Comment by schaefer
6 years ago
Another counter-example to the claim that "there are few/no myths of dangerous (Japanese) creatures:
"Kappa have been used to warn children of the dangers lurking in rivers and lakes, as kappa have been often said to try to lure people to water and pull them in. Even today, signs warning about kappa appear by bodies of water in some Japanese towns and villages."
That still fits with the general theme though: myths are designed to warn children about danger - in this case, drowning.