SHUTEN DOJI

Lore

Shuten Doji, whose name literally means “little drunkard” or “young sake lover,” belongs to the roster of demons in Heian-period Japanese folklore. The nickname itself points to his signature vice—an insatiable craving for alcohol. According to legend, the demon plundered Kyoto, kidnapped noblewomen, and stashed his spoils in mountain caves until general Minamoto-no Yorimitsu (Raiko) was ordered to wipe him out.

Shuten Doji is portrayed as an oni of enormous size—around 50 feet tall—with scarlet or purplish skin and eyes swollen with blood-red fury. Some tales emphasize a chaotic anatomy with five horns and fifteen eyes. Ancient texts claim that as a young acolyte, he donned a ritual oni mask that fused to his face, transforming him into a demon.

His lair was Mount Oeyama, a fortified stronghold where he commanded an army of lesser oni. Shuten Doji possessed a sharp intellect and tactical mind, but his main drivers were hatred of humans and an overwhelming addiction to sake. Alcohol became part of his identity, and he could never refuse a drink, which eventually proved to be his undoing.