Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Kiriko Lantern Yokai, 切子灯籠の怪
Category: Object
The Myth
The Kiriko Lantern Monster is a supernatural figure associated with the kiriko lantern, a type of lantern hung beneath the eaves of temples and houses during the Japanese Obon festival. Also known as a bon lantern, it typically has a flame chamber with cut or angled corners and four bundles of long, thin white paper hanging from it. The creature appears in Jūbunsha Iku’s Monster One-Year Grass (1808), an illustrated work depicting annual events in the world of yokai.
During Obon, the spirits of deceased ancestors return to visit the living. In the world depicted by Iku, this tradition also affects supernatural creatures: ancestral ghosts arrive to eat, drink, and spend time with their relatives before departing again. The Kiriko Lantern Monster serves as a waiter during these gatherings, busily carrying food and drink for the returning spirits. The illustration shows it alongside other household monsters, including snakes and frogs, as they welcome their ancestors.
Although the gathering is generally a joyful occasion, the returning dead can bring family tensions with them. Ghosts of former wives and mothers-in-law sometimes appear, leading to quarrels with the living relatives, including current wives. The Kiriko Lantern Monster therefore belongs to a humorous depiction of yokai domestic life, in which the customs and complications of human families continue even among supernatural beings. Its identity is closely tied to the Obon festival and the lanterns used to welcome the dead.
Sources
“Kiriko doro-bakemono.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1075303197.html