D is for... Daidarabotchi

In Japanese folklore, supernatural monsters, spirits, and demons are called Yōkai.
Daidarabotchi is perhaps the biggest Yōkai of them all!

He is said to be so big that his giant footsteps formed the lakes and ponds that now cover Japan.
He is able to move whole mountains and place them wherever he wishes.
He is even thought to resemble a mountain range himself when he is sleeping.

The Great Forest Spirit.

In one legend Daidarabotchi decided to pick up both Mount Fuji and Mount Tsukuba in order to weigh them and see which was heavier. 
However, when putting Mount Tsukuba back down again he accidentally dropped it and spilt the mountain's peak - giving it its double peak for which it is now known.

Another tale says that Daidarabotchi lived on a hill near a post office in Hiratsu Ogushi. He ate lots and lots of giant clams from the local beach and piled the shells on top of a hill.

Daidarabotchi also appears in the animated movie 'Princess Mononoke' where he is known as The Great Forest Spirit.
In this movie he is tasked with protecting the forest and is also the God of life and death.

The Great Forest Spirit is also aided by little creatures called Kodama (木霊)
These Kodama also have a base in real Japanese folklore, but we will be visiting these little forest sprits in more detail later in the month.