Tsukumogami

There is a class of yokai that pertains to those that evolved from everyday tools and typical Japanese items. They are commonly known as tsukumogami (付喪神 or つくも神), meaning tool deities. When an item have reached 100 years of age, many believe that it begins to attain a form of self-awareness. But more importantly, this “consciousness” is tied to how the object has been used and/or treated.

For example, if the tool has been abandoned after decades of repeated use, after its 100th birthday, the tsukumigami will begin to yearn for utilized again. On the other hand, if the item was owned by a vindictive lover, it will in turn become a jealous and, even, malicious. So, find out more about the many varieties of tsukumogami listed below.

 

 

 

Tsukumogami, Yokai

Chokuboron wanders aimlessly incognito.

Last weekend, I stayed home and watched the late night Japanese variety show. When drinking alone, I liked to set up half a dozen choko (saké cups) and fill them to the brim. Everytime I laughed, I chugged a cup and then overturned the choko. Once all the choko are empty, I reset and refilled the sake. I drank so much that I slept at the table. Later that night, I awoke to clattering. And then, I saw my upturned choko moving across the floor. Surely, I had seen a chokuboron. But it was going everywhere and nowhere. It just wandered everywhere aimlessly.

Chokuboron is a type of yokai known as tsukumogami. They evolved from 100-year old saké cups known as choko. Especially, those used as offerings to the dead. After evolution, chokuboron adopted a behaviour similar to the vagabond. As such, they wandered around like lost melancholic souls.

Appearance

Consequently, chokuboron is called as such because the looked like komusō (虚無僧), the travelling monks. Instead of a full face straw hat (tengai), the tsukumogami wears a choko on its head. Although fully covered, they are able to move around easily. Also, chokuboron play traditional bamboo flutes called shakuhachi. They play haunting songs that evoke fear. Melodies of nightmares.

But, unlike most yokai, chokuboron is a very small yokai. It is as tall as a typical coffee mug. Even then, they wore small monk attire and straw sandals. Interestingly, when you looked at them they moved ever so slowly and deliberately. But once you blinked, the chokuboron would have move a great distance whence you last saw it. Intriguing, but at the same time, terrifying.

Conclusion

As such, chokuboron are difficult to find. They treasure their vagabond spirit. They have been seen all across Japan, from a small bar at Kabuchiko to a shrine on Mount Asahi (旭岳). But none have been caught. All eyewitness accounts describe their erratic movements. Although, Chokuboron are inherently harmless, by all accounts. But, do they really wander everywhere aimlessly? Or are we too oblivious to understand?

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Yokai Details

  • name: chokuboron ( cho-koo-boh-ron )
  • kanji: 船幽霊 (ちょくぼろん)
  • meaning: cup monk
  • abilities:
    1. unseen speed — when unobserved, it moves extremely fast
    2. death song — plays melody that relieve your death experiences
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Tsukumogami, Yokai

When you visit a Japanese Buddhist temple, you will notice the large circular bell found at front eaves. After your prayers, you ring the open-lipped bell which are colloquially known as waniguchi. But unbeknownst to many, that sacred instrument can evolve into a yokai of the same name. A crocodilian-like creature that feeds on the prayers of the devout.

Waniguchi is one of the rarest yokai and there are very little information about this tsukumogami. Why? Because prayer instruments are very rarely abandoned. In fact, they are always devoutly and respectfully removed. Nonetheless, in centuries past, temples and shrines were abandoned due to war and plagues. Consequently, the dilapidated bell falls to the ground and rusts away. Eventually, it transforms into a waniguchi and scuttles around the deserted temple compound.

Furthermore, it is important to remember that waniguchi, as a prayer bell, has listened to all the prayers of the devout. As such, it desperately yearns to hear these devout prayers. As a tsukumogami, waniguchi feeds on these emotional pleas for sustenance.

Conclusion

Interestingly, most Edo-period illustrations depicts waniguchi as a four-legged creature with blue-green scaly skins. The yokai retains the prayer bell as a head with a crocodilian smile. But truth be told, nobody really knows. So if you hear a prayer bell ring after your prayers at home, try to sneak a peek and see if the Edo illustrators are right.

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Yokai Details

  • name: waniguchi (wah-nee-goo-chee)
  • kanji: 鰐口 ( わにぐち )
  • meaning: literally crocodile mouth
  • abilities:
    1. sonic wave — generate powerful pressured sound attack
    2. sonar detection — use sound to identify the wicked hearted
Suijin, Tsukumogami, Yokai

kameosa provides for its human companion

There are hundreds of tsukumogami (付喪神)around Japan and most of them are vile and malignant. But today’s yokai is one of the very few yokai that is friendly, benevolent even. This charitable yokai called Kameosa, provides for its human companions.

Not many articles are available concerning kameosa or about its origin. Most illustrations show an earthenware pot or jug that continually pours out water or sake (Japanese rice wine). Many yokai enthusiasts believe that kameosa evolved from an earthenware crock that has been cared for, probably by sake brewers and over many generations. After a hundred years or more, the sake jug changed into a tsukumogami that never runs out of water, or sake, to show appreciation to its owners.

Others believe that a benign water, or river, god resides within kameosa and continually provides spiritual water like a spring source. This would make the kameosa more Suijin (水神) than tsukumogami. Nonetheless, there is insufficient documents and evidence regarding this yokai to truly identify its true nature.

In any case, there is a good moral that can be taken out of the kameosa. If you take good care of an item or person over the years, you will receive your reward multiple folds. So treasure and atttend to your family heirloom, you may just change into a tsukumogami that benefits you in return.

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Yokai Details

  • name: kameosa (kah-mee-oh-sah)
  • kanji: 瓶長 (かめおさ)
  • meaning: crock elder
  • aka:
    • kameosa (甌長)
    • kameosa (甕長)
  • abilities:
    1. hydrokinesis  — manipulate & generate water or sake
Tsukumogami, Yokai

Jatai (蛇帯)

There was once a woman who bought a second hand kimono for hanami (花見), a cherry blossom viewing festival. One night, she was abruptly awaken fought with the obi sash around her neck. After a long night’s fight, she finally overcame her ordeal and left her house. Next morning, she returned, to collect the sash-yokai and kimono, and went to a nearby shrine to cleanse and burn them.

Jatai is a type of yokai known as tsukumogami that gains sentience after reaching 100 years old. This yokai evolves from an obi-sash that has absorbed the negative energies of its previous owner over the years. This together with the years of abandonment provides the jatai a poisonous and bad attitude towards human beings

The strongest (and most vengeful) jatai are those that once belong to a spurned wife who used the same obi-sash to commit suicide. Such a corrupt object can develop vampiric energy that effect its new owner. This jatai will be strong enough to, easily, lift a grown man into the rafters.

There is also a superstition that if you sleep on top of an obi sash, you will dream of snakes. And if the obi sash belongs to a spurned woman, the snake would be a large poisonous snake that can easily constrict you to death. So, always, remember to take off your yukata before sleeping.

In any case, if you are thinking of getting a second-hand kimono because they are dirt-cheap, have second thoughts (even thirds). You never know who the kimono belongs to before, or how the obi sash was used then.

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Yokai Details

  • name: jatai (jah-tah-ee)
  • kanji: 蛇帯 (じゃたい) 
  • meaning: snake obi sash
  • ability:
    1. flight — able to fly silently abilities:
    2. elasticity — able to stretch twice its length
Tsukumogami, Yokai

Bakezori (化け草履)

Have you been to a traditional ryokan ( 旅館 ) and found that your shoes were replaced by sandals? Or the jumbled ryokan sandals from yesterday are mysteriously organised every morning. Even in the wee hours! You may assume that its the hotel attendants, but its actually a yokai. That is a fact!

Bakezōri is a tsukumogami that evolves from abandoned straw sandals called zori ( 草履 ). As such, they are sandal shaped but stands upright on two legs. Also, they have two hands and one eye. Occasionally, when a bystander sees a bakezōri, it sticks out its tongue to mock and then disappear ot of sight

Elusive creatures

However, it is very difficult to see or catch a bakezōri. They are imbued with the ninja-like stealth. So it is difficult to see one moving around. Nonetheless, bakezōri‘s obsessive compulsive behaviour reveals their presence. They have an uncontrollable urge to organize footwear. Bakezōri arrange them according to type and size. They also pack them neatly away in the shoe closet.

Recently, a new bakezōri trait is discovered. The elusive yokai has a severe foot fetish. Also, they hate socks. In fact, they prefer the skin contact of bare feet. It is said, bakezōri eat socks to exude physical and territorial dominance. So if you have socks with holes in it or even missing socks, beware! You may just have bakezōri living in your house.

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Yokai Details

  • name: bakezōri (bah-kay-zoh-ree)
  • kanji:  化け草履 ( ばけぞうり ) 
  • meaning: transformed straw sandals
  • abilities:
    1. stealth — makes itself difficult to be detected or found
    2. hyperjump — able to jump more than 10 times its height
Tsukumogami, Yokai

Shamichoro (三味長老)

Some years ago, I spent the night in a remote ryokan (旅館)  after a long trek through the mountains. As I was soaking in the bath tub, I heard someone playing the shamisen ( 三味線), a traditional Japanese 3-string lute. The forlorn melody filled me with memories of heartbreak for hours on end. 

The next day, I ask the landlord about the music and requested to meet the musician. But she said that there wasn’t any performance and that I was the only visitor for the night. Wide-eyed, I hurried my check-out and left the ryokan, never to return .

Origins Story

Shamichoro is a tsukumogami yokai-type that evolves from an abandoned musical instrument known as the shamisen. As this yokai is usually heard, and rarely seen,  there are very few accounts that chronicles its existence, and even less records about its behaviour and origins.

Many experts agree that shamichoro emerges from a prized shamisen that once belonged to a virtuoso. Some believed that the musician’s sudden death, fills the lute with extreme sadness. Others share that the shamisen was rejected for a newer or more exquisite model. But everyone agrees that the continual negligence and ignorance, over a hundred years, is the key for a shamichoro‘s evolution.

The yokai is essentially benign and does not cause direct harm towards human. It’s melody, usually, just reminds you of your saddest memories. But if you are feeling really low and suicidal, the song of the shamichoro may just be enough to push you over to the other side.

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Yokai Details

  • name: shamichoro (sha-mee-cho-roh)
  • kanji: 三味長老 (しゃみちょうろう)
  • meaning: senior shamisen
  • abilities:
    1. sonic flight — uses music and sound to levitate
    2. emotion control — able to make one extremely sad and emotional
Tsukumogami, Yokai

Karakasa-obake

When I started working on this blog, I knew that I have to include this umbrella yokai. This creature is synonymous to Japanese yokai and culture. But strangely enough, there is no mention of this creature in any literature or oral history. It seems like the kasa-obake just mysteriously appear into Japanese consciousness, out of the blue.

Kasa-obake is one of the many names that this yokai is called but it looks the same in its various interpretations. This yokai is, usually, depicted as an umbrella hopping around on a single leg. Its solitary unblinking eye staring endlessly with a tongue sticking out at the ready to lick someone… anyone.

Period illustrated works typically portray the kasa-obake together with an assortment of yokai.  The umbrella yokai is also found in kabuki plays performed with exaggerated jumping motions and outlandish costumes.

There are a few images that depicts the kasa-obake with two short legs, instead of one. In my opinion, this two-legged version should belong to another species, probably the karakasa-kozo. Nonetheless, the general populace places all under the same umbrella (no pun intended).

Tsukumogami or Not

As there is no literature about the kasa-obake, whether it is a type of tsukumogami, or not, is up for discussion. Although, many enthusiast would argue that the yokai evolved from a traditional paper umbrella on its hundredth birthday. And depending on how it was cared for, it can become the mischevious kasa-obake or the menacing hone-karakasa. Nonetheless, if you desperately need an umbrella, it is better to run in the heavy rain than risk a yokai in your hands.

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Yokai Details

  • name: kasa-obake (kah-sah-oh-bah-keh)
  • kanji: 傘おばけ (かさおばけ)
  • meaning: umbrella changeling
  • aka:
    • karakasa-obake (唐傘おばけ)
    • kasabake (傘化け)
    • bakegasa (化け傘)
  • abilities:
    1. limited flight — able to fly with the slightest breeze
    2. panic attack — causes unreasonable anxiety  by licking
Tsukumogami, Yokai

Boroboroton

Normally, a futon mattress is not a bother, especially one that’s tattered. Boroboroton, on the other hand, is a sentient futon that will suffocate you while you dream away your last sleep. Some feudal tales of bandits hiding in abandoned houses with scenes of worn-out futons constricting the bandits’ corpses. Their uncanny deaths are definitely the boroboroton‘s doing.

This yokai belongs to a group of spirited objects, usually household items, known as tsukumogami. A futon mattress or bedding coverlet  become imbued with life after decades of abandonment. It evolves into boroboroton, with traits of extreme loneliness and desolation.

Forgotten Tales

I’ve read a story about a Kyoto woman crying night after night because her husband left her for a richer mistress. Her sorrow and misery continue nightly until she died in her sleep on the 99th night. The futon she slept on, instantaneously turned into a boroboroton and disappeared. Her husband and his mistress were found dead the next day, under mysterious consequences and under a futon mattress! Coincidence? Unlikely.

Some believe that the boroboroton hungers for the human touch. Its desperate desire to hold a human is the final embrace that constricts a man, woman, or both, to death.  So if you go on your forest hikes in Japan, remember a granny’s saying “If you have to take shelter in an deserted house, sleep only on the floor and in the corner”.

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Yokai Details

  • name: boroboroton (boh-roh-boh-roh-ton)
  • kanji: 暮露暮露団  (ぼろぼろとん)
  • meaning: tattered futon
  • abilities:
    1. levitation — silently float across any surface
    2. mental sedation — make others feel comfortable & sleepy