Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: –
Category: Horse
The Myth
Sagari is a yōkai found in the folklore of western Japan, particularly in Okayama and Kumamoto prefectures. It appears as the grotesque severed head of a horse hanging from the branches of hackberry trees.
The apparition suddenly drops down in front of travelers passing beneath the trees, startling them with its horrifying appearance. It does little else besides hanging from the branches, screaming and neighing with an unnatural cry.
Those who hear the Sagari’s eerie whinnying are said to be afflicted with a terrible fever.
According to tradition, the Sagari originates from the spirits of horses that die on the roadside and are abandoned where they fall. As the souls of these horses rise from their bodies, some become trapped in nearby hackberry trees. Unable to pass on to the next world, they transform into the yōkai known as Sagari.
Sources
Foster, M. D. (n.d.). Sagari. In Yokai.com: The Illustrated Database of Japanese Folklore. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://yokai.com/sagari/