Tonight's story repeats some common themes — namely, a problem caused by attachment to material wealth, and snakes being used to represent that attachment. This story is interesting in that the people involved have the chance to make their sin right. At first they try to "outwit" their own karma, which I find very interesting,
Oct 3, 2023 • Subscribe
More like this
A-Yokai-A-Day: How a Madwoman Was Mistaken for a Ghost
Horror stories often use moments of comic relief to break up the tension so things don't get too oppressive. Shokoku hyakumonogatari is no different. There are a few…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Elder of Saikōji in Bungo Province Who Was Attached to Gold
Tonight's story is another example of a problem caused by attachment to material things -- the core sin of Buddhism. That this story takes place at a temple,…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Ōno Dōkan Was Unfazed by Ayashimi
Tonight's story deals with something called ayashimi. I chose not to translate this word, because it is vague even in Japanese. Ayashimi means something strange or mysterious, and…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Tanba Sarugaku Was Caught by a Henge
The yokai in tonight's story is only referred to as a henge. Like bakemono from a few days ago, henge is a fairly generic term for a monster…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Matsumura Sukenojō Was Taken By a Fuka
Tonight's tale describes a sea monster called a fuka. This strange creature's name is written 海豚魚, or sea-pig-fish. Today these kanji are used for the word iruka, or…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Horikoshi From Tōtomi Province Was Infatuated With His Daughter-in-Law
Today is the first day of October, and that marks the start of A-Yokai-A-Day! I hope you'll join me in sharing yokai on social media/blogs/wherever using the #ayokaiaday…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How a Woman Was Taken by a Kasha For Using Two Measuring Cups
Tonight's yokai is something called a kasha - meaning "fire chariot." Kasha were giant cats that interrupted funerals and robbed graves of the sinful. The cat connection comes…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Mayoinomono That Was Afraid of the Go’ō of Nigatsudō
Tonight's story features a great word that I haven't heard in other stories: mayoimono! This is another word for ghost, and literally means "lost/wandering thing." I love it.…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How the Power of Sake Overcame a Bakemono
October has arrived and Spooky Season is upon us! Welcome to another year's season of A-Yokai-A-Day! Every day this month I will translate, illustrate, and post one spooky…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Sandayū From Chikuzen Province Slept With a Ghost
Tonight's story deals with a yūrei, or a ghost. We've seen a few horrific monsters so far, but, while there is no shortage of terrifying ghost stories, tonight's…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Unshō, a Monk from Shima Province, Escaped from a Poisonous Serpent
Tonight's yōkai is another serpent like the one we saw a couple of weeks ago. Contrary to my normal pattern of leaving yōkai names untranslated, I use English…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Samurai’s Shiryō from Sendai
The creature in tonight's story is referred to as a shiryō. This is essentially identical to the term bōrei, which we've seen several times so far this month.…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Obsession of the Woman from Peony Hall
Tonight's story is a variation on a folktale that is famous all over the world. The Tale of the Peony Lantern has been featured in A-Yokai-A-Day before, and…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Itagaki Saburō Was Killed by a Henge in Suruga Province
Hello yokai lovers! It's that time of the year again: A-Yokai-A-Day is here! In celebration of Halloween season, every day this October I will post a translation and…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Denzaemon from Amagasaki Met a Bakemono at a Hot Spring
Today's yōkai is another generic-sounding "bakemono." It may have been a shapechanged kitsune or tanuki, although they often prefer to play tricks rather than outright kill their victims.…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How the Mistress of a Certain Man in Kii Province Died and Obsession Brought Her Back
Tonight's yokai is another ghost. However, while yesterday's was described as a yūrei due to being faint and eerie, this one is much more violent. The story never…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Kiya no Sukegorō’s Mother Ate a Dead Man in Her Dream
Today's story is somewhat rare in that it is a morality tale. With a few exceptions (like Dōchin's lesson about pride), most of the stories in Shokoku hyakumonogatari…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Kurita Genpachi Slew a Bakemono
As I mentioned, the Mononoke Ichi yokai market and hyakki yagyo night parade was yesterday in Kyoto. This was the first night parade since the covid pandemic, and…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Baba Kurōzu Defeated a Daija
Tonight's yokai is another daija -- a word that covers serpentine creatures all the way from large snakes to dragons. I'm always torn over how to paint these…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Hashii Yasaburō Ferried a Ghost
Tonight's story is one of my favorites in Shokoku hyakumonogatari. Something about the ghost being upside-down is so creepy and visually striking. Not only that, it's part love…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Learning the Art of War from Yuzuru no Kannon
Tonight's story is from Shimōsa Province, which today covers part of Chiba, Ibaraki, Saitama and Tokyo Prefectures, however, the precise location of Sano nor of the Yuzuru Kannon…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Yūrei of the Kirishitans
Tonight's yokai is a yūrei, or simply, a ghost. There are lots of ways to say "ghost" in Japanese. Yūrei literally means "faint spirit," and it is used…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Dōchin’s Pride Was Wounded by a Tengu at Kuragari Peak in Kawachi
Today's tale showcases an exceedingly famous kind of yōkai: a tengu. They are one of the "big 3" yōkai of Japanese folklore, along with oni and kappa (and…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Woman’s Bōrei from Mihogasaki, Suruga Province
Our yōkai tonight is another bōrei, or ghost, although not in the traditional sense of a spooky white dead person who hunts you down and kills you. This…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Ōishi Matanojō and the Blessing From the Chijin
I've recovered enough movement in my arm to start painting again, which is a much more pleasant way to spend the day than sitting around and doing nothing.…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Killing Turned a Man’s Hair White
Tonight's story may seem a bit weird to Western readers with its focus on "killing." What may seem to some as simple hunting or fishing, whether for fun…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Mankichi Tayū Became a Bakemono’s Master
Tonight's story is wonderfully silly. And the yokai in this story is a rare one! Instead of a tanuki, yūrei, or a daija, as this book is fond…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Nekomata of Echigo Province
Animal yōkai are always popular with readers, both abroad and in Japan. I found that with the reaction to my latest book, The Fox's Wedding! Tonight's story is…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Katawaguruma of Higashinotōin, Kyōto
Tonight's story is about a katawaguruma, although the original illustration found in Shokoku hyakumonogatari more closely resembles a wanyūdō. It just goes to show that the names and…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Bōrei of Tsuruga Province
Today I am in Kyoto attending the Mononoke Ichi flea market and hyakki yagyo night parade. It's been 3 years since the last time this event took place…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Origin of the Surname ‘Nikurube’
Tonight's story is another tale about romance and ghosts, although it's not a horrific one like many that we've seen. Instead, this ghost story sets up an interesting…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Munemushi
If you’d like to join me and many others in painting a yokai a day this month, all you have to do is paint, draw, or create any…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Kanshaku
If you’d like to join me and many others in painting a yokai a day this month, all you have to do is paint, draw, or create any…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Kanmushi
If you’d like to join me and many others in painting a yokai a day this month, all you have to do is paint, draw, or create any…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Shinshaku
If you’d like to join me and many others in painting a yokai a day this month, all you have to do is paint, draw, or create any…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How A Wager Led to a Child’s Decapitation
With only three stories left in this year's A-Yokai-A-Day, it's time for me to plug my Patreon again. If you like these stories and illustrations, I do this…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Farmer in Kumano Whose Wife was Taken by a Henge
Tonight's yōkai is once again referred to by the generic word henge. Essentially it's a shape-shifter, although we don't know what its true form is. However, I find…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How the Obsession in Love Letters Became an Oni
Tonight's story features another oni and another chigo. The chigo here is presented as a sex symbol, the embodiment of the ideal male youth. The oni is born…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Attachment of Shirai Sukesaburō of Gōshū’s Daughter, and How She Became a Daija
Tonight's story is a sad one, with tragedy upon tragedy piling up. The yokai is called a daija, which literally means "giant snake." However, when looking at Edo…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Jealousy of Shibata Shume’s Wife
Jealousy once again rears its ugly head! It's a very common theme in Shokoku hyakumonogatari. In fact, tonight's story contains quite a few repeated themes that we've seen…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Ao Oni of Kaga Province
Tonight's story is rather brief, but it's rather funny. The idea of all the bravest samurai from the three provinces of Kaga, Etchū, and Noto (comprising all of…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Rokurokubi of Fuchū, Echizen Province
The first place that I lived in Japan was Fuchū, Echizen, so this story is very special to me. Although I never encountered any yōkai when I lived…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Bakemono of Himeji Castle, Banshū
Tonight's yokai is a famous one that has appeared not only on yokai.com and A-Yokai-A-Day before, but even in Shokoku hyakumonogatari. Although she is not referred to by…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Ghost of Shimazu Tōshirō’s Wife
Tonight's story is a classic ghost story. The ghost has all of the standard elements: the white kimono, the disheveled, long hair, blackened teeth; and she visits every…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Ghost of Honnōji Shichibyōe’s Wife
One thing I love about the stories in Shokoku hyakumonogatari is that they are so specific about the locations these stories take place. Some of them go right…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Attachment of Saigō Iyo’s Wife
Tonight's tale takes place in Gōshū, which is another name for Ōmi Province, or what is today Shiga Prefecture. Sawayama is in what is now Hikone City, however…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Onryō of Abe Sōbei’s Wife
Tonight's story features an onryō, the most terrifying of all Japanese monsters. (Yes, even more terrifying than the toilet stroker!) The fear of ghosts that come back from…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Bakemono of the Twin Mounds of Rendaino
Tonight's tale uses us the generic term "bakemono" in the title again. However, within the story the original text uses the word kijin—鬼神 meaning oni goddess—to describe her…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Genshin of Mt. Hiei Saw Hell and Came Back
🦇 Happy Halloween!!! 🦇 Tonight's is the final story in this year's A-Yokai-A-Day. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed these stories and my paintings (and my…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Man From Saiki Village in Tanba Province Who Became an Oni While Still Living
Happy Halloween! Today marks the end of A-Yokai-A-Day -- a day that is always both sad and a relief for me, as I enjoy doing this project so…