Yofune-Nushi
Japanese Sea Serpent
Yofune-Nushi is a dragon-like creature from Japanese mythology.
According to the tale, Yofune-Nushi was a huge sea serpent. It lived in a cave in the sea, near to the coast of the Oki Islands (Oki-shotto).
Yofune-Nushi had the power to cause storms to rise, making the seas unsafe for the fishing boats on which the Oki Island archipelago depended.
Yofune-Nushi craved female human flesh and demanded that every year - on the thirteenth of June - a maiden be sacrificed to it. If this was not done, Yofune-Nushi would call a huge storm that would sink the entire fishing fleet.
So the inhabitants of Oki Island sacrificed one of their young maidens every year, until a brave young lady called Tokoyo intervened.
Tokoyo volunteered to take the place of that year's sacrificial victim. When the Yofune-Nusho approached she stood tall. When it attempted to eat her, she drew out a hidden knife and slashed its eyes. As it roared and thrashed about in blind pain she was able to slit its throat and kill the creature.