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.
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Legend & Sighting Locations in Kyoto
We list 4 places in Kyoto where yokai, cryptids and legends are told or sighted, and 4 related encyclopedia entries.
Please note Trespassing on private property or restricted areas is prohibited by law. Please be considerate of local residents.
Positions on the map are a rough guide to the area where a legend or sighting is set. Most pins are placed at representative points of a municipality or prefecture (outside Japan, a city position rounded to about 10 km, or the country), not at the exact place.
Municipality points: Geolonia address data (CC BY 4.0), based on the Address Base Registry (Digital Agency of Japan) / Country points: Natural Earth
Locations in Kyoto
Entries Linked to Kyoto
Emperor Sutoku
The 75th emperor of Japan, of the late Heian period. Defeated in the Hogen Rebellion, he was exiled to Sanuki (Kagawa Prefecture) and died there. He is said to have vowed to become "a great demon of Japan" and turned into a tengu while still alive, and is counted with Sugawara no Michizane and Taira no Masakado as one of the Three Great Onryo of Japan.
Sugawara no Michizane's Vengeful Spirit
The legend that Sugawara no Michizane, who died in exile at Dazaifu on false charges, became a vengeful spirit and brought disasters on the capital, such as the Seiryoden lightning strike. He was later worshipped as Tenjin, the god of learning.
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.