Yasha.

Yasha (夜叉) do not have one fixed form. In Japanese understanding they often lean toward the fierce end of the spectrum, appearing as ogre-like beings with glaring eyes, strong limbs, and guardian intensity. Yet the wider yaksha tradition reminds us that they are not only destroyers. They can also be noble attendants and protectors, especially when placed within a Buddhist cosmological order.

Yasha interact with humans and the sacred world in two opposite ways. In one register they haunt wilderness, threaten travelers, or embody dangerous appetite. In another, they stand within the retinues of Buddhist guardians such as Vaiśravaṇa and protect temples, teachings, or holy persons. That duality is central to their meaning. A yasha is frightening not simply because it is evil, but because it channels a wild power that can either devour or defend.

The figure comes from the broader Indian yaksha tradition and enters Japan through Buddhist transmission. Along the way the term acquires East Asian visual and moral tones, and the Japanese reading yasha often sounds harsher than the full range of Sanskrit originals. In Buddhist texts and stories, some yakshas oppose the Buddha or terrorize humans until they are converted; others already serve protective roles. Japanese demonology inherits both possibilities.