Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 賁豚, 奔豚, Honto, Bentun, Kidney Accumulation
Category: Pig
The Myth
Honton, also known as Bonton or Bentun, is a creature-like manifestation of illness described in traditional Japanese medical literature. The term bentun refers to a condition in Chinese and Japanese medicine involving sudden attacks in which sensations of rising energy and palpitations seem to surge upward from the area around the navel. The disorder was associated with the kidneys and was believed to arise from an accumulation of pathological energy within the body.
An illustration of Honton appears in the medical text Hari Kiki-gaki (Needle Notes), which depicts various creatures believed to form inside the human body and cause disease. Honton is shown as a four-legged animal resembling a running young pig, with a white face and back, a red belly, two whiskers, and a long tongue protruding from its mouth. It was believed to move constantly up and down from the region below the navel, never remaining in one place.
Traditional explanations associated the area below the navel with the north and the element of water. Because water was understood to move continuously, Honton’s restless movement was interpreted as reflecting this elemental quality. People believed to suffer from the associated kidney disorder were said to develop darkened skin, crave salty foods, and experience severe bad breath. The medical text mentions several methods of acupuncture treatment but does not provide specific instructions, apparently assuming that the details would be transmitted orally.
Sources
“Honton.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1073608506.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com