Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: おそう
Category: Object

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The Myth

Osō is a mysterious yokai depicted in a scroll of assorted monsters held in the collection of Kōichi Yumoto, a Japanese researcher and collector of supernatural imagery. The creature is portrayed with an animal-like face and a body covered in clothing.

In the illustration, Osō leans forward from above as though preparing to cover or pounce upon something beneath it. Beyond this depiction, little is known about the creature. No details survive about its origins, behaviour, or the circumstances in which it was believed to appear.

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Sources

“Oso.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010652606.html

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