Happy Monsters

Spring is coming! Allegedly! Because in Calgary snow can happen as late as May or even later. These happy monsters are enjoying some cherry blossom viewing and a delicious picnic lunch. Each creature is a figure from Japanese folklore. 

And here is the annotated version:

White circles: 

1 Kasa-obake: One-eyed, one-legged umbrella spirit

2 Chochinobake: One-eyed, tongue-protruding lantern spirit

3 Hitotsume-kozo: One-eyed bald boy

4 Tanuki: Shape-shifting raccoon dog that enjoys sake

5 Kappa: Reptilian water spirit with monk's tonsure that loves cucumbers

6 Rokurokubi: Humanoid spirit with a stretchy, serpentine neck

7 Oni: Hairy, ogre-like demon with horns, often in tiger-skin loincloth

8 Bunbuku Chagama: A tanuki that shape-shifts into a tea kettle to help a poor man

Brown circles:

1 Mikan: Little easy-to-peel Japanese oranges

2 Kibi dango: Dumplings made from rice flour

3 Onigiri: Rice balls

4 Kappamaki: Cucumber sushi. Named for the Kappa's love of them.

5 Inarizushi: Pouch of fried tofu filled with vinegared rice 

6 Anpan: Bread filled with sweet red bean paste

7 Onigiri II: Differently shaped!

8 Strawberry: Sweet treat for after lunch

Sketch!

Thumbnail!

Bonus: Some adorable stickers I found in a Japanese bookstore in Seattle featuring some of the same folklore critters:

-- Julia

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