Japan supernatural

Watanabe no Tsuna was instructed to rid the countryside of bandits and thieves. One of these outlaws was a demon named Ibaraki who preyed on travellers at Rajōmon, a gate between the earthly and spirit realms. One night, Watanabe nodded off to sleep at the gate when suddenly he felt someone touch his helmet. Stunned, he used his sword to slash above his head, cutting off the arm of the attacker who instantly fled. A priest advised Watanabe to place the hairy arm in a box and not let anyone see it. When Watanabe’s elderly aunt Mashiba arrived and asked to see inside the box, Watanabe agreed, only to discover that she was Ibaraki in disguise. This image shows her escaping with her arm.

_Tanuki_, usually translated into English as ‘raccoon-dog’, is a masterful shapeshifter, infamous for playing pranks on unsuspecting humans. One recognisable feature of this mischievous animal is its oversized scrotum which can transform into various guises. Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s series of _tanuki_ images emphasises this unique characteristic in humorous ways. Pictured above is a _tanuki_ suffering from _senki_ (inflammation of the genitals) and below, a group of _tanuki_ use their scrotums to style themselves as the seven gods of good fortune. The _tanuki_ in the centre portrays Fukurokuju, the god of wisdom, luck, wealth and happiness who is known for his large head.

This scene from a kabuki play of 1851 was based on true events of 1653, with the names of the characters and era of the incidents changed to avoid censorship. It is a rare kabuki play about political protest and the plight of farmers whose livelihoods were destroyed by a greedy _daimyo_ (lord). The character of Tōgo, a mayor who challenged the _daimyo_, was based on the historical figure Sakura Sōgo (Sōgorō). Crucified for his impudence, after death he haunted those responsible for the suffering of his townspeople.

From about the age of 12, Toyohara Kunichika studied under the renowned artist Utagawa Kunisada. Kunichika was a committed kabuki fan and his work often showed scenes from famous plays with great actors captured at particularly dramatic moments. His use of the vertical format was especially suited to portraying the extended diaphanous forms of ghosts. In _The tale of the Inaba novice on a rainy evening_, a bloodied spectral character played by the actor Onoe Kikugorō V rises above his co-stars. The fireball (_hitodama_) signifies the otherworldliness of the scene.