Kids Web Japan

Horns: Usually two, one on each side of the head

Mouth: Large fangs

Skin: Either red- or blue-skinned

Face: Very scary-looking

Body: Wears tiger-skin loincloths

Strength: Very powerful

Possessions: Holds a large iron club

About oni

In Japan, the northeasterly direction has traditionally been called kimon, literally "the gate through which the oni passes," and so it was feared as the dwelling place of demonic spirits. Before modern times, the term for the northeast was ushitora, ushi meaning ox and tora meaning tiger. It was partly for this reason that oni have come to be depicted with horns on their foreheads, just like an ox, and wearing loincloths made of tiger skin.

Gentle on the inside

Oni are thought to be very powerful and fearsome ogres that can snatch people away from their families. But they sometimes use their strength to help people in need. They may look tough and mean, but they can also have a gentle heart. In a way, this makes them very human. Their terrifying appearance is actually used to protect people from evil.

Invisible power

Long, long ago, when most people in Japan lived in mountain or seaside villages, nature was a very powerful presence. Storms or other natural disasters could be very deadly. People lived in fear of these powerful forces of nature and other harmful events that could not be seen, which they regarded as being oni. There is a mention of oni in one of Japan's oldest history books, Nihon Shoki, which was written more than 1,200 years ago.