4. Oni (Ogre)

     Depictions of oni vary widely but usually portray them as hideous, gigantic ogre-like creatures with sharp claws, wild hair, and two long horns growing from their heads. They are humanoid 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 loincloths and carrying iron clubs.

Oni are a key part of the Japanese holiday known as setsubun. This festival marks the start of spring, and the new year in the old lunar calendar. People in ogre masks are ritually driven away, symbolically warding off misfortune and evil for the coming year. Long ago oni could be repelled by the stench of burning sardines and other methods, but today it is most popular to toss soybeans (which oni are said to hate) and shout "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" ("Out with demons! In with happiness!").