Hybrids in Japanese mythology are quite majestic beasts with a heavy influence of Shintoism, Buddhism and other Japanese religions. A very visible commonality can also be seen among Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Malaysian hybrids with many of them cutting across cultures due to the close relationship between these countries in ancient times.

There are many such creatures that have come to Japanese culture due to the popularity of the Silk route for trade and merchants brought over cultural references from China. The hybrids can be either a mix of multiple animals or a mix of human and animal. All these hybrids have special abilities or have been entrusted with specific roles in the cosmology.