Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Yain-nyudo
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Yain-nyūdō is a mysterious supernatural creature described in the Japanese tale Shin Otogihishi. Its true appearance and identity remain unknown, but it manifests as a terrifying apparition featuring black, hairy legs and three enormous monk’s heads. The heads appear together in a strange triangular arrangement above the eaves of a temple, creating a grotesque sight in the darkness.
The haunting took place at a Hachiman Shrine in Yachi, where a monk named Jōrinbō of Enpuku-ji Temple was responsible for the shrine’s rituals. A wide moat separated the temple from the shrine, its surface covered with water lilies while carp and turtles swam through the water. One moonless, drizzly night, a visiting monk named Shūtatsu stepped onto the veranda and noticed a pair of black, hairy legs protruding from the opposite bank. Looking upward, he saw three enormous monk’s heads arranged in a triangle along the temple’s e
Sources
“夜陰 (Yain).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1014127303.html