Every Japanese Folklore & Yokai Shown in Doraemon Explained

 

Doraemon is often viewed as a lighthearted science-fiction anime about a robotic cat helping a struggling boy. However, beneath its futuristic gadgets and comedic tone lies a deep connection to traditional Japanese folklore. Across decades of manga chapters, television episodes (1979 and 2005 series), and theatrical films, Doraemon has repeatedly referenced, adapted, or structurally mirrored Japan’s most famous folktales and yokai traditions.

Rather than presenting folklore as distant myth, Doraemon modernizes it, embedding ancient storytelling patterns inside time travel, fantasy adventures, and childhood mischief.

This article explores every major Japanese folktale, yokai, and mythological concept that appears, directly or indirectly, within the Doraemon franchise.

1. Momotaro (The Peach Boy)

Momotaro is one of Japan’s most iconic folktales. A child born from a giant peach grows up to defeat oni (demons) on Onigashima Island with the help of a dog, monkey, and pheasant. The story emphasizes bravery, loyalty, and collective action.

Doraemon frequently mirrors the Momotaro structure: a reluctant hero (usually Nobita), supernatural assistance, demon-like antagonists, and a journey to a distant land to defeat evil. Rather than retelling the tale directly, Doraemon reinterprets its narrative framework in sci-fi contexts.

The symbolic battle against oni in Momotaro becomes a metaphor for Nobita overcoming fear and weakness.

Episodes & Films Referencing Momotaro:

• Boku, Momotaro no Nannoosa (1979 special short)

• The Peach Boy’s Adventure (various remake segments in 2005 series)

• Oni-island themed fantasy episodes throughout both anime versions

2. Urashima Taro (The Time-Displaced Fisherman)

Urashima Taro tells the story of a fisherman who rescues a turtle and is taken to the Dragon Palace beneath the sea. After spending what feels like a few days there, he returns home to discover centuries have passed. When he opens a forbidden box, he rapidly ages.

This tale is one of Japan’s earliest explorations of time displacement, a core mechanic in Doraemon’s storytelling.

Many Doraemon episodes involving time dilation, altered futures, or returning to a changed present echo Urashima Taro’s central tragedy: time is irreversible.

Doraemon softens the sorrow but preserves the philosophical theme.

Episodes & Films Referencing Urashima Taro:

• Urashima Candy (1979 series)

• Nobita and the Underwater Castle (structural parallels)

• Various ocean palace and time-slip episodes

3. Issun-boshi (The One-Inch Boy)

Issun-boshi is the tale of a tiny warrior, only one inch tall, who travels to the capital and proves his bravery despite his size.

This legend strongly parallels Doraemon’s recurring size-changing adventures. Whenever Nobita shrinks using gadgets or experiences the world from a miniature perspective, the narrative structure closely follows Issun-boshi’s underdog journey.

The folklore’s moral that courage is independent of physical strength is a recurring Doraemon theme.

Episodes Referencing Issun-boshi:

• Small Light episodes (multiple adaptations across 1979 and 2005)

• Nobita’s Micro Adventure-type segments

4. Kintaro (The Golden Boy of the Mountains)

Kintaro is a supernaturally strong child raised in the mountains who befriends animals and later becomes a legendary warrior.

Episodes where Nobita temporarily gains superhuman strength or bonds with forest animals reflect Kintaro’s mythic archetype.

Doraemon often parodies the “sudden hero” trope, directly mirroring Kintaro’s transformation from child to champion.

Episodes Referencing Kintaro:

• Kintaro Candy

• Mountain training and strength-enhancing gadget episodes

5. Oni (Japanese Demons)

Oni are horned demons that symbolize punishment, chaos, and moral consequence. They frequently appear in Japanese folktales as antagonists defeated by heroes like Momotaro.

Doraemon uses oni imagery repeatedly, both literally and metaphorically. Demon islands, horned creatures, and exaggerated “evil transformations” derive from oni folklore.

Oni often appear during fantasy adventures involving alternate worlds.

Episodes & Films Featuring Oni Themes:

• The Oni Robot

• Nobita’s Great Demon War (structural inspiration)

• Onigashima parody episodes

6. Kappa (River Yokai)

Kappa are water-dwelling yokai known for mischief, politeness rituals, and danger. They are associated with rivers and drowning myths.

Several Doraemon episodes involving strange aquatic creatures or river spirits echo kappa characteristics, especially in comedic contexts.

Episodes Referencing Kappa:

• River monster episodes (1979 series)

• Water adventure mini-arcs

• Underwater exploration-themed specials

7. Tengu (Mountain Spirits)

Tengu are long-nosed, red-faced spirits of the mountains associated with martial arts and pride.

Doraemon occasionally introduces mountain guardians or mystical flying beings resembling tengu iconography.

Episodes Referencing Tengu:

• Mountain training fantasy episodes

• Historical samurai time-travel arcs

8. Rokurokubi (Long-Necked Yokai)

Rokurokubi are women whose necks stretch unnaturally at night.

While rarely named directly, body-distortion gags and horror-themed episodes in Doraemon visually reference this yokai type.

Episodes Referencing Rokurokubi:

• Haunted house segments

• Night-time transformation episodes

9. Yūrei (Japanese Ghosts)

Yūrei are spirits bound by unresolved emotions. They are traditionally depicted wearing white burial robes with long black hair.

Doraemon’s ghost episodes closely follow classical yūrei imagery, especially during Obon-themed stories.

Episodes Featuring Yūrei Themes:

• Yūrei no Himono

• Haunted mansion episodes

• Obon festival specials

10. Tsukumogami (Possessed Objects)

Tsukumogami are household objects that gain spirits after 100 years.

This concept is foundational to Doraemon itself, a robotic object with personality and agency.

Episodes where gadgets gain autonomy directly mirror tsukumogami beliefs.

Episodes Referencing the Tsukumogami Concept:

• Gadget rebellion episodes

• Sentient tool storylines

11. Tanuki & Mujina (Shapeshifting Tricksters)

Tanuki (raccoon dogs) and mujina (badgers) are shapeshifters known for illusions and pranks.

Many Doraemon disguise and transformation episodes reflect this folklore structure.

Episodes Referencing Tanuki/Mujina:

• Transformation gadget arcs

• Identity-switch episodes

12. Yama-uba (Mountain Witch)

Yama-uba is a mountain crone appearing in remote wilderness folklore.

Doraemon occasionally depicts mysterious old women in isolated settings that mirror this archetype.

Episodes Referencing Yama-uba:

• Forest survival episodes

• Mountain folklore adaptations

13. Shinto Cosmology & Kami Influence

Though rarely explicit, Doraemon references sacred trees, spiritual balance, ancestral reverence, and seasonal festivals all rooted in Shinto belief.

Obon, Tanabata, and New Year spirit imagery appear repeatedly.

Episodes Reflecting Shinto Themes:

• Obon ghost episodes

• Tanabata festival stories

• Ancestral visitation episodes

Conclusion: Doraemon as Modern Folklore

Doraemon does not simply reference Japanese folklore; it preserves and modernizes it. By embedding ancient myths into sci-fi storytelling, it ensures that Momotaro, Urashima Taro, oni, kappa, and yūrei remain culturally alive for new generations.

Rather than separating myth from modernity, Doraemon fuses them.

In doing so, it becomes something remarkable: not just an anime, but a living continuation of Japanese storytelling tradition.