Someone asked me if there are werewolves in Japanese culture. My answer was posted in the site Quora and here is a copy that I tidied up. I mentioned that the Japanese werewolf is often portrayed as a benign spirit in folklore and legends of Japan. There are old tales of the Ookami (wolf) that guards fields, mountains and villages, and also protects the harvest.
People used to carry or wear wolf charms (made from wolf bones, fur and wolf teeth) called Shishiyoke to protect against evil. These paranormal wolf entities are believes to connect to the spirit or kami. Many places were named after them, such as the village Okamiiwa that means "wolf rock," and the village Okamitaira that means "wolf plateau." On the island of Honshu there are about 20 Shinto wolf shrines. There is the Okuriokami or "wolf escort" that follows someone walking through a dark forest alone until they reach safety.
People made offerings to these wolf spirits. The customs of Japanese people who live deep within the countryside hold beliefs in the ancient wolf spirits, the Ookami creatures. In the West, people fear werewolves and associated them with monsters and horror films, but there is a darker history behind it. While in Japan, supernatural wolf entities are treated with more positivity and respect.
She Wolf Night
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