Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 置行堀, おいてけぼり
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Oitekebori is a mysterious apparition said to haunt the canals of Honjo, in present-day Sumida, Tokyo. It is described as a human-like ghost that lurks near waterways and terrorizes fishermen who venture too close to its home. Its name comes from the eerie command “Oiteke,” meaning “Leave it behind!” or “Drop it and get out of here!”
Long ago, the canals of Honjo were filled with fish, and fishermen made their living catching them. One evening, two fishermen were fishing in a canal and found themselves catching far more fish than usual. Delighted by their enormous haul, they continued until their baskets were full. As they prepared to leave and carry their catch home, a terrible, disembodied voice rose from the water and shouted, “Oiteke!”
Terrified, the fishermen fled. In some versions, they abandoned their baskets and later discovered that the fish had vanished. In another telling, one fisherman escaped with his basket while the other was seized by a ghostly hand that rose from the canal and dragged him underwater, never to be seen again. The identity of Oitekebori remains uncertain in the legends: some stories blame a hungry kappa stealing fish, while others attribute the haunting to a mischievous tanuki, a yūrei, a kawauso, a mujina, or a supernatural soft-shelled turtle.
Sources
“Oitekebori.” Yokai.com: The Database of Japanese Folklore. https://yokai.com/oitekebori/