Mujina
Shapeshifting yōkai that deceives humans and inflates its belly.
The term *mujina* is an old Japanese word that mostly points to the Japanese badger, but it has also traditionally been used for the Japanese raccoon dog, or *tanuki*, which creates a lot of confusion. To make things even more tangled, it can also refer to the introduced masked palm civet, and in some areas, badger-like animals or the Japanese raccoon dog are called *mami*.
In terms of appearance, the mujina’s natural form is said to have a raccoon-like face on a Japanese badger’s body. In parts of Japan, people mistakenly call it a *tanuki*, even though the two look and act similarly—despite the *tanuki* being biologically closer to foxes and dogs. The mujina is known for inflating its belly to drum on it and sing, and some tales describe it inflating its scrotum to cover “eight mats,” the size of a room. It can also create a ghost-fire called *tanuki-bi*, like a will-o’-the-wisp, which, according to beliefs in the Osaka-Kishû district, appears on rainy nights.
When it comes to shapeshifting, the mujina can turn into almost anything. It might appear as a one-eyed hag, a tax-collecting official, or, most often, a female form to seduce men. A favorite disguise is that of a black-garbed Buddhist priest, called *tanuki-bôzu*, which usually lives under a Buddhist temple and carries an upside-down lotus leaf on its head. It can also become comets, fence posts, stones, or trees. These transformations feel supernatural, and it’s said a “true hero” can always spot a mujina, while a gullible person pays for their naivety. A shapeshifted mujina gives off a faint glow, like a *kitsune*, and another clue is dry outerwear in the rain—though that method doesn’t always work. If the badger falls asleep, its disguise can partly or fully fall apart.
As a yōkai, the mujina is a well-known trickster that enjoys harmless pranks, often to test its shapeshifting limits and ability to mimic behavior. In one story, “The Badger’s Trick,” a man stops at a lone hut on a trip, only to realize it’s a mujina disguised as a house. But there are also tales where the badger itself is outwitted, sometimes fatally. Despite its chaotic nature, the mujina is believed to have a gentle heart and a sense of gratitude. One story tells of Mr. Kitabayashi and his family, who feed a badger family; later, when burglars threaten them, the adult badgers return as giant wrestlers to scare the intruders.
- Field
- Japanese folklore
- Nationality
- Japanese
- Known for
- Shapeshifting yōkai, trickster, confusion with tanuki and badger
Lore & Background
The mujina is said to be a raccoon-faced creature in its natural form, with the main body being that of a Japanese badger. In some parts of Japan, they are incorrectly referred to as the tanuki, to whom they are closely related in appearance and actions. Mujina are known to be able to inflate their bellies, creating music by drumming on it while singing, and some tales describe them inflating their scrotum to cover 'eight mats.' They also create a 'ghost-fire' called tanuki-bi, resembling will-o'-the-wisps, which according to beliefs in the Osaka-Kishû district appear on rainy nights.
In transformation, mujina can turn into endless forms, including a one-eyed hag, a tax-collecting government official, or a black-garbed Buddhist priest (tanuki-bôzu). They often take female form to seduce men. Their transformations give off a slight luminescence, like the kitsune, and a 'true hero' can always tell them apart. The earliest known reference to mujina shapeshifting is in the *Nihon Ryōiki*, not the *Nihon Shoki*. A famous story from Lafcadio Hearn's 1904 essay 'Mujina' describes a faceless mujina encountered in Japan, not Hawaii—this tale is fictional and has no basis in real history or canon.
Reader's Guide
The mujina holds significance in Japanese folklore as a shapeshifting yōkai that blurs the line between animal and spirit, and between species (badger vs. raccoon dog). This confusion has real-world legal consequences, as seen in a 1924 Tochigi Prefecture case where a hunter killed a raccoon dog believing it was a mujina, not a protected tanuki, leading to a Supreme Court ruling. The mujina also appears in Lafcadio Hearn's kaidan collection 'Kwaidan' in the story 'Mujina,' about a faceless ghost (noppera-bō). In Hawaii, sightings of a faceless mujina were reported in 1959 at the Waialae Drive-In Theatre, with the witness reportedly suffering a nervous breakdown. Folklorist Glen Grant documented multiple sightings across Hawaii, from ‘Ewa Beach to Hilo. The term 'mujina' also refers to an onsen facility in Nasu, Tochigi, Japan, and to Hearn's short story. The mujina's legacy endures as a symbol of trickery, gratitude, and the cultural confusion between badgers and raccoon dogs.
Did You Know?
- The mujina is first mentioned in the Nihon Shoki in 627, where it turns into humans and sings songs.
- In some regions, badger-like animals or Japanese raccoon dogs are also called mami.
- A 1924 Japanese Supreme Court case involved a hunter who killed a raccoon dog, confused by the terms mujina and tanuki.
- A 1959 sighting of a faceless mujina at the Waialae Drive-In Theatre in Hawaii reportedly caused the witness to have a nervous breakdown.
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