Halloween gaming: Silent Hill f’s monsters and their connections to Japanese folklore, explained

Silent Hill f is rich in Japanese folkloric imagery, if you know where to look.

Set in 1960s Japan, Silent Hill f reimagines the franchise’s signature psychological horror through the lens of folklore, myth, and societal trauma. Each creature that haunts Hinako’s world carries with it more than just physical terror–it also embodies centuries-old fears, gendered violence, and cultural superstition. 

The monsters of Silent Hill f act as twisted reflections of human suffering: fears of womanhood, motherhood, and identity, reinterpreted through the game’s grotesque beauty. Below is a closer look at how these entities connect to what could be possible folkloric and spiritual origins, and the symbolic meanings they carry within Hinako’s descent into insanity.

Warning: major spoilers ahead!

General enemies and boss monsters:

These monsters can be encountered as you explore Ebisugaoka and the Dark Shrine, with some as boss fights:

Ayakakashi 

The ayakakashi in-game (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

Inspired from the ayakashi in Japanese folklore–these are demonic, vengeful entities associated with lights, mists, or drowning victims luring unsuspecting humans to a watery demise. The Ayakakashi is compounded with the term kakashi (scarecrow), which hints at the monster’s appearance: what once was human but is now a lifeless, manipulated form. They can also be found inhabiting the rice paddies surrounding Ebisugaoka. 

Its mask, which is reminiscent of traditional Onna-men (woman) noh masks, may also point towards the yokai Namanari Hannya, who are depicted as being neutral in terms of good and evil. 

Hinako did encounter ayakakashi who weren’t malevolent towards her, and would even point her towards her objective, as if to guide her. 

Irohihi

The irohihi attacking Hinako (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

A monster whose name is a portmanteau of iro and Hihi. The Hihi is a baboon-like creature in Japanese folklore, whose name comes from the sound of its laugh. The creature feeds on wild animals and humans, and particularly likes to capture human women. 

Hihi is also used as a derogatory term for “a dirty old man” or “pervert”. Iro on the other hand, is used to describe something having a particular personality or appearance. The Irohihi obviously alludes to the perversions of men against women, and the misogynistic ideology of demanding sexual subservience from women. 

Unnamed birthing monster

The grotesque birthing monster (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

The horrific birthing monster is illustrated as a strange monster covered in swollen cysts, which birth cocoons that hatch other monsters. It is not exactly tied to a specific Japanese folkloric creature. This could actually be a bit of a stretch–but the unnamed birthing monster may be an amalgamation of these specific yokai:

• Ubume–the vengeful ghost of a woman who died in childbirth who wails loudly, begging unsuspecting humans to hold her infant, which will turn into stone or leaves and curse them.
• Sankai–a general term for yokai born from women.

Or it could also allude to the kami Izanami no Mikoto, who birthed the islands of Japan, its numerous nature deities, and from her rotting corpse eight vengeful thunder deities. 

The monster symbolises Hinako’s fear of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. 

Ara Abare

The monstrous ara abare (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

Although not exactly tied to Japanese mythology, the Ara Abare uses a play on words: Ara, which is an exclamation signifying surprise, concern, or playful acknowledgement, while Abare means “to rage”, “to rampage”, or  “to be wild”. 

Abare is often associated with the Japanese god Susanoo-no-Mikoto, who is a wild and impetuous god associated with the sea and storms. Susanoo is also canonically male, and was born from the corpse of Izanami. 

The monster is likely a representation of male-committed violence and gender-based anger–particularly seen in Hinako’s father as he physically abused her mother. 

Drum Monster

The Drum Monster stalking Hinako (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

This monster, which features a number of taiko drums across its body, and bachi drumstick-like arms, may allude to the kami Raijin, the Thunder God of Shinto religion and the twin brother to Susanoo-no-Mikoto. 

Raijin is typically depicted with a fierce and aggressive face, standing atop a cloud and beating taiko drums to create the sound of thunder. Raijin was born from Izanami’s rotted corpse in the underworld, and was sent to chase after Izanagi-no-Mikoto as he fled from Yomi. 

The Drum Monster, similar to Ara Abare, may signify male-committed domestic violence, particularly the verbal abuse that Hinako’s father inflicted upon her, as opposed to Ara Abare’s physical abuse. 

Harai Katashiro

The Harai Kitashiro’s design (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

These sword-legged, demonic mannequin enemies feature faces similar to the traditional okame, a mask used in Noh theatre to depict a cheerful, round-faced woman often called Otafuku. 

The Otafuku is generally paired as a wife to the Hyottoko mask, and as a couple are said to bring happiness to families. Silent Hill f takes this meaning and spins it around into a more malevolent direction. Although the Otafuku generally mean “much good fortune”, its depiction in Silent Hill f is anything but. 

The Harai Katashiro may take inspiration from these specific yokai:

• Hinnagami–which are malevolent doll gods that provide good fortune to its owners at a steep price.
• Kama Itachi–weasel-like mischievous yokai with sickles for arms and legs.

Its name also alludes to the Katashiro, which are a form of yorishiro (an object or person that serves as a vessel for a spirit or a god), paper or straw dolls made to substitute for someone or something.

Meanwhile, the Harai may point towards a Shinto purification ritual, where an individual is cleansed from “pollution” and “uncleanness” before being allowed to approach a sacred power. 

The Harai Katashiro may allude to Hinako’s mother, Kimie, who despite being seen as an inactive victim by Hinako, actually attempted to “purify” herself of her “guilt”  regarding her husband, Kanta, and his abuse with secretive violent acts of her own. 

Kashimashi

Hinako encounters the Kashimashi (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

Similar to the unnamed birthing monster, the Kashimashi don’t particularly call back to specific Japanese yokai. Although its distorted appearance, particularly the slit across its mouth, is reminiscent of the vengeful spirit kuchisake onna, which is a creature of urban legend that is of a woman with a slit mouth and an unsettling smile. The kuchisake onna are classified as yurei–victims, commonly women, who cannot move on to the afterlife due to a violent or sudden death. 

Its name, kashimashi, is derived from the Japanese proverb “onna sannin yoreba kashimashii”, which means “when three women gather, it is noisy”. The existence of this monster seems to be deeply inspired by the negative outcome of societal burden, and expectation on women and girls. 

Unnamed multiple-headed monster

The monster with many heads (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

The multiple-headed monster does not specifically have any direct references to Japanese mythology, but it may allude to the eight-headed malevolent serpent monster Yamato no Orochi, who stood as the greatest enemy of the Shinto gods. 

The Orochi is known for its malice, something that the unnamed monster also embodies in its encounter with Hinako. In the game, it seems like this monster symbolised the scorn and anger Hinako received from the adults around her. The heads are unfamiliar to her, but the words they spout against her does hit close to home. 

Kamugara

The faceless Kamugara (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

Another ambiguous monster, characterised by a faceless humanoid bound in chains, the Kamugara doesn’t exactly have one specific reference to Japanese folklore. 

The closest counterparts one could think of are the Nopperabo, which are faceless, humanoid yokai who appear in the dark to scare its victims; or maybe the lesser known Nuppeppo (or Nuppefuho), which are bizarre and creepy yokai found in ruined temples (like the Dark Shrine), overgrown graveyards, or other abandoned areas. The Nuppeppo are humanoid-looking chunks of rotting flesh with vague facial features, with a nauseating smell of decay. 

Its name, “Kamugara”, may mean “chewed body”, as the kamu in hiragana may mean “chew”, while gara may either be used to describe a body type, or used to describe decay. It likely signifies the pressure that men feel in a gendered society; that although they benefit the most from this arrangement, they also suffer at the hands of expectation, and lose their sense of self at the end of it all. 

Oi-Omoi 

The Oi-Omoi and its many Hina heads (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

This creature features many traditional Hina dolls combined into one grotesque body. Again, the folkloric influences for this monster may be too vague to signify a particular yokai, and instead delves into a more psychological, symbolic meaning. 

The Hina dolls are traditionally displayed during Hinamatsuri, or “Girls Day” in Japan, to symbolise the health, happiness, and prosperity of young girls. These dolls are considered family heirlooms that can even span generations. 

Its name, “Oi-Omoi” takes from these words: “Oi” which is a casual interjection to get someone’s attention (a “Hey” in English), while “Omoi” can either mean “heavy” or “weighty”. Thus this monster may mean: the oppressive, burdensome weight of generational trauma. 

Character-based monsters

These monsters are derived from existing characters in the game:

The Sakuko-like Entity

The Sakuko-like Entity preparing to fight (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

The monster Hinako encounters in the Dark Shrine, which bears the semblance of her friend Sakuko Igarashi, is a malevolent priestess characterised by a dirtied, rotted appearance, and perpetually shut eyes. 

The Sakuko-like Entity is deeply embroiled in Japanese Buddhism and Shamanistic imagery: 

• The Sun Halo which crowns its head can often be seen adorning Shinto deities as a symbol of divine protection and good fortune–something that also aligns with Sakuko’s family lineage of running Ebisugaoka’s Sennensugi Shrine. 
• The Shrine Maiden dress directly conforms to Sakuko being a miko,  as she was the daughter of a Shrine Priest, and would help around at her family’s shrine.
• The Sakuko-like Entity’s shut eyes may point towards the Itako, which are traditionally blind female shamans who act as mediums to communicate with the dead. 
• The Entity’s weapons are aligned with the Tsukumogami faith, which Sakuko’s family practiced before abandoning it to worship Inari Okami, the god of foxes and fertility. The Tsukumogami essentially are a class of yokai where inanimate objects develop souls after 100 years. The Entity wields a kusurigama–a sickle attached to a chain, and a kanabo, a two-handed war club with mythical subtext. The two weapons are connected through the chain of the kusurigama.
  • It is important to note that Sakuko was a fervent believer and worshipper of Inari Okami, so having her monster wield these weapons is a signifier of her family’s original faith. 

The chest cavity found in the Entity, which may seem like a keyhole, is actually shaped like a Vajra, which is a ritual object associated with Hinduism and Buddhism, representing a thunderbolt and a diamond. The Vajra directly ties to the reason why Sakuko’s family abandoned their original faith: when a lightning bolt struck the sacred tree (goshintai) that served as the original receiver of their faith. 

The Rinko-like Entity

The Rinko-like Entity is perpetually on fire (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

Similar to the Sakuko-like Entity, the Rinko-like Entity takes the form of her friend and rival, Rinko Nishida. As if to pair with the Sakuko-like Entity, this monster takes on the form of a Shrine Priest, although it glows with the heat of fire–the effect of Hinako’s choice letting her fall into magma that causes her death. 

Although Rinko does not have any spiritual ties to the Sennensugi-like Sakuko, her appearance as a Shrine Priest may allude to Hinako’s perception of Rinko as “the perfect girl”, despite how ridiculous it may seem to players.

A Shrine Priest, or a kannushi, is primarily a member of the clergy in Shintoism. A kannushi’s primary duties are maintaining a shrine, leading worship and ceremonies, and ensuring the proper relationship between deities and their worshippers. Kannushi were also believed to be able to work as a medium for a deity because of his practice of purificatory rites. 

Rinko’s sensibilities may closely resemble a kannushi, as she takes relationships and womanhood seriously and almost by-the-book, leading to the conclusion that Rinko embodies the very idea of internalised misogyny. The weapon the Rinko-like Entity wields, a bastardised gohei (Shinto ritual wand) with blazing chains instead of cloth or paper streamers, which are originally used to bless or sanctify a person, an object, or a place, is instead used to “cleanse” Hinako of her “un-feminine” wiles. 

Even the concept of fire itself leads towards the idea of “purification” and “cleanliness”, as fire is used in various traditional ceremonies to “burn away” the impurities, and invoke good fortune and spiritual well-being. However to Rinko, appearing as a kannushi may be more closely tied to her jealousy of Hinako, who acted boyish and yet still received the love of Shu, therefore projecting her desire to be “like Hinako” in a sense. 

The fire that consumes the monster is an embodiment of her envy and resentment towards Hinako, who was so unlike what she was taught to be, and yet still took away what she held close. 

The Father and The Mother

Hinako faces against her parents (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

Hinako’s parents turn into monsters at some point in the game, and players will need to face off against them in a particularly difficult boss fight. 

Her parents, Kanto and Kimie, are transmogrified into horrifying monstrous versions of themselves, with Kanto particularly taking on a similar appearance to the Ara Abare–massive and lumbering while spewing verbal abuse towards Hinako. 

The Mother monster on the other hand, seems to not take from any specific folkloric creature as opposed to the Father monster, and instead relies on heavy psychological subtext. She retains her humanoid appearance, although her eyes and parts of her body are littered with red spider lilies, and her back is grotesquely torn open to reveal the lack of a spine. These design factors are very on-the-nose, as Hinako has always seen her mother as spineless towards her father’s abuse, seemingly blind to his transgressions towards mother and daughter.

The Kitsune

Kotoyuki rescuing Hinako (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

The Kitsune, or “fox demon”, plays a major role in Silent Hill f as both the propagator and one of the “resolutions” to Hinako’s suffering. The main antagonist to the game, Kotoyuki Tsuneki, who dons a fox mask and acts as a sort of protector to Hinako in the Dark Shrine, comes from a family that is cursed by a nine-tailed fox spirit (or a Kyuubi), which compels him to take Hinako as his bride. 

The kyuubi comes from Chinese mythology, and are characterised as mischievous tricksters with the ability to shapeshift into beautiful men or women. This type of kitsune is known to be the most powerful and the most ancient, with some legends alluding it to divinity. 

The kitsune have long been associated with mental illnesses in early Japanese history, specifically during the Edo period, as being “possessed” (kitsunetsuki) by one could result in a loss of sanity–something that Hinako undergoes as the game progresses. 

Shiromuku

The faceless bride (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

A large monster characterised by its bride-like appearance, it is one of the major antagonists in the game, and symbolises what could be Hinako’s future if she were to resign herself to societal tradition. 

The Shiromuku dons the traditional shiro-muku, an all-white bridal kimono ensemble that symbolises purity, and is worn during the main Shinto wedding ceremony. The bride dons this colourless dress to signify a willingness to be “dyed” by her husband’s colours, who traditionally wear either an all-black montsuki haori hakama, or a a more colourful iromontsuki haori hakama. Although a signifier for a joyous matrimony in a traditional sense, Silent Hill f transforms the shiro-muku into something tragic and monstrous. 

The Shiromuku also appears to Hinako devoid of a face, which symbolises the loss of a woman’s individual identity after marriage–something that Hinako is afraid of. Its arms are that of a fox demon’s, which ties it with the kyuubi.

In Japanese folklore, the closest yokai that can be attributed to the Shiromuku is the Ohaguru bettari, a yokai wearing the traditional shiro-muku with no face and only a gaping mouth filled with blackened teeth; the ohaguru bettari is also associated with the nopperabo.

The presence of Higanbana (Red Spider Lilies)

Hinako surrounded by Higanbana (Image: Konami Digital Entertainment).

These flowers can be seen throughout Ebisugaoka. They are also blooming on the monsters that haunt Hinako. 

Typically seen growing near cemeteries around the time of autumnal equinox, the Higanbana are typically related to the manjushake, which in Japanese buddhism are known as ominous flowers. The Higanbana are said to bloom alongside the banks of the Sanzu river, a mythological river that separates the mortal realm and the afterlife. 

Meanwhile, Chinese sensibilities regard the Higanbana as an auspicious symbol representing beauty. As such, the Higanbana in-game likely symbolises twisted, otherworldly beauty.