ONI

Oni are creatures from Japanese

folklore, variously

translated as devils, ogres or trolls. They are

popular characters in Japanese art, stories and

theatre.

Depictions of oni vary widely but usually portray them as huge creatures with sharp claws, wild hair, and two long horns growing from their heads. They look like humans for the most part, but occasionally, they are shown with unnatural features such as odd numbers of eyes or extra fingers and toes. Their skin may be any number of colors, but red and blue are particularly common. They are often depicted wearing tiger-skin pants and carrying clubs, called kanabō.

Some cities and towns hold yearly ceremonies to drive away oni, particularly at the beginning of spring. During the Setsubun festival, people throw soybeans outside their homes and shout "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" " Oni go out! Blessings come in!". Monkey statues are also thought to guard against oni.

Oni are prominently featured in the Japanese

children's story Momotaro (Peach Boy), and the book The Funny

Little Woman. Some popular manga and

anime series also make references to oni. In

Japanese versions of the game tag, the player who

is "it" is instead called the "oni”.