Abstract

This paper focuses on the monstrous creatures of Japanese mythology and folklore that have been created by the collective human imagination and artistically developed over many centuries. Japanese mythology abounds in stories of marginalized monsters that resemble beasts or insects, and often represent resistance by indigenous forces to hegemony in ancient Japan. Examples include the “emishi” (hairy barbarians) and “tsuchigumo” (spider-like dwarfish creatures with abnormally long limbs living in caves). Under the control of hegemonic powers, these anti-conformists were frequently depicted as extremely frightening monsters not only in authorized chronicles, but in legends and folktales as well. More importantly, while such monstrous representations of those who were unsubmissive, defiant, or rebellious continued to reinforce dominant power relations, they also encouraged the ancient and medieval popular imagination to come flooding into visual and literary art forms. Beyond the confines of a “politically correct” ideology, these depictions of monsters helped to create Tsuchigumo—one of the masterpieces of Noh theater, which was later adapted into a Kabuki dance piece. As Einstein once said, “imagination encircles the entire world,” and likewise, imagination embracing these legendary monsters serves to shed light on unseen aspects of human vulnerability and tragic beauty.