Did you notice the dark stain in the corner of your ceiling? Maybe, you also see that the stain has grown over the past few days. What you have there is not just fungi and molds, but signs of the presence of a yokai. One that lives in the ceiling. The notorious ceiling dangler called tenjo-kudari.
Tenjo-kudari is usually illustrated as an elongated and hairy old woman with frenzied hair, hanging from an opening in the ceiling. She is said to live in the empty space in between the ceiling. At night, you can hear the yokai crawling around in the rafters and, even, moanings.
In Yamanashi Prefecture (山梨県), tenjo-kudari lives in the ceilings of abandoned houses and stays in wait for unwary travelers. At night, when the person is asleep, the yokai would silently drop down from the ceiling and eat the sleepyhead. Interestingsly this hanging behaviour is similar to sagari. Except the horse-headed yokai mainly operates outdoors.
Stories About Ceilings
In most Japanese houses, there is usually a crawlspace between the ceiling and the roof. This spaces, according to some old wives tales, are where bandits hide dead bodies of previous owners or imprison woman. This is also a place where many unwanted items are left behind. There is even a saying “to show [someone] the ceiling” (天井を見せる) which means show them something horrifying.
So, if you are looking around Japan for a place to stay, it is best to keep an eye out for the ceilings. Do not ignore the nasty stains in the ceiling. You may never know what harm can befall you when you sleep.
Yokai Details
- name: tenjo-kudari (ten-joh-koo-dah-ree)
- kanji: 天井下 (てんじょうくだり)
- meaning: ceiling dropper
- aka:
- tenjo-kudari (天井下り)
- tenjo-sagari (天井下がり)
- abilities:
- elasticity — able to stretch or contract one’s body
- hair control — power to manipulate hair to attack
