Halloween is here, and to many people that means 吸血鬼 (办测ū办别迟蝉耻办颈, vampires), 魔女 (majo, witches), 狼男 (ō办补尘颈-辞迟辞办辞, werewolves) and ゾンビ (zonbi, zombies).
Japan, however, has its own menagerie of supernatural beings known as 妖怪 (测ō办补颈). The word is often translated as “monster,” but the English term does not quite capture its full meaning.
Other Japanese words associated with monsters include 怪獣 (办补颈箩ū), 化け物 (bakemono) and モンスター (尘辞苍蝉耻迟ā). But 妖怪 encompass a broader range of beings and phenomena: some are 怖い (kowai, scary), others are いたずら好き (itazura-zuki, mischievous). Some are even believed to bring good fortune.
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