Kids Web Japan

“Mountain spirit”

Habitat: Deep in the mountains

Features: Red face and long nose; carries a cane in one hand, a fan made of feathers in the other

Footwear: Single-toothed geta sandals

Special powers: Can fly

About tengu

Tengu (long-nosed goblins) are spirits that live deep in the mountains. Over the years they have become associated with religious ascetics called yamabushi, who also spend most of their time in the mountains and undergo rigorous training there, standing under waterfalls and walking on burning fields. They do this because this is believed to give them mystical, supernatural powers. Tengu are usually depicted as wearing a cap and sash with pom-poms, which the yamabushi also wear. Yamabushi are followers of a teaching called shugendo (strict training), which developed in Japan more than 1,000 years ago.