By Matt Alt
Everyone knows Tokyo's home to some
pretty strange inhabitants. No, we aren't talking about the ones you
wake up next to after a long night in Kabukicho or Roppongi. Even weirder
than that. And much, much older. Creatures from myth, legend, fairy tales,
arcane religious texts. They're there, lurking quietly in the shadows - and
sometimes right out in the open.
Don't believe us?
We don't blame you. That's why we prepared a little roadmap. The kind of thing
you won't find in any guidebook. And the best part is, the stops are all 100
percent real. Hang on, it's going to be a strange trip ...
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| Drink a few too many Kirin Ichibans and you could well be seeing these in your house. |
Description: A
mythical beast said to hail from China. It may look ferocious, but
it actuality punishes the wicked, eats only fruits and vegetables and is seen
as an all-around harbinger of good fortune.
Trivia: Giraffes
are also known as kirin in Japanese, as scholars confused the African animal
for the mythical creature when they first learned of it.
How to find one:
This is easy. Go to the convenience store and purchase a six-pack of Kirin
Beer. You'll find the Kirin right on the label
- and who knows, perhaps right before your eyes if you slam those "tall
boys" quickly enough.
2. Nue
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| The Nue - that's one mixed-up scary mutha. |
Description: A
Japanese chimera. Head of a monkey, body of a tiger, tail of a poisonous snake.
Bad news all around if you encounter one - Nue are said to induce sickness in
any who so much as lay eyes on one.
Trivia: The A-list
anime company “Studio Nue” takes its name from this creature.
How to find one:
Give it up. It’s too dangerous to track one down. But you can see the next best
thing at the Tokyo
National Museum
- a ceremonial katana sword bestowed upon Minamoto no Yorimasa for felling a
Nue that was harassing the Emperor back in 1153.
3. Baku
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| Dream eater, take away my worries of today ... |
Description:
Superficially resembling the animals called tapirs (which, not coincidentally,
are also called baku
in Japanese), these stout creatures with elephant-like noses are voracious
eaters ... of dreams.
Trivia: Chanting “I
give this dream to you, Baku”
after a nightmare will ensure you never see the bad dream ever again.
How to find one: Baku are commonly used as
design elements in Buddhist temples. Look up at the eaves of a temple next time
you visit - you might just see a Baku
looking back at you. The Yakuoin Temple atop Mount Takao
is a good place to start.
4. Maneki Neko
 |
| C'mon - you know you want me to bring you piles of money. |
Description:
Ostensibly a totally normal cat ... save for that one paw raised in a feline
high-five. The name translates into “beckoning cat,” and they are symbols of
good fortune and prosperity.
Trivia: A cat’s
cupped paw resembles the typical way Japanese people beckon each other over -
palm-side down as opposed to the Western palm-side up.
How to find one:
C’mon, you can’t walk five meters without spotting a Maneki Neko statuette
in this city. But for those who really want to beckon in the loot, we recommend
visiting Gotoku-ji Temple in the Gotokuji neighborhood of Tokyo, which has hundreds
of the lucky kitties on display.
5. Catfish God
 |
| Catfish God - the ultimate rock 'n' roll critter. |
Description: In
times of old, the Japanese believed that earthquakes were caused by an enormous
Catfish God thrashing deep beneath the surface of the earth.
Trivia: Some
scientists believe the long whiskers of the Japanese catfish are capable of
detecting tremors before they occur, but so far hard evidence is scant.
How to find one:
Disaster evacuation routes throughout the city and suburbs are marked with
super-cute catfish mascots, a nod to the old legends.
6. Komainu
 |
| Open wide and say 'Get the frick outta my temple, bad luck.' |
Description:
Usually (but not always) carved from stone, Komainu flank the entrances to
Shinto shrines and serve much the same purpose as gargoyles on Western
churches. Always found in pairs, one with its mouth open and the other with its
mouth closed.
Trivia: The
open-and-closed mouths are said to resemble the shape of the mouth when
pronouncing “a” and “um,” which taken together sound like “beginning and end”
in Sanskrit.
Where to find them:
Almost any shrine, but there’s a particularly splendid pair to be found right
outside of Asakusa Shrine, just behind Senso-ji Temple.
7. Houou
 |
| Peace out, y'all - the Houou is a mellow beast. |
Description: Also
known as the “Japanese phoenix,” these indescribably beautiful avian creatures
represent harmony and tranquility. Said to descend in times of peace and leave
when threatened, it’s not particularly surprising that nobody’s actually seen
one for generations.
Trivia: In China, the
Houou is paired with the dragon in a symbol of matrimonial bliss ... and
conflict.
How to find one:
Good luck finding a real phoenix in the era of seemingly endless conflict and
disasters that we live in. You can enjoy the next best thing by searching for
carvings of them on temples and shrines. Those of Taishakuten Temple
(Shibamata Station) are particularly fertile phoenix hunting grounds.
8. Shachihoko
 |
| Mash together a fish and a dragon and you've got yourself a Shachihoko. |
Description:
Creatures that resemble a mix of fish and dragon that sit in pairs atop the
roofs of traditional Japanese buildings. Their curved bodies give castles and
other structures their distinctive “horned” silhouette.
Trivia: Shachi is
the Japanese word for orca or killer whale, and some theories speculate that
Shachikoko and the cetaceans are one and the same.
How to find one:
The more opulent the building, the higher a chance you’ll see Shachihoko. One
of our favorite hunting spots is the East
Garden of the Tokyo Imperial
Palace, which features a
rare Shachihoko on display at ground level.
9. Dragon
 |
| Can't very well have a mythical creature parade without a dragon, can we? |
Description: Giant,
serpentine creatures of the sort that have populated myths in Asia
and abroad for ... well, forever, really. Capable of exhaling both water and fire,
they are formidable beasts of Chinese, Korean and Japanese mythology.
Trivia: The Dragon
King’s palace (Ryugu) supposedly sits on the seafloor near the Okinawan islands
(Ryukyu).
How to find one:
Dragons are common design motifs on temples throughout Japan. Here’s
one you may have missed - the next time you visit Asakusa’s Kaminarimon Gate,
stand beneath the giant red lantern and look straight up. You’ll find a dragon
carved into its base.
10. Gama’s Toad
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| Gama's toad bestows the essence of life in its breath -- let's hope there's no kissing on the agenda, though. |
Description: A
three-legged toad that acts as the familiar of Gama Sennin, one of the Eight
Taoist Immortals of Chinese legend. Gama supposedly found the strange little
creature in a well one day, and they’ve been fast friends ever since.
Trivia: Gama’s Toad
can exhale a cloud that represents the “life-breath” that animates all living
beings.
How to find one: We
left the trickiest one for last; Gama and his toad are obscure even by the
standards of veteran creature-watchers. There is a faded, centuries-old
painting of the pair on the left side of the Honden (worship hall) of Mitake
Shrine, atop Mount
Mitake, but you’ll need
to attend a service to see it.
Source :
http://travel.cnn.com
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