Enma

nihongo|"Enma"|閻魔| is the Japanese name for Yama, the ruler of the underworld in Buddhist mythology. He is often referred to as nihongo|"Great King Enma"|閻魔大王|Enma-daiō. In both ancient and modern times, Enma is portrayed as a large man with a scowling red face, bulging eyes and a long beard. He wears traditional robes and a crown on his head that usually bears the kanji 王, which stands for "king."

Saimyō-ji is a temple with a statue depicting Enma with a laughing face.

Enma in the Japanese language

* is an idiom used to describe someone with a fearsome face.
* is a superstition often told to scare children into telling the truth.
* is a proverb used to describe the sudden change in attitude one can display depending on whether they are taking or giving.

Enma in popular culture

* In the anime "Rurouni Kenshin", after the villain "Shishio Makoto" is defeated and dead, he is seen in hell and claims that he will take over the hell from Enma.
* In the anime and manga "Dragon Ball", Enma-daiō or King Yamma (the name used in the English dub of "Dragon Ball Z"), is a red oni in the Other World. He is portrayed as a harried bureaucrat with a short temper, attended to by an army of office-worker "oni". Though the ruler of the afterlife, he is surpassed in power by both the four "Kaiō" and the one remaining "Kaiōshin" (higher gods in whose hands rest the stewardship of the entire universe).
* In an episode of the anime "Spooky Kitaro 4", Neko together with Kitaro, Oyaji and Ittan Momen went to the Underworld to ask the favor of King Enma and make him lengthen the life of a mother that is suffering from a heart disease. Enma revealed that he can't do something about it and the only person who can help them is the person who wishes her to bring back to life, which is her daughter.
* Enma is the king of the monkeys summoned by the Third Hokage in the anime and manga "Naruto", though written with the kanji for monkey demon (猿魔).
* Enma is a spirit seen in as of the .
* Enma is a minor character in the anime and manga "YuYu Hakusho", a pen-pushing ruler of the spirit world and a shadowy figure known for his temper. He is also the father of Koenma (literally, "Child-Enma"), who often runs the underworld in his father's stead. In the English anime he is referred to as "King Yama".
* In Yami no Matsuei, the shinigamis work in Enma-Daioh.
* In the Super Sentai series Mahou Sentai Magiranger, the evil Infershia armies seek to free the imprisoned dark god N-Ma.

*Enma is the surname of the main character Enma Ai in the anime Jigoku Shōjo

*Enma Korogi is the bankai of Kaname Tōsen, captain of Squad 9 in the anime Bleach