Oni 鬼

Oni an ogre.
The most commonly found image of Oni is a human like figure with a horned head and an ugly red face. A loincloth of a tiger’s skin covers its naked body. The Oni are rather familiar beings in the life of Japanese people, and often appear in folktales, legends, and proverbs as a symbol of evil with violent and cruel natures and of Herculean strength.
Parents often tell children that if they misbehave, Oni will come and eat them. On the day of Setsubun (a time-honored Buddhist festival of bean throwing held on February 2 or 3), people drive away the oni from the household by throwing roasted beans at them. These beans have been used as a charm against demons since ancient times.
In Akita Prefecture, young men dressed as Oni go from house to house, scolding lazy children who do not do their best in their work. In Aichi Prefecture, there is an annual event called Oni-matsuri (the Ogre Festival) to drive away evil spirits and pray for abundant farm crops in the coming year.