Japanese monsters can stomp Tokyo like Godzilla or terrify you in your dreams like Sadako/Samara from The Ring. Then there are Yōkai, the not-so-competent spirits that can be merely annoying or even bring good luck if you treat them right. There’s the child who gives you tofu (that he licked), the monster who gives you a haircut (shown above), and the hydration badgers. Really.
The Mujina are shapeshifting badgers that can change form to look like humans. They’re known for jumping out at unsuspecting travelers at roadsides and commanding them to “Drink water, drink tea.” This is legitimately good advice for staying hydrated and it’s the same thing your decidedly non-supernatural doctor will tell you before charging you an outrageous copay.
Read all about eight of these Yōkai that sound like stories made up by a six-year-old, at Tokyo Desu. -via Metafilter