Japanese folklore is an amalgam of different traditions that has its foundation in the popular religions of isolated tribes living on the Japanese islands. These traditions were modified by the Shinto religion and, later, by Buddhism.

Buddhists also incorporated elements of Chinese and Indian folklore and mythology.

In ancient Japan, spirits were thought to be formless and invisible to the human eye. However, with the development of Japanese art, it became necessary to visually represent the spirits and monsters of the stories.

The drawings were first adapted into painted parchments and Japanese prints. They then developed into illustrated encyclopedias in several volumes telling strange tales and supernatural stories about Japanese demons and gods!