What are Japanese Vampires all About? ( 和式バンパイアとは？)

During ancient times, Japan did not really have something exactly that is of a Vampire. But since the days of the ancient, they however do have something similar to a Vampire. Perhaps it was somewhere in the process of modernization & globalization that they gradually have something that is really of a Vampire.

しかし古代以来、バンパイアに似たものがあったらしい 。近代化の到来を迎え、バンパイアが徐々、現代日本の大衆文化の一部になりつつあります。

The below would be 2 mythological monsters of ancient Japan that is similar to a Vampire

下記はバンパイアに似てると言える、日本妖怪です

Nukekubi (Other Writings : 抜首 , ぬけくび - ヌケクビ)



The Nukekubi would be something similar to a Penanggalan of the Malays or the Manananggal of the Filipinos. It is basically a Human during the day and lives among the humans. However, at night, the head of this creature would detached itself from the body in search of a victim and bites by the neck of the victim sucking blood.

昼間に普通な人間だが、夜になったら、首が体から離れ、獲物を探し、相手に首から血を吸うと言われる、妖怪です。東南アジアにでも抜首によくにた妖怪の話も存在してると言えます。マレーシアではペナンガランと呼ばれ、フィリピンではマナナンガルと呼ばれます。日本では抜首と呼びます。

When as a human during the day, they are of no difference like anyone of us. perhaps weak as a human during the day, but at night they are at their strongest when they become into vampire mode known as the Nukekubi ! The only weakness they have would be the body they have left behind. If their body is being destroyed or hidden and they cannot find back their own body, they would perished at the first rays of sunlight.

昼間では、私達普通人間と区別がつけず、人間と同じように力が弱いでしょう。夜になったら、最強な存在、妖怪抜首となる。弱点とやら、首が体から離れた時の首なし体でしょう。首なし体が滅ぼされたとか、捕まって隠されたりしたら、日差しが当り次第、滅びる。




A way to recognise them during the day would be to keep a look out for a red line marking around the night as that is the point where which they detached themselves from. However again, that red line could be easily covered by the clothes they wear or some jewelries.

区別をつける方法は、首が体から離れる部分にある赤い線を見つける事でしょう。しかし、赤い線が服とかジュエリーに隠されることもあるんでｈそう。

Kappa ( Kawatarō , Kawako , Hyōsube , Gatarō , Enkō)



The English name for the Kappa would be River Imp or Sprite. It is among one of the Suijin(Water Kami) 水神 of Japan.

Kappa are very horrible looking human like children with skin that is greenish yellow in colour, with webbed fingers and toes, as well as long nose and round eyes that is monkey like. They have shells like tortoises and smells of a fish. They also had concave head which contains waters. Should the water spills, the Kappa would lose its' strength.

河童と言ったら、日本の水神の一種と言えるんでしょう。
河童は不細工で、子供に見えるんだが、皮膚が緑黄色で、水掻きのある足と手を持ってる。鼻も長くて、目が猿みたいに丸い。甲 があり、魚の匂いがする。頭上に窪んだ所に水が入ってる。水が零されたら、河童が力を失うんでしょう。



Kappas are found near water edges and they pull their victims down and in, into the water.They suck the victim's blood through their anuses. Horses and cows are at times dragged down into their water homes as the victims of the Kappa. At other times, Kappas would leave their watery homes to residential areas nearby to steal fruits.

河童が川辺に見つける事ができ、相手を水に引きずり、肛門から血を吸う。馬も牛も時々こうして水に引きずられる事もあります。時々、河童も水を離れ、近所にある果物を盗みに行く事もあろう。



Besides sucking blood, Kappa also have strong & powerful sexual desires. Even if they don't suck your blood, they rape you instead ! They also steal human livers as well. However, it is possible to enter into binding agreements with the Kappa not to attack humans. But they is some form of exchange and consequences you will be need bare under such cases.

血を吸う事以外、性的欲情が強い。血を吸わなくても、暴行することもあろう。人間の肝臓を盗むこともある。人間を襲わないように、河童と契約を交わす事もできますが、その代わりに代償が…

Propitiate with the Kappas are made by writing the names of their family members on a cucumber and throwing it into the river where the kappas lived. Kappas were viewed as part of the rural landscape. They were not attacked by humans, but on occasion Kappas attempted to strike deals with them.

河童と和解する為には、その河童と家族の名前をキュウリに書き、河童の住む川に投げ込む事なんです。河童も農村景観の一部と看做されました。人間に襲われなかったが、河童が人間と契約を交わそうとする事もありました。


Kappas do not live in big and deep water areas for you information by the way. They live in lakes, ponds, springs, wells, and irrigation waterways. They can depicted themselves as a snake, a dragon, an eel, a fish, or a turtle

河童などが、湖、池、泉、井戸、見たいな、水の浅い場所に住むんでしょう。海みたいに水が深い場所などに住みません。蛇、龍、鰻、魚、亀などに化ける事もあった。

Japanese Vampire Cat or Vampire Fox
怪猫　（時々狐の姿を見せる事もある）



Known as the Vampire Cat by some and The Vampire Fox by others.

A popular tale would be about the Vampire Cat of Nabeshima ! It basically tells a tale of a animal which is a cat but at sometimes a fox which took after a concubine of the prince's favourite after it had killed her.
Unknown to the Prince that his concubine, Otoyo was murdered and impersonated by this foul beast, he loved her and was very intimate with her. As a matter of time, the prince fell seriously ill as this beast sap the life of the prince every night while she had the guards fallen asleep.

鍋島怪猫伝、という「吸血鬼」みたいな有名な妖怪のお話です。ある王子が好いてる妾、「お豊」が怪猫に殺害され、怪猫が「お豊」に成りすました。時間の流れを経て、王子が病に倒れしまいました。毎晩、衛兵が眠りに付いた時その怪猫が「お豊」の姿を借り、王子の精力を奪っていたからでしょう。

However soon everything change when a young infantry soldier became the new guard and done extreme measures to keep himself awake and hence prevented the beast from it sapping away the prince's life. After some time, the prince gradually recovered for the better and the truth about this faked Otoyo concubine was discovered.

しかし、新人衛兵が王子守衛を担当するようになった時、彼はどうしても眠ろうともしなかったので、怪猫が王子の精力を奪う事ができなかったので、王子が回復しつつあった。その時、偽者の「お豊」に関する真実が明らかになりました。

In all including the young soldier, there was 8 man send to kill this beast but had failed and the beast escaped ! The Prince issued out an order to hunt down this vampire. A great hunt was organized through out the nation and eventually reports was soon received that this vampire was finally killed.

その若き新兵を含めて、８人揃って怪猫を殺しに捕まえようとしたが、逃がされました。王子が怪猫抹殺命令を全国に出した。結局、怪猫が抹殺されたという朗報が入ってきてよかったです。