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Japanese culture past and present is is
rich with supernatural beings of many kinds: monsters, apparitions, and
goblins. These creatures are collectively called Bakemono or Obake. Bakemono
are categorized into two groups, Yokai and Yurei. Yurei are specifically
human ghosts. All other creatures are considered to be Yokai. References to
these creatures are common in medieval Japanese folk tales and monogatari,
Noh Theater, and even in contemporary Japan's manga and anime. (1)
This is the best explanation of the
terms commonly used to describe Japanese demons that I have found.
Unfortunately if one does a search on Yokai, a term commonly translated as
demon, one finds thousands of web sites devoted to anime characters such as
Inu Yasha, Hiei, and Kurama - all Yokai (demon variety). Thankfully
this cleared up some of the confusion since Yokai is also applied to
creatures other than demons.
Resource List - all entries are taken verbatim from
the original source:
(1)
http://people.cornell.edu/pages/ehl9/kappa.html
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