Pink Tentacle has a fantastic post about monster paintings called youkai in feudal Japan (Edo period) by a relatively unknown artist called Sawaki Suushi.
This one to the left is Nurarihyon, the house guest from hell:
In the Edo period, Nurarihyon came to be known as a mysterious old man with the uncanny ability to sneak into homes and “take over.” When the residents of a home encounter him sitting around drinking tea, they are unable throw him out and cannot help but treat him as the head of the household. Nurarihyon is said to be a highly respected figure in the world of youkai.
http://japansugoi.com/wordpress/japanese-edo-period-monsters
(You'd have to be an Archers listener to make sense of that)
Such a Supernatural creature is sure to have the model,octopus,Slug, and Jellyfish, etc. have been enumerated for "Nurarihyon". The person, the animal, and the tool are changed into the apparition in Japan Supernatural creature.
If you're in the NE area make sure you stop at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Their Japanese collection is impressive.