In the frozen north of the Japan, the snow piles deep and high and brings monsters. Whether riding on the avalanche, or coming in the guise of a beautiful young woman or a little lost boy, or hoping on one leg, Japan’s snow yokai are as varied and miraculous as any in folklore. Some are dangerous. Some are famous. Some are sad. Some are spectacular.
Japan’s snow monsters are like the snow itself; they bring comfort, solace, and beauty, but only for awhile. For spring comes, and snow melts, and all things must pass—good or bad.
Click Each Title to Read the Full Story of Each Yokai.
7. Yuki Jiji – The Old Man of the Snow
An old man who rides the avalanche, or an ancient God of Snow? The Yuki Jiji is a mysterious, powerful figure in Japanese folklore.
6. Yuki Onba and Yukinko – The Snow Mother and the Snow Child
Anytime a solitary woman approaches you and asks you to hold her baby for a few seconds, you are in trouble. This wintery variation on the Ubume legend delivers its own chills.
5. Yuki Warashi / Yukinbo – The Snow Babies
One is cute and sweet—the answer to a childless couples prayers—and the other is a bizarre creature out of your nightmares.
4. Yukinba/Yukifuriba – The Snow Hags
Nothing ambiguous here. The Yukinba and Yukifuriba are terrifying creatures out for blood. The most horrifying of Japan’s snow yokai.
3. Tsurara Onna – The Icicle Woman
Does she come to love you, or eat you? The Tsurara Onna goes both ways, and you are never sure just which one is going to come to your door.
2. Oshiroi Baba – The Face Powder Hag
Another oddity of Japanese folklore—is the Oshiroi Baba a dangerous snow hag, or some long-forgotten Goddess of Cosmetics?
1. Yuki Onna – The Snow Woman
By far the most famous of Japan’s snow monsters, the Yuki Onna is an enigma. There are thousands of stories about her, with thousands of variations. Which one is true?
