Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Yokai, Mountain dweller
The Myth
Long ago, in the mountains of Ushū, there lived powerful monsters known as the Mouryō. Among them was a young Mouryō who had pledged his future to Ochiyobon, the daughter of a neighboring monster. Refusing to submit to the wishes of their elders, the two lovers fled together to the distant mountains of Hakone, hoping to live freely, far from interference.
They settled in a ruined house deep in the mountains and asked a nearby monster named Shirodashi, who lived in a cave, to help them move. At first Shirodashi seemed friendly, but in truth he was a drunken, scheming brute. He began visiting the couple daily, demanding food and money, and soon turned his attention to Ochiyobon. He harassed her with lewd remarks and tried to force himself upon her, laughing when she resisted.
One day, Shirodashi separated Ochiyobon from her husband through trickery. He then lied to the young Mouryō, claiming that he and Ochiyobon had long been lovers and that she had begged to be taken as his wife. The timid Mouryō, terrified of scandal and humiliation, weakly agreed to surrender her. Shirodashi carried off Ochiyobon’s belongings and told her she now belonged to him.
Ochiyobon wept and protested, insisting on her innocence and her love for her husband, but Shirodashi ignored her cries. Their quarrel drew the attention of Momonjii, the master of the cave, who chased Shirodashi away and sheltered Ochiyobon. Momonjii tried to reconcile the lovers, but the young Mouryō, obsessed with appearances, refused to take her back. Brokenhearted and abandoned, Ochiyobon despaired of life itself, but Momonjii promised to care for her, and she remained with him.
Among monsters, beauty is not judged as it is among humans. Though others found Ochiyobon’s face unbearable, Momonjii was captivated by her, and in time he sought her affection. Grateful for his kindness, Ochiyobon accepted him, and the two grew close.
Some time later, turmoil erupted over a political marriage between a monster clan and the fox spirits. A gang of raccoon dogs stole the treasured White Fox Jewel, and it was discovered that Shirodashi had hidden it while aiding them. Monsters and foxes stormed his lair to reclaim it.
Before they could act, a woman’s voice called from within. Ochiyobon emerged, holding the White Fox Jewel in one hand and a bloodstained knife in the other. At her feet she cast the severed head of Shirodashi. She declared that she had been falsely accused, abandoned, and disgraced through his lies. To clear her name, she had lured him, reclaimed the jewel, and killed him as proof that no affair had ever existed.
With Shirodashi dead and the truth revealed, Ochiyobon’s honor was restored. Her tale ended not as one of helpless betrayal, but of resolve and vengeance, remembered as the story of a monster woman who reclaimed her dignity through blood and truth.
Gallery
Sources
TYZ-Yokai Blog contributors. (n.d.). オチョボン (Ochiyobon). In TYZ-Yokai Blog, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1071896675.html
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive
Other
- How to Invite The Ochiyobon