Meet Japan’s mythical beast who appears in bolts of lightning
This article explores the Japanese folklore of the Raijū, a mythical beast said to appear during lightning storms. It details historical descriptions of the creature and how villagers once attempted to capture it after lightning strikes.
Why it matters
Understanding cultural folklore provides insight into how historical societies interpreted natural phenomena before modern scientific explanations.
Lightning strikes over Tokyo, Japan./Getty Images Lightning strikes over Tokyo, Japan./Getty Images Weatherwatch Japan Meet Japan’s mythical beast who appears in bolts of lightning Raijū is normally docile but gets agitated in storms and leaps up to run among the clouds, according to folklore
Prefer the Guardian on Google The Japanese raijū (thunder beast) is said to fall to Earth in a bolt of lightning. It is generally described as looking like a weasel, but is also compared to a cat, a wolf or a badger.
According to folklore the raijū is normally docile, but becomes agitated during storms and leaps up to run among the clouds. Trees struck by lightning are said to have been scratched by its claws.
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