Sanjin, Yokai

Okuri-Inu

I’ve heard hundreds of Japanese tales about someone, or something, stalking the oblivious traveller. The feeling of sinister creatures following, and watching, your every step as you trod along a fading hiking path. Today, I’ll share with you one of these stalking yokai that you may have encountered but might not even know it.

Okuri-Inu is a dog-like yokai that is commonly known to follow people travelling on mountain paths when the sun is down. Literally named “escorting dog”, the ghostly creature will follow you until you leave the forest. But if, by circumstance, you were to trip and fall, the supernatural dog will pounce on you and devour.

Those who have seen the Okuri-Inu detailed it as covered in shadowy fur with glowing red eyes. The canine creature is usually seen on a mountain ridge above, surrounded by a foggy mist. Most accounts only describe the feel of constant scrutiny and surrounded by a thick dark mist. As such, traditional wisdom dictates that, if  you think you are being stalked by Okuri-Inu, it is best to have a short rest (or pretend to be having one) until the feeling passes. It is said that the yokai will eventual leave you for another traveller to “escort”.

But depending on the region where the stories are from, the Okuri-Inu behave differently and, sometimes, called by another name.  Stories from Chiidagata District of Nagano, identify them as Yama-Inu and they are portrayed as the forest guardians that protect travellers from harm such as wolves, bears, bandits and, even, other yokai.

Same Same But Different

Tales from Central Japan, has a similar yokai, which is more wolf than dog, exhibits wolf-like behaviours. Named Okuri-Okami, this malicious yokai is said to attack and pounce on lone travellers when opportunity is given. The wolf-yokai will pounce on the individual’s head multiple times, as described in the Wakan Sansai Zue story. Based on the dissimilarities in the appearance and behaviour, I believe that these could be a sub-species of the Okuri-Inu, or an entirely new breed.

But do not think you are safe in the bright city of Tokyo. Recently, there are urban accounts about a similar ghostly dog stalking individuals in the early hours when everyone is still asleep. Are these just hungry stray dogs? Can the ramblings of drunken office workers be trusted? Or have the Okuri-Inu moved to the cities because they lost their natural habitat? Maybe you can share your ghostly experience.

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Yokai Details

  • name: okuri-inu (oh-koo-ree-ee-noo)
  • kanji: 送り犬 (ばけねこ)
  • meaning: escorting dog
  • abilities:
    1. mist form — able to change to gaseous form of any shape and size
    2. hyper speed — move from one place to another at high speed
    3. hyper senses — possess acute sense of smell and hearing
Bōzu, Yokai

Amefurikozo

You may wonder why it suddenly rains on a clear, cloudless day. You are having so much fun playing soccer and it abruptly pours abruptly forcing you to end game. The next time there is an unexpected shower, look to the trees and you may see the mischievous yokai, laughing and giggling away.

Amefuri-kozo is a naughty yokai who enjoys to rain on other people’s parade, literally. He delights in the grief of others. He is usually illustrated as a boy with an over-sized paper umbrella on his head. His free hands are sometimes seen carrying a paper lantern or casting a rain spell.

Legend has it that Amefuri-kozo works for Ushi, the god of rain, as child servant. This could mean that the yokai is part of an ethereal organization that manages the weather, and Amerfuri-kozo‘s role may be to regulate rainfall over small and remote regions. This yokai has a rain ability that may be an extension of the rain deity, Ushi. Although some yokai enthusiasts suggest that the ability to bring rain could be a spell that can be taught. A very useful spell to learn, especially during dry spells and drought.

Forgotten Tale

A certain chieftain of a hidden village shared a tale, that he heard from his grand-uncle’s friend, about an old man who walks around the village with a paper umbrella hat on his head. Apparently, when he was young farmer, he caught an Amefuri-kozo, stole his umbrella hat and wore it. Ever since then, he cannot remove it. Not even with the help with the other villagers. Only upon his death, did the umbrella hat fall off.  As such, if you see an umbrella lying around Japan, do not pick up to use it. Once you use the wrong umbrella over your head, you may not remove it again.

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Yokai Details

  • name: amefuri-kozo (ah-meh-foo-ree-koh-zoh)
  • kanji: 雨降小僧 (あめふりこぞう)
  • meaning: priest boy of rain
  • abilities:
    1. limited weather control — ability to make it rain at will
    2. waterproof — able to keep dry even under direct water

Bōzu, Yokai

Aobozu

When I was young, I was always taught to be reverent to priests and monks. But at the same time, I was told many stories about monk-like yokai who menaces the country side, preying on the good. Today we will discuss about, one such yokai who is well known for his blue-green skin.

In the past, travelling monks are commonly seen moving from one village to another providing various services. These include blessing rituals, purification ceremonies and healing aids. Aobozu is a perversion of these holy nomadic monks. A yokai who boasts about his priestly knowledge but, in reality, knows next to nothing.

Perverse Monks

The most obvious corruption of the wayfaring monks is the Aobozu‘s blue-green skin. Although many tales claim that it is obviously blue in colour, some stories dictate the yokai having a green hue. Which could indicate that there is the high possibility of multiple subspecies in different prefectures. The common feature across Japan is its one cyclopean eye. This is commonly seen in many drawings where the Aobozu is staring relentlessly, hypnotizing the audience.

Another common trait is his modus operandi. The Aobozu targets remote houses of old folks and approaches them after sunset, usually rainy nights, concealing his colour in the dark. The generous country folk will invite the yokai in and provide him shelter from the elements, and sometimes food for the night.

This cordial interaction is harmless, unless one ask the yokai for temple services in trade. Such requests could be disastrous as the Aobozu knows very little in the ways of the temple. If you are lucky, it would be a simple, but futile, prayer. If not, the Aobozu  will provide bogus overzealous ritual that lasts through the night and may, accidentally, burn your house down with its incense burners.

Modern Times

These days, Aobozu is a rare yokai to encounter, especially in the city. The bright fluorescent lights not only exposes their obvious blue hue, but hurts its only eye. In recent years, I have not heard, or read, about any Aobozu tales. Even though they may be extinct, one can not help but wonder how the Aobozu comes about.

Some believe that when a man abandoned his priesthood and lived a carnal life, he is reborn as an Aobozu. Others presumed that it evolved from a yokai who tried to learn the ways of the priest but to lazy to practice. Nonetheless, to invite an Aobozu into your home, is to invite misfortune.

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Yokai Details

  • name: aobozu (ah-oh-boh-zoo)
  • kanji: 青坊主 (あおぼうず)
  • meaning: blue priest
  • abilities:
    1. telepathic suggestion — able to instill thoughts and ideas into minds of others
Henge, Kaibyo, Yokai

Nekomata

Have you ever been to a funeral wake and noticed the local cat slumbering nearby?And that same cat is seen near hospitals and cemeteries? You might have just met a supernatural kaibyo that loves the dying and the dead. Look carefully and you might just see that its two fiery tails.

Nekomata belongs to a group of yokai known as the kaibyo (怪猫), literally meaning strange cats. They are cat-like creatures such as bakeneko and neko-musume. Although, the nekomata has been documented in Kamakura-period manuscripts, centuries before other kaibyo.

Appearance

Kamakura nekomata are described as ferocious cat-like creatures that lived in the mountainous forests.  Their size varies from a large dog to one big enough to carry a small child easily in its mouth. These nekomata have been known to attack and, even, hunt human.

There are many stories of feudal heroes saving villages who were under siege by laying these savage creatures. Some kaidan collections demonstrated the supernatural properties of the nekomata in its ability to shapeshift into human form and, even, fool the villagers.

Modern Ways

Unlike the aggressive nekomata of old, the contemporary version is more domesticated but not less magical. The “tame” nekomata is romanticized by Edo artists who drew them in flamboyant clothes and playing musical instruments such as the shamisen.

Such embellished portrayals have led many to mistake a bakeneko for a nekomata. Edo-period manuscripts described both to have evolved from an old and wizened cat . But, notably, one that evolved after it’s tail split into two is the nekomata. That is the chief distinction.

During the Edo period, the nekomata gains the power of necromancy, the ability to raise and control the dead. The same ability is described in another kaibyo called the kasha. Again, the one with two flaming tails is the nekomata. It is said to breathe the soul of the dying, or recently dead, as nourishment.

Conclusion

So next time you are in Japan and you see a cat by the road or on a wall. Before you go to pat the cat, please look around. Check if there is a cemetery behind the wall. See if it has two tails instead or one. Or just leave the cat be and you get live for another day.

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Yokai Details

  • name: nekomata (neh-koh-mah-tah)
  • kanji: 猫又、 猫股 (ねこまた)
  • meaning: cat again or forked cat
  • abilities:
    1. metamorph — change into human form
    2. sickness — cause an individual to get nekomata disease
    3. super agility — able to effortlessly dodge any attacks
    4. hyper senses — possess acute sense of smell and hearing
    5. necromancy — able to raise the dead
Others, Yokai

Dorotabo

Have you walked by muddy fields and felt the hairs on your neck stand on end? Do you recall seeing bubbles on the surface of the murky field and stood their waiting for a man to charge out of the waters? But eventually you moved on, reproaching yourself for being silly and superstitious. You, probably, never knew how fortunate you are to being alive. Lucky to have been ignored by dorotabo the mud yokai.

Dorotabo dwells in muddy rice paddies that have been abandoned by their owners for generations. It is commonly drawn as creature of living mud with a single eye staring out. Its three-flawed hands outstretched raking at its victim off screen.

While working in the rice fields, you may feel a tug at your ankles as you trudge through the muddy paddies. Many farmers claim that these are the tell-tale signs of the dorotabo. Such incidents are common and offerings should be made to appease the yokai and ask for the protection against the yokai.

Forgotten Tale

A man even claimed that he was pulled under while working one evening. Apparently, he was held down by an unknown force. Neighbours found him unconscious in his field. The next day, he quit farming, went to Tokyo and became a struggling manga writer.

Based on Toriyama Sekien’s works, the common consensus is that dorotabo is the previous owner of the paddy fields. He came back from the dead realms and laments “Return my paddy fields!” Although, some theorists claim that dorotabo is the muddy paddy itself. Revolting against its current owner for not taking good care of the fields.

Conclusion

Whoever, or whatever, the dorotabo is, one thing is for sure. Be respectful of the fields and land when visiting the countryside. Honour their long-standing traditions and culture, no matter how wierd. Also, do not take a shortcut across land and properties belonging to others, especially abandoned ones. You may never know, one could be lying in wait for his next victim.

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Yokai Details

  • name: dorotabo (doh-roh-tah-boh)
  • kanji: 泥田坊 (どろたぼう)
  • meaning: mudman
  • abilities:
    1. mud form — able to shapeshift into any humanoid form
    2. mass alteration — change its mass and size based on mud availability
    3. earthwalk — able to move underground through the earth
Sanjin, Yokai

Yamabiko

To this day, I am conflicted about today’s yokai. I mean, as a small kawaii critter, it looks like a dog-monkey pokémon. I have always seen it in Toriyama Sekien’s illustrated series and it is as cute as a new-born puppy. On the other hand, there are accounts of experienced hikers who claim that they got terribly lost in the mountainous forests because of the yokai. These accounts make me hope and pray to never encounter the yamabiko.

The yamabiko is a sound-type yokai that will repeat anyone or anything it has heard before. Even though the name is written as ‘mountain boy’, the way its read or pronounced means ‘echo’. The yokai is able to echo any sound, even after prolonged periods of time.

Those who were lost in the forests claim to hear whispers of their doppelgänger voices echoing their words, mocking them constantly. These disembodied whispers seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. One of them even heard a child singing an old fold songs.

Forgotten Tale

An old monk claimed to have found himself lost in the misty morning when he was younger. Hours later, he heard the sound of a running brook and decided to follow it. But instead of reaching a stream, he was standing in the middle of a thick, withered bamboo forest.

Recalling his grandmother’s yokai stories, he realised that it was the call of the yamabiko. The young man immediately turned away from the gushing sound and walked while chanted a mantra aloud. Minutes later the sound stopped and he found himself on a hunter’s trail.

Such are the stories of those rescued, but what of those who weren’t. How many lives have the yamabiko claimed? We will never know.

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Yokai Details

  • name: yamabiko (yah-mah-bee-koh)
  • kanji: 山彦 (やまびこ)
  • meaning: echo of the mountains
  • abilities:
    1. sound mimicry — able to replicate any sound, projected from any source
    2. sound dampening — remove sound from an area
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
Suijin, Yokai

Ningyo

You may have heard of the legend of a Buddhist priestess, of Wakasa province, that lived to 800 years. Interestingly enough, Yao Bikuni (八百比丘尼) did not gain longevity through mantra meditation or a healthy vegetarian diet. Instead, the reason for her prolonged life is because she ate the flesh of a yokai known as ningyo.

The ningyo is a sea yokai that is similar to the mermaids of the world. It has a fish tail as the bottom half and a human as the top. The ningyo is described as having golden shimmering scales and speaks with a soft melodious voice. But, unlike its alluring European counterpart, the Japanese mermaid has monkey-like mouth filled with needle sharp teeth.

Eternal Life

Ancient documents state that, eating the flesh of a ningyo will grant you longevity. The meat are described as having a pleasant taste with no fishy smell. Despite that, to catch a ningyo, intentionally or otherwise, is to bring misfortune to your family. Some records also claim that a ningyo found beached on shore is an omen of natural calamities such as tidal waves, earthquakes and/or typhoons.

The Wakasa legend tells of a man who returned from the mythical land of Hōrai with a special gift. His eldest daughter ate the souvenir which was the meat of a ningyo. Decades past and yet, the girl remained youthful. Eventually, she decided to become a priestess and traveled the nation, spreading the good word.

At the age of 800, Yao Bikuni (八百比丘尼) returned to Wakasa Obama. She entered a cave near the Yakui-mon gate of Kuin-ji Temple, and never left. Many assumed she has peacefully passed away, while few still believed that she is alive and continue to meditate within til this day.

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Yokai Details

  • name: ningyo (neen-gee-yoh)
  • kanji: 人魚 (にんぎょ)
  • meaning: human fish or mermaid
  • abilities:
    • longevity — consuming its flesh prolongs ones natural lifespan
    • hex — ability curse its captor with misfortune