Some kanji don't belong to the everyday animal kingdom. They represent the dragons and phoenixes of mythology, the hawks and cranes of noble symbolism, and the demons and spirits that lurk in Japanese folklore.
These characters appear everywhere — in names, place names, proverbs, and pop culture. 竜 shows up in Sakamoto Ryoma, 鬼 in Demon Slayer (鬼滅の刃), and 虎 in the Hanshin Tigers. If you study Japanese without knowing these kanji, you'll miss a huge layer of cultural context.
This article covers 20 kanji related to legendary creatures, rare animals, and supernatural beings — bringing the animals series to a close.
Core Kanji Table
Legendary Beasts
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 龍 | リュウ (ryū) | たつ (tatsu) | dragon (traditional) | 龍神 (りゅうじん, dragon god), 恐龍 (きょうりゅう, dinosaur) | 龍が空を飛ぶ — the dragon flies through the sky |
| 竜 | リュウ (ryū) | たつ (tatsu) | dragon (simplified) | 竜巻 (たつまき, tornado), 恐竜 (きょうりゅう, dinosaur) | 竜巻が発生した — a tornado formed |
| 鳳 | ホウ (hō) | おおとり (ōtori) | phoenix | 鳳凰 (ほうおう, phoenix), 鳳来 (ほうらい, arrival of the phoenix) | 鳳凰は不死の鳥だ — the phoenix is an immortal bird |
| 虎 | コ (ko) | とら (tora) | tiger | 虎穴 (こけつ, tiger's den), 猛虎 (もうこ, fierce tiger) | 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず — nothing ventured, nothing gained |
| 獣 | ジュウ (jū) | けもの (kemono) | beast | 野獣 (やじゅう, wild beast), 怪獣 (かいじゅう, monster) | 怪獣が街を壊した — the monster destroyed the city |
Noble Birds & Fish
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鶴 | カク (kaku) | つる (tsuru) | crane | 千羽鶴 (せんばづる, 1000 paper cranes), 鶴亀 (つるかめ, crane and turtle) | 千羽鶴を折った — I folded a thousand paper cranes |
| 鷹 | オウ (ō) | たか (taka) | hawk | 鷹匠 (たかじょう, falconer), 一富士二鷹 (first dream proverb) | 鷹が獲物を狙う — the hawk eyes its prey |
| 鷲 | シュウ (shū) | わし (washi) | eagle | 白頭鷲 (はくとうわし, bald eagle), 大鷲 (おおわし, Steller's sea eagle) | 鷲が大空を舞う — the eagle soars through the sky |
| 鯉 | リ (ri) | こい (koi) | carp | 鯉のぼり (こいのぼり, carp streamer), 錦鯉 (にしきごい, koi fish) | 鯉のぼりが風に泳ぐ — the carp streamers swim in the wind |
| 鯛 | — | たい (tai) | sea bream | 鯛焼き (たいやき, fish-shaped cake), 真鯛 (まだい, red sea bream) | お祝いに鯛を食べる — eating sea bream for celebration |
Small Creatures
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 蛙 | ア (a) | かえる (kaeru) | frog | 蛙 (かえる, frog), 雨蛙 (あまがえる, tree frog) | 井の中の蛙 — a frog in a well (narrow-minded) |
| 貝 | バイ (bai) | かい (kai) | shellfish | 貝殻 (かいがら, seashell), 貝塚 (かいづか, shell mound) | 浜辺で貝を拾う — picking up shells on the beach |
| 鳩 | キュウ (kyū) | はと (hato) | pigeon, dove | 伝書鳩 (でんしょばと, carrier pigeon), 鳩時計 (はとどけい, cuckoo clock) | 公園で鳩に餌をやる — feeding pigeons in the park |
| 雀 | ジャク (jaku) | すずめ (suzume) | sparrow | 雀 (すずめ, sparrow), 孔雀 (くじゃく, peacock) | 雀が屋根に止まった — a sparrow landed on the roof |
| 蜂 | ホウ (hō) | はち (hachi) | bee, wasp | 蜂蜜 (はちみつ, honey), 蜂の巣 (はちのす, beehive) | 蜂に刺された — I got stung by a bee |
| 蟻 | ギ (gi) | あり (ari) | ant | 蟻 (あり, ant), 蟻地獄 (ありじごく, antlion) | 蟻が列を作って歩く — ants march in a line |
Supernatural
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鬼 | キ (ki) | おに (oni) | demon, ogre | 鬼ごっこ (おにごっこ, tag game), 鬼門 (きもん, demon gate) | 鬼は外、福は内 — demons out, fortune in |
| 魔 | マ (ma) | — | magic, evil | 魔法 (まほう, magic), 悪魔 (あくま, devil) | 魔法が使えたらいいな — if only I could use magic |
| 妖 | ヨウ (yō) | あや (aya) | bewitching, phantom | 妖怪 (ようかい, yōkai), 妖精 (ようせい, fairy) | 日本には妖怪伝説が多い — Japan has many yōkai legends |
| 獄 | ゴク (goku) | — | prison, hell | 地獄 (じごく, hell), 監獄 (かんごく, prison) | 地獄の沙汰も金次第 — even hell's judgments depend on money |
龍 vs 竜 — Old Form vs. Simplified
Both 龍 and 竜 are read りゅう and mean "dragon." They are the same character in two forms:
| Form | Classification | Common Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 龍 | Old form (旧字体) | Personal names (坂本龍馬), temple names, calligraphy, formal contexts |
| 竜 | New form (新字体) | Jōyō Kanji standard, everyday writing, scientific terms (恐竜) |
Key differences:
- Japan's official Jōyō Kanji List includes 竜, so that's what schools teach
- But 龍 still appears widely in personal and place names — the name-use kanji list includes both
- 竜巻 (tornado) always uses 竜; 龍神 (dragon god) conventionally uses 龍
- Chinese has only 龍 (traditional) and 龙 (simplified) — the form 竜 is unique to Japanese
The takeaway: both are correct in Japanese. Which one to use depends on context and convention.
鬼 in Japanese Culture — Not Your Typical "Ghost"
The Japanese 鬼 (おに) is fundamentally different from the Chinese concept of 鬼 (ghost/spirit):
| Japanese 鬼 (おに) | Chinese 鬼 | Western Demon | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Horned giant with red or blue skin, carrying a club | Formless ghost or departed soul | Winged, horned, often fiery |
| Nature | Physical brute-force monster | Spirit, usually invisible | Fallen angel, tempter |
| Closest equivalent | Ogre, troll | Ghost, specter | Demon, devil |
鬼 Across Japanese Culture
- Setsubun (節分): On February 3rd, Japanese people throw beans and shout 「鬼は外、福は内」(demons out, fortune in) to ward off evil
- Momotaro (桃太郎): Japan's most famous folk tale — a boy born from a peach travels to Onigashima (Demon Island) to defeat the oni
- Demon Slayer (鬼滅の刃): One of the biggest anime/manga franchises since 2019, with 鬼滅 literally meaning "demon slaying"
- Onigokko (鬼ごっこ): The Japanese children's game of tag — the "it" player is called 鬼
Connecting the supernatural kanji:
- 鬼 + 魔 → oni rely on brute strength, 魔 (demons) rely on magic
- 妖 → 妖怪 (yōkai) is the umbrella term for supernatural creatures in Japanese folklore
- 獄 → 地獄 (jigoku, hell) is where oni are said to dwell
Practice
Q1. What's the difference between 龍 and 竜? When do you use each?
Show answer
They have the same reading (りゅう) and meaning. 竜 is the new-form (新字体) character included in the Jōyō Kanji List, used in everyday writing and scientific terms (e.g., 恐竜, dinosaur). 龍 is the old-form (旧字体), commonly found in personal names (坂本龍馬), place names, and formal contexts.
Q2. How does the Japanese 鬼 differ from the Western concept of "demon"?
Show answer
In appearance and nature. A Japanese 鬼 (おに) is a horned, red or blue-skinned giant wielding a club — more like an ogre than a demon. Western demons are typically fallen angels or tempters with supernatural powers. The 鬼 is a physical brute; the Western demon is a spiritual corrupter.
Q3. What does 「井の中の蛙」 mean?
Show answer
A frog in a well — meaning narrow-minded or ignorant of the wider world. The full proverb is 「井の中の蛙大海を知らず」(いのなかのかわずたいかいをしらず) — "the frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean." This proverb exists in both Chinese and Japanese with the same meaning.
Q4. What is 鯉のぼり, and why does it involve carp?
Show answer
Carp streamers. On May 5th (Children's Day, 子供の日), Japanese families hang carp-shaped streamers outside their homes. This comes from the Chinese legend of carp leaping over the Dragon Gate (鯉魚躍龍門) — the hope is that children, like the carp, will persevere and succeed.
Q5. What's the difference between 怪獣, 悪魔, and 妖怪?
Show answer
- 怪獣 (かいじゅう): Giant monsters — think Godzilla
- 悪魔 (あくま): Devils/demons in the Western sense — supernatural evil beings
- 妖怪 (ようかい): Yōkai — creatures from Japanese folklore, such as kappa (河童), tengu (天狗), and zashiki-warashi (座敷わらし)
All three describe non-human frightening beings, but they come from different cultural traditions.
Summary
- 龍, 竜, 鳳, 虎, 獣 are the legendary beast kanji of Japanese — frequently found in names, places, and proverbs
- 鶴, 鷹, 鷲, 鯉, 鯛 represent culturally noble birds and fish, closely tied to auspicious symbolism
- 蛙, 貝, 鳩, 雀, 蜂, 蟻 are everyday small creatures, many of which appear in proverbs and idioms
- 鬼, 魔, 妖, 獄 form the core vocabulary of Japan's supernatural world — essential for understanding anime and folklore
- 龍 and 竜 are old and new forms of the same character, both actively used in modern Japanese
- The Japanese 鬼 (oni) is a horned brute-force monster — completely different from the Chinese ghost or Western demon
This wraps up the animals series. From everyday cats and dogs, to birds in the sky and fish in the sea, to the mythical dragons and supernatural oni — you now command the core kanji for living creatures in Japanese. Onward to new topics.