NazoMap Encyclopedia of Yokai, Cryptids, Urban Legends & Ancient Mysteries 日本語

NazoMap

An illustrated encyclopedia of Japanese yokai, cryptids, urban legends, mythical beasts and ancient mysteries, presented as collectible cards with four stats. 431 entries in English and growing.

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Legend Map Find where yokai, cryptids and legends are told, in Japan and around the world. Which Mystery Are You? Answer seven questions to find the yokai or cryptid most like you. Mystery Quiz Ten fresh multiple-choice questions every time. Aim for "Legendary Hunter." VS Battles Kappa or tengu, Nessie or Bigfoot: who would win? Cast your vote. Rankings Vote daily for the strongest, scariest and most beloved legends. Relationship Charts Follow the links between yokai, heroes and myths, story by story. Mystery Timeline From the age of myth to the internet era, legends in time order. Mystery Calendar What mysterious event happened on this day? My Collection Every entry you read is marked as discovered. Collect them all.

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OOPArts 24 entries

Out-of-place artifacts that seem too advanced for their time, such as the Antikythera mechanism and the crystal skulls, with what modern research has revealed about them.

 Mysterious Books 20 entries

Enigmatic books, manuscripts and prophecies from around the world, such as the undeciphered Voynich Manuscript and the Codex Gigas, the "Devil's Bible".

 Divine & Mythical Beasts 37 entries

Sacred and legendary beasts from myths around the world: the Four Symbols, dragons, the three-legged crow Yatagarasu, and Norse beasts such as Sleipnir and Fenrir.

 Spirits & Fairies 41 entries

Fairies and spirits from myths and folktales around the world, such as elves, sylphs and banshees, explained from the legends that inspired modern fantasy.

 UFOs 28 entries

Records of sightings and incidents involving Unidentified Flying Objects.

 Cryptids 51 entries

Unidentified Mysterious Animals: creatures such as Tsuchinoko and Nessie that have been reported by witnesses but never confirmed to exist.

 Ancient Civilizations 18 entries

Lost civilizations such as Atlantis and Mu, and the legends told about them.

 Yokai 94 entries

Supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore, such as the tengu and the kappa, passed down in every region of Japan.

 Confirmed Cryptids 14 entries

Creatures once thought to be myths, legends or extinct that were later proven to be real, such as the okapi, the coelacanth and the giant squid.

 Mysteries & Phenomena 31 entries

Legends of strange, unexplained events such as spirit abductions and ghostly fires.

 Urban Legends 73 entries

Modern rumors of uncertain origin that spread by word of mouth and over the internet.

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Ancient Civilizations ★★★★★ Pacific Ocean

Mu (Lost Continent)

A phantom continent said to have existed in the Pacific and sunk into the sea along with its advanced civilization. It became known worldwide through books written in the early 20th century.

Ancient Civilizations ★★★★★ Greece

Atlantis

A great island nation said to have sunk into the sea in a single day and night, described by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato in his dialogues. Many theories about whether it really existed are still debated.

Yokai ★★★★★ Japan

Shuten-doji

The leader of the oni who made Mount Oe his stronghold and abducted people from the capital. He is known from the legend in which Minamoto no Raiko and his Four Heavenly Kings, disguised as mountain ascetics, defeated him with poisoned sake.

Yokai ★★★★★ Japan

Tengu

One of Japan's best-known yokai: a red-faced, long-nosed figure dressed as a mountain ascetic who flies through the sky. Tied to mountain gods and the Shugendo faith, it is linked with sacred mountains across Japan.

Yokai ★★★★★ Japan

Kappa

A water yokai said to live in rivers and ponds, with a dish of water on top of its head. Alongside frightening tales, it is known for friendlier ones, such as its love of sumo wrestling and cucumbers.

Ancient Civilizations ★★★★★ India

Ramayana

One of the two great epics of ancient India: the adventure of Prince Rama, who rescues his abducted wife Sita. It features the flying vehicle vimana, spread across Asia, and is said to have influenced Sun Wukong of Journey to the West.

About NazoMap

NazoMap began as a Japanese-language encyclopedia of the strange and unexplained: yokai from Japanese folklore, cryptids from around the world, urban legends, UFO incidents and the mysteries of ancient civilizations. Each entry records the names, era, place of origin and sources of a legend, and separates what is told from what has actually been confirmed.

We are translating our most popular entries into English one by one. The Japanese edition also includes a legend map of Japan, rankings, a timeline, relationship charts and more.