Mujina

Mujina

Mujina (貉) is a type of Yōkai depicted in the Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki by Toriyama Sekien and are known to be shapeshifters like the tanuki or kitsune.

One story involving this creature details how it liked to take the form of a monk and would perform devotions everyday at 6AM, however, it was eventually discovered after its tail fell out as it slept after a meal.

One is also included in the Nihongi. It states in Mutsu Province one sung a song infront of the Empress Suiko in the form of a human in the 35th year of her reign (627AD).¹

Lafcadio Hearn‘s book entitled Kwaidan, tells the story of ‘Mujina‘ which was inspired by the Nopperabo. Though Mujina are a type of badger, their oconography became integrated with that of the Nopperabo due to Hearn’s stories.²

External Links

• View the Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki online here: Konjaku Online.

Footnotes

1. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
2. Yoda, H & Alt, M. (2008) “Yokai Attack: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide” Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd.

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