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 read like news reports, simply explaining what happened without commentary or justification for why something happens. Like Matsuura Iyo's bakemono, or the henge that killed Itagaki Saburō,
Oct 5, 2022 • Subscribe
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While yesterday's story was quite Halloween-ish and creepy, today's is a bit more amusing. It still has plenty of creepy elements though. Since Shokoku hyakumonogatari is written as…
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A-Yokai-A-Day: Shōni no mushi
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A-Yokai-A-Day: Shōni no mushi
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A-Yokai-A-Day: How a Tsuchigumo Turned into a Woman in Kaga
Tonight's yōkai is a tsuchigumo: an interesting term with a lot of history. Literally it means "earth spider," and they are depicted in scroll paintings as gigantic monster…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Hashii Yasaburō Ferried a Ghost
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A-Yokai-A-Day: How Baba Kurōzu Defeated a Daija
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A-Yokai-A-Day: How a Woman’s Obsession Became a Snake in Tōsa Province
Tonight's story deals with a common theme in Shokoku hyakumonogatari: obsession. The Japanese word used in these stories is 執心, and it refers to the kind of improper…
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Tonight's story is another one dealing with attachment. And once again, snakes are used as a symbol for that attachment. One term that might be unfamiliar to some…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How the Obsession in Love Letters Became an Oni
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A-Yokai-A-Day: How Mankichi Tayū Became a Bakemono’s Master
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A-Yokai-A-Day: How Killing Turned a Man’s Hair White
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A-Yokai-A-Day: Kanshaku
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A-Yokai-A-Day: Shinshaku
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(My Wife Draws) A-Yokai-A-Day: How Hating a Stepdaughter Backfired in Shimōsa Province
I'm resting my broken arm today to make sure I don't over-stress it, so my wife has kindly taken over for the illustration again. Tonight's story features a…
A-Yokai-A-Day: How Itagaki Saburō Was Killed by a Henge in Suruga Province
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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 the Power of Sake Overcame a Bakemono
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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: The Bakemono in the Outhouse
Tonight's story is very short and, if I'm being honest, doesn't translate too well into English. In Japanese, the language is creepy and evocative, but translated into English…
A-Yokai-A-Day 2020 Lineup
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A-Yokai-A-Day 2020 Lineup
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A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri Musume
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A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri Musume
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A-Yokai-A-Day: How Hasegawa Chōzaemon’s Daughter Showed Love to a Crab
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Hey everyone! It's the end of the September, and that means Halloween season is almost upon us! Personally I think that all of September should just be called…
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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.…
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One thing I love about the stories in Shokoku hyakumonogatari is that they can be so specific about the locations these stories take place. Some of them go…
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Before we get to today's yokai, I'd like to take a moment to point out that both this website and yokai.com are presented ad-free and paywall-free. That's because…
A-Yokai-A-Day: The Monk Who Met a Bōrei in Shimotsuke
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How Mother 3 Breaks You
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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…
Prospera is a caring mother who loves her tall daughters
I'm curious where we'd be if Vim hadn't abandoned the assassination attempt.
Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri Musume (page 2)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. As I explained earlier, I will be presenting Hakoiri musume menya ningyo one page at a time. However, some…
A-Yokai-A-Day: Hakoiri musume (page 22)
If you enjoy A-Yokai-A-Day, please consider joining my Patreon. Today Heiji comes up with a plan to make money (with the mermaid’s help, of course). From the two-page…