It is described to be a being with an extremely contrary nature: If they were ordered something, they would do the opposite. It is thought to be able to provoke a person's darkest desires and thus instigates them into perpetrating wicked deeds.[2] It is usually depicted as a kind of smalloni.
One of theamanojaku's best known appearances is in thefairytaleUriko-hime (瓜子姫; "melon princess"),[2] in which a girl miraculously born from amelon is doted upon by an elderly couple. They shelter her from the outside world, and she naively lets theamanojaku inside one day, where it kidnaps or devours her, and sometimes impersonates her by wearing herflayed skin.[2]
Theamanojaku is commonly held to be derived fromAmanosagume (天探女),[2] a wickeddeity inShintō mythology, which shares theamanojaku's contrary nature and ability to see into a person'sheart, "a very perverted demon".
The creature has also enteredBuddhist thought, where it is considered an opponent ofBuddhist teachings,[2] perhaps viasyncretism with theyaksha. It is commonly depicted as being trampled on and subdued intorighteousness byBishamonten or one of the otherShitennō. In this context, it is also called ajaki (邪鬼).
In the animeGhost Stories, an amanojaku is accidentally sealed inside the protagonist's pet cat in the first episode. It becomes part of the main cast for the rest of the series.
In the spin-offZUN made for a Comic-con in Japan,Gold Rush, Seija Kijin is also the protagonist. However, ZUN never released the game to the public.
In the gameShin Megami Tensei, an amanojaku kills and eats the protagonist's mother and impersonates her.
There is a Tokyo-based taiko group called "Taiko Shūdan Amanojaku".
In the movie "Ten Nights of Dreams" based on Natsume Soseki's novel, there is an Amanojaku that provokes the woman in the Fifth Night.
In the musical series "The Story of the Kitsune and the Demon"/"狐と鬼の話" (commonly referred to as "The Onibi series") by Japanese music producer - MASA Works DESIGN- there is a character named Shikyou (死凶) who is an Amanojaku that serves as the series antagonist.
In the animeDororo the main characters encounter the Amanojaku in episode 14 of the1969 series and episode 19 of the2019 series.
In the book series "Shadow of the Fox" by Julie Kagawa, amanjaku are tiny demons fighting against the main protagonists.
In Kamen Rider Saber web-movie Kamen Rider Saber Spin-off: Kamen Rider Sabela & Kamen Rider Durendal, the main antagonist Rui Mitarai assume a Megid form called Amanojaku Megid, which is based on Amanojaku itself.
In the movieMy_Oni_Girl the Japanese title is translated as "I like it but I don't like it Amanojaku"
In theYu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, there is a Trap Card called "Amanojaku's Curse" (known as Reverse Trap in international markets). It has the effect of swapping ATK/DEF gains on monsters, in reference to the Amanojaku's contradictory nature.
