tengu 天狗

The typical tengu (“sky dog”) can fly, has a human form, is a master of martial arts and is distinguished from other mythical creatures by its red face and long red nose. There are also the karasu-tengu (“crow tengu”), which have a beak, feathers and wings. The shape of the tengu is sometimes associated with the long-nosed Europeans who came to Japan in the 16th century – but the strikingly phallic nose also played a role as sexual symbolism in the Edo period (1603-1868).