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JAPAN

Japan is situated in northeastern Asia between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The area of Japan is 377,873 square kilometers, nearly equivalent to Germany and Switzerland combined or slightly smaller than California. Japan consists of four major islands, surrounded by more than 4,000 smaller islands.

Traditional Culture & Festivals

Festivals & Talismans

Storytelling & Fables

		The kappa is a kind of water sprite that lives in rivers. It has a characteristic hair style called okappa atama and has a plate filled with water on top of its head. It is said that the kappa will lose its power if it does not have this water. The kappa is a mischievous creature and sometimes plays tricks like pulling horses into the river.

		Kaminari, the god of thunder, straddles clouds wearing a loincloth made of tiger skin, pounding on a drum. Japanese parents often warn their children that kaminari will steal their belly-buttons if they stick them out too far.
		The ryû (tatsu), a dragon which looks like a gigantic snake, flies all over the sky, and breathes fire. A dragon symbolizes evil in western countries, but in Japan it is the god of clouds and rain and is one of the twelve signs of the zodiac.

		The oni, a sort of goblin who eats human beings, has horns on its forehead, fangs in its mouth, and wears nothing but a loincloth. Oni are familiar figures in Japanese folk tales such as Momotarô, a story about a hero who, with the help of a pheasant, a monkey and a dog, pursues oni.

		The tengu, a kind of goblin who lives in the mountains, looks like a human being but has a long nose and two wings, so it can fly all over the sky.The expression tengu-ni-naru(becoming a tengu) means to be boastful about your own exploits and ability.
		The kitsuné is a real species of fox in Japan, but it is considered supernatural. Kitsuné are the objects of worship of Inari Shinkô, an old folk religion.