Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Yinmaraki; Onmoraki (variant)
Category: Bird
The Myth
The Inmaraki is a monstrous bird that appears in the 1809 revenge tale Konjin Chōgorō Chūkō Monogatari. After the concubine Oyuki and her young son Tsuyuichi are cruelly abused and ultimately killed, their restless spirits unite into a single terrifying being. The creature appears as a black, crane-like bird with blazing eyes and a shrill cry, confronting the woman responsible for their suffering.
The Inmaraki is accompanied by the ghosts of Oyuki and her headless son, who continue to haunt their tormentor. As the apparitions appear again and again, they drive her into terror, madness, and eventually death, completing their revenge.
The creature is based on the older Onmoraki, a bird yokai said to arise from the lingering energy of a corpse. In Konjin Chōgorō Chūkō Monogatari, however, it is specifically called Inmaraki and is depicted as the physical manifestation of the vengeful spirits of the murdered mother and child, making it a distinct variation of the older legend.
Sources
TYZ. (2018, October 20). 陰摩羅鬼 (Inmaraki). In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1072670895.html