The Myth

Bakotsu is a yōkai that appears in the Tosa Obake Zōshi (Tosa Ghost Scroll), an illustrated collection of supernatural creatures from Tosa Province.

According to the legend, Bakotsu is the transformed spirit of a horse that perished in a fire. After its death, the horse returned as a yōkai rather than passing on.

In the scroll, Bakotsu is depicted inside a mosquito net, calmly conversing with the keeper of an inn. Beyond its fiery death and ghostly transformation, little else is recorded about the creature, making it one of the more mysterious yōkai preserved in the Tosa Obake Zōshi.

Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Horse Demon (馬鬼, Baki)
Category: Horse

The Myth

Baki is a modern yōkai described by Ariyuki Sato in his Yokai Encyclopedia (1980). According to Sato, it is born from the curse of a horse that suffered cruel treatment at the hands of humans. After death, the animal’s resentment transforms it into a supernatural horse demon.

The creature is not based on an older traditional legend. Its illustration in the encyclopedia uses a still photograph of the Uma-oni from the 1968 Daiei films Yokai Hyaku Monogatari and Yokai Daisenso. However, that film monster was originally depicted as a prison guard and has no traditional connection to the yōkai called Baki.

For this reason, Baki is generally regarded as a modern yōkai created by Ariyuki Sato rather than a creature from classical Japanese folklore.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). バキ (Baki). In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010655032.html