The myths of old Japan
Japanese mythology is full of gods, spirits and strange creatures, and this word search gathers them. You'll be finding the sun goddess AMATERASU, the storm god SUSANOO, the moon god TSUKUYOMI, and the creator pair IZANAGI and IZANAMI who, the stories say, made the islands of Japan.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the legends change every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a longer-word challenge once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard.
Gods, spirits and yokai
The world of Japanese myth is alive with KAMI (gods and SPIRIT-s) and YOKAI (strange creatures), and the words are here. There's the thunder god RAIJIN and the wind god FUJIN, the rice god INARI and the dragon king RYUJIN, the goddess BENZAITEN and the fire god KAGUTSUCHI. Among the yokai you'll find the shape-shifting fox KITSUNE and raccoon-dog TANUKI, the long-nosed TENGU, the water-dwelling KAPPA and the fearsome ONI — all part of the SHINTO tradition, honoured at a TORII gate and a SHRINE.
A faith woven into everyday life
Many of these beings come from SHINTO, a religion still practised in Japan today, which teaches that KAMI — sacred spirits — live in everything: mountains, rivers, trees, even a single rice field. People honour them at a SHRINE, stepping through a red TORII gate that marks the boundary between the everyday and the sacred. The sun goddess AMATERASU is the most important of all; an old story tells how the world went dark when she hid in a cave, until the other gods coaxed her out and light returned.
The YOKAI — Japan's spirits and monsters — are where the myths get really fun. The fox KITSUNE and raccoon-dog TANUKI are clever shape-shifters; the river-dwelling KAPPA loves cucumbers and challenges people to contests; and the horned ONI is the classic ogre. These creatures are hugely popular far beyond Japan today, turning up everywhere from films to video games like Pokémon, which makes Japanese mythology a fascinating and very recognisable mythology topic.
Great for a mythology topic
It's a great fit for a mythology lesson — Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use Make Your Own to build a grid from your own Japanese myth words.
Frequently asked questions
What's in the Japanese mythology word search?
Gods, spirits and creatures of Japanese myth — Amaterasu, Susanoo, Tsukuyomi, Izanagi and Izanami, the gods Raijin, Fujin, Inari and Ryujin, and yokai like the kitsune, tanuki, tengu, kappa and oni. Each puzzle uses a fresh mix.
Which gods and yokai can you find?
Gods like AMATERASU, SUSANOO and TSUKUYOMI, the creators IZANAGI and IZANAMI, plus RAIJIN, FUJIN, INARI and RYUJIN, and yokai like the KITSUNE, TANUKI, TENGU, KAPPA and ONI — all part of the SHINTO tradition.
Is it good for a mythology topic?
Great fit for a mythology lesson. Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words.