Object

Osō

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

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.

Sources

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

Doll on Klariden

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: Zurrimutzi, The Living Doll of Klaridenalp
Category: Object

The Myth

The Doll on Klariden is a supernatural creature from a legend set on Klaridenalp, a mountain pasture between the Swiss cantons of Glarus and Uri. Centuries ago, a dairyman and two farmhands spent the summer tending cattle on this exceptionally fertile alpine pasture. The cows produced so much milk that they could be milked three times a day, leaving the men with little work. Their comfortable life eventually led to boredom and mischief. Complaining that God had forgotten them, the dairyman decided to make a woman of his own. Using old rags, torn trousers, a worn felt hat, and patched socks, he constructed a life-sized female doll stuffed with hay. The men named her Zurrimutzi.

The three herdsmen treated Zurrimutzi as a companion, including her in their card games and meals. They placed her beneath the cows to milk into her mouth, propped playing cards between her stiff fingers, and jokingly offered her food. One day, while the dairyman smeared cream across her face, the doll suddenly came to life. Her eyes began to move, her mouth opened, and she started swallowing the cream. Although the men initially fled in terror, they returned when she appeared to remain peacefully seated at the table. Soon, however, Zurrimutzi developed an insatiable appetite, devouring enormous quantities of cheese, bread, butter, milk, cream, and rice pudding. She grew into a tall, strong, shapeless woman whom the three men eventually struggled to carry to a neighboring pasture for her customary Sunday sunbathing.

As Zurrimutzi grew, she began speaking and helping with household chores, although her work was clumsy and she prepared vast quantities of food primarily for herself. She also joined the men’s card games and invariably won against whoever played her. At night, she sometimes ran across the roof of the alpine hut, making it thunder as though a dozen horses were galloping overhead. When autumn arrived and the herdsmen prepared to descend into the valley, they were ashamed to take their monstrous companion with them. They decided to leave secretly while she slept, unwilling either to kill her or to abandon her openly.

Their plan failed when Zurrimutzi appeared at the doorway and ordered the dairyman, as the head of the alpine farm, to remain with her. The two farmhands were permitted to leave, provided they did not look back. They obeyed but spent the night in another hut, hoping their master would join them. When he failed to appear the following morning, they returned to investigate, praying the Lord’s Prayer at every bend in the path. Near the hut, they discovered Zurrimutzi dancing on the roof, where she had spread the dairyman’s flayed skin to dry. As blood dripped into the gutter, she hopped from one leg to the other. When she noticed the farmhands, she roared that their prayers had saved them: had they not prayed, she would have bitten their throats as she had done to their master. Horrified, the two men fled down the mountain and did not look back until they reached a chapel in the Uri lowlands.

Sources

“Puppe Klariden.” SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/uri/Puppe_Klariden.html

Nurukabe

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: ぬる壁, ヌルカベ, Nuru-kabe
Category: Object

The Myth

Nurukabe is a mysterious yokai from Tenjin, in Kiyokawa Village, Ōno District, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. Its name refers to a wall that appears suddenly and blocks the way of travellers. The creature is associated with a mountain pass near an old graveyard in Kawauchi, where people travelling at night repeatedly encountered an invisible obstacle that prevented them from continuing their journey.

Those who attempted to cross the pass after dark found a wall appearing directly in front of them, leaving them unable to proceed. The villagers feared this phenomenon and called it the appearance of Nurukabe. The account does not describe the creature’s physical form, suggesting that its supernatural presence was experienced primarily through the mysterious obstruction it created.

According to local tradition, the problem ended after the villagers erected a Kōshin stone monument. Following its construction, Nurukabe ceased to appear. The legend connects the frightening obstruction with a sacred monument, suggesting that the community’s religious practice was able to protect travellers and restore safe passage through the haunted location.

Sources

“Nurukabe.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1075303199.html

Futon Monster

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Futon no Kai, Futon Monster
Category: Object

The Myth

The Futon Monster is a supernatural phenomenon associated with old bedding, particularly futons that may have belonged to the dead or been acquired second-hand. Accounts of these strange occurrences were recorded in Japanese collections of modern folklore. The stories emerged in a context where material shortages made second-hand goods necessary, and objects previously used by unknown owners could carry disturbing histories.

One account comes from Jōsaka, Miyako District, Okinawa Prefecture, during the shortages following the Pacific War. A couple who had finally been blessed with a son after ten years of marriage held a large birthday celebration for him. During the banquet, a strange cry came from the back of the room, where the child had been laid down. His parents rushed over and found the futon shaking violently, with their exhausted son trapped underneath. The father tore it away and threw it into the yard, shouting that it was a monster. The futon continued to thrash about, and the villagers struck it with sticks before cutting it into pieces with sickles. Even the scraps kept moving until they suddenly fell still. Upon examining the remains, the villagers discovered human fingernails sewn into all four corners, with hair wound around them. The couple had bought the futon from a street vendor, and people suspected it had been unearthed by grave robbers and possessed by an evil spirit. The celebration ended in tragedy, and the child died the following day.

Two other accounts were recorded in Tokyo. In Kōtō Ward in 1946, a person who bought an old futon and slept beneath it repeatedly experienced a feeling of constriction and suffered nightmares. An examination revealed bloodstains inside the cotton. Police discovered that the previous owner had murdered someone inside the futon, replaced its outer covering, and sold it to a second-hand shop. The strange nightly experiences were attributed to the murdered person’s spirit seeking justice and proper memorial rites. In Machida, another person bought an inexpensive futon for a funeral and began using it for sleeping. Every night, an oppressive weight seemed to press down on the bedding, until the sleeper heard a woman’s voice and saw a sorrowful woman staring at him. Terrified, he abandoned the futon.

These accounts suggest that the Futon Monster is less a single creature with a fixed appearance than a category of supernatural disturbances associated with bedding. The stories reflect the unease surrounding objects previously used by the sick or dead, especially when poverty and shortages made it difficult to obtain new possessions. A futon could become a vessel for the lingering presence of a deceased person, carrying memories of suffering, murder, or an unfulfilled need for remembrance. Its ordinary domestic function made the supernatural occurrences all the more disturbing.

Sources

“Futon-kai.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1072946883.html

Dondoro

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: どんどろ, Dondoro Doll, Itō no Dondoro
Category: Object

The Myth

Dondoro is a strange folk-art figure that was sold as a souvenir in Itō, Shizuoka Prefecture, from around the 1950s onward. The figure consists of a bizarre head made from materials such as paper clay, mounted on a wooden base. It became known by names such as Dondoro Ningyō, or Dondoro Doll, and Itō no Dondoro, meaning Dondoro of Itō.

According to a legend printed with the dolls, Dondoro originated from a foreign deity brought to Japan by William Adams, the English navigator who served Tokugawa Ieyasu and became known in Japan as Miura Anjin. While building a Western-style sailing ship at the Itō Tōjingawa under Ieyasu’s orders, Adams supposedly remembered a god worshipped on a South Sea island he had visited before reaching Japan. He enshrined the deity in the hope of suppressing an outbreak of disease, and the ritual was said to help bring the shipbuilding project to completion.

The Dondoro Doll was presented as a representation of this foreign deity, which supposedly continued to be venerated in Itō. The figure was promoted as a protective charm against evil and a bringer of good fortune. However, the doll’s actual origins appear to date only to the postwar period, and the story connecting it to William Adams is believed to have been invented to give the souvenir an appealing legendary history.

Sources

“Dondoro.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1062982791.html

Hone Karakasa

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 骨傘, ほねからかさ, Skeletal Umbrella
Category: Object

The Myth

Hone Karakasa are supernatural umbrellas belonging to the Japanese tradition of tsukumogami, in which old objects acquire a life of their own. They originate from tattered and torn Chinese-style paper umbrellas whose coverings have fallen away, leaving their exposed wooden ribs resembling the bones of a fish. This skeletal appearance gives the creature its name, with hone meaning “bone.”

Hone Karakasa come to life on wet, windy days, when they leap into the air and dance across the sky like wild birds. Their sudden appearance is regarded as a sign that bad weather is approaching. Although they have no need to hunt or feed, their lively movements make them conspicuous supernatural inhabitants of stormy skies.

Hone Karakasa are closely related to the better-known Karakasa Kozō, another umbrella yokai. Both creatures reflect the Japanese belief that old household objects can develop supernatural life, transforming discarded umbrellas into strange beings associated with the wind and rain.

Sources

“Hone karakasa.” Yokai.com. https://yokai.com/honekarakasa/

Hahakigami

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 箒神, ははきがみ, Hōkigami, Broom Spirit
Category: Object

The Myth

Hahakigami are supernatural spirits that inhabit brooms, belonging to the Japanese tradition of tsukumogami, in which old objects acquire a life of their own. They are sometimes said to appear on cold, windy mornings in late autumn, when they can be seen sweeping fallen leaves wildly through the air. Their activity reflects the broom’s familiar purpose while transforming an ordinary household implement into a supernatural presence.

Brooms were once sacred instruments used in ritual purification rather than merely tools for cleaning. They were used to sweep the air within a room or area, clearing away evil spirits and lingering negative influences. After many years of use, a broom could become a suitable home for a spirit, particularly because of its longstanding association with purification rituals. The Hahakigami therefore embodies both the supernatural life of old objects and the spiritual significance traditionally attached to sweeping.

Hahakigami also serve as magical charms associated with childbirth. Because a broom sweeps things away, the spirit is believed to help “sweep” a baby safely out of its mother’s body, encouraging a quick and uncomplicated delivery. The same symbolic power can be used to ensure that guests do not overstay their welcome. Just as a broom removes dirt and unwanted influences, the Hahakigami can symbolically sweep away visitors whose presence has lasted too long.

Sources

“Hahaki-gami.” Yokai.com. https://yokai.com/hahakigami/

Ungaikyō

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 雲外鏡, うんがいきょう, Mirror Beyond the Clouds
Category: Object

The Myth

Ungaikyō is a haunted mirror that reveals demons and monsters in its reflective surface. The spirit inhabiting the mirror, together with the countless supernatural beings reflected in it over the years, can manipulate its images and make them appear in almost any form. Anyone who gazes into an Ungaikyō may see a monstrous, transformed version of themselves staring back. According to later interpretations, a mirror that reaches one hundred years of age can also develop a soul and become a yokai, following the Japanese tradition of old objects acquiring supernatural life.

Ungaikyō can also be used to capture spirits. During the full moon on the fifteenth night of the eighth month in the traditional lunar calendar, water is poured into a crystal dish to reflect the moonlight. If this water is then used to paint the image of a yokai onto a mirror, the spirit depicted is said to inhabit the mirror. This practice connects the creature with traditional moon viewing and the belief that reflections can serve as a means of contact with the supernatural.

The Ungaikyō was illustrated by Toriyama Sekien in his collection Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro, where it was inspired by the Chinese legend of the Shōmakyō, or demon-revealing mirror. This legendary mirror could expose the true forms of supernatural beings disguised as humans. King Zhou of the Shang dynasty used it to reveal that his consort Daji was actually a wicked nine-tailed fox spirit plotting to ruin his kingdom. Once exposed, she fled, eventually becoming associated with the Japanese legend of Tamamo no Mae. Sekien proposed that a mirror repeatedly exposed to demons and monsters might gradually absorb their supernatural qualities until it became a yokai itself.

In modern portrayals, Ungaikyō sometimes appears as one of the transformations of a tanuki. By inflating its belly, the animal displays an image upon its skin, resembling a television screen. This version originates not from traditional folklore but from Daiei Films’ yokai movies of 1968–1969. Despite its modern origin, it has become a recognizable interpretation of the mirror spirit.

Sources

“Ungaikyō.” Yokai.com. https://yokai.com/ungaikyou/

Chōchin Obake

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 提灯お化け, ちょうちんおばけ, Paper Lantern Ghost
Category: Object

The Myth

Chōchin obake are supernatural paper lanterns that come to life after reaching an advanced age. Their paper coverings split along one of the wooden ribs, creating a gaping mouth with a long, lolling tongue. One or two eyes emerge from the upper part of the lantern, and in some depictions, arms or legs grow from its body. These transformations turn an ordinary household lighting object into a bizarre and often comical apparition.

Like the karakasa kozō, another yokai associated with an everyday object, Chōchin obake generally prefer frightening and startling people rather than causing physical harm. They cackle, roll their enormous eyes, and stick out their tongues at unsuspecting guests in the home. Their strange appearance and playful behavior make them familiar figures among Japan’s object spirits, which arise when everyday possessions acquire supernatural life.

Despite their usually harmless reputation, Chōchin obake can sometimes conceal something far more dangerous. Powerful onryō, vengeful spirits of the dead, may disguise themselves as paper lantern ghosts. This creates a striking contrast between the comical appearance of an ordinary lantern yokai and the potentially deadly spirit hiding beneath its disguise.

Sources

“Chōchin obake.” Yokai.com. https://yokai.com/chouchinobake/

Kyōrinrin

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 経凛々, きょうりんりん, Awe-Inspiring Sutra
Category: Object

The Myth

Kyōrinrin are supernatural spirits formed from ancient scrolls, books, and religious scriptures that have been neglected by their owners and left gathering dust. These creatures embody the accumulated knowledge contained within old writings, which rises into supernatural life when valuable texts are abandoned and left unstudied. Their appearance is extravagant, with ornate volumes and scrolls arranged around their bodies like a kimono. A scroll decorated with tassels serves as a headpiece, while the spirit develops a bird-like beak and long arms capable of extending to extraordinary lengths.

Driven by the wisdom contained in the writings that compose them, Kyōrinrin rise as dragon-like spirits. They use their elongated arms to attack the ignorant owners who have allowed priceless books and scriptures to fall into disuse. Their supernatural aggression reflects the idea that knowledge should be respected rather than neglected, particularly when it has been preserved in ancient and valuable texts.

As a type of tsukumogami, Kyōrinrin belong to the Japanese tradition of objects acquiring supernatural life. Their existence transforms forgotten books and religious writings into imposing guardians of neglected knowledge, reminding people that the wisdom of earlier generations deserves attention and respect.

Sources

“Kyōrinrin.” Yokai.com. https://yokai.com/kyourinrin/