many other yōkai were also frequently depicted in ukiyo-e prints of the Meiji period.
This article has explored one facet of Japanese culture through anime and yōkai.
Do you have a Japanese anime or manga that you love, or one you have watched before?
Across Japan, there are countless “anime pilgrimage sites” where stories take place, as well as places long associated with yōkai legends.
These locations are places where regional histories and narratives have been carefully passed down over many years.
As part of future activities, I hope to visit some of these places—anime settings, ponds said to be home to kappa, mountains associated with yōkai—and share them with you someday.
I look forward to having you with SJJ as we continue exploring these stories.
—Written by Sumire
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