Yokai of the Home
We’ve already explored the Yokai you can find in your bathroom, but what about other Yokai you can find in your home? For a quick refresher (or for those who haven’t listened to our Yokai episode yet). Yokai are a Japanese spirit and/or supernatural beings that inhabit all different spaces throughout the world. Since there are so many, I want to focus on ones you may find in the stranger parts of your home. We’ll be exploring the Makuragaeshi, the Hahakigami, and The Himamushi Nyudo - just three of the dozens of strange yokai you could find in your home.
As a refresher, Yokai - which translates to ‘strange apparition, are supernatural entities and spirits that inhabit Japanese folklore. They have been used to explain strange phenomena throughout history and did not always have human origins - for example, yokai spirits could possess objects.
This brings us to Makuragaeshi, which roughly translate to ‘pillow flipper’ in English. These yokai are tricksters and, like their name suggests, usually haunt bedrooms. They are usually responsible for flipping your pillow, moving it, or even moving an entire futon. However, not all Makuragaeshi are satisfied just playing pranks and their actions can grow more sinister. There are several stories where Makuragaeshi become violent and move people around, even flipping them. In the most severe cases, it is said Makuragaeshi sit on your chest and force all the air out of your lungs. Some even blame them for sleep paralysis.
But what are they? Are these yokai inhabiting your pillow? Your bedroom floor? Your bed?
Sadly, it is said that Makuragaeshi are children who died in the place they chose to haunt. An indication of their presence are small, muddy or dirty footprints in your room.
Now, let’s leave the bedroom and do some cleaning up with the Hahakigami. Hahakigami means broom spirit...however, not every broom is a Hahakigami. This is specifically a ritual broom that is used in purification rituals.
Like many yokai, the Hahakigami has a playful side - on breezy autumn afternoons you can find it swirling around sweeping falling leaves. But how does an ordinary broom become a Hahakigami? It is said that if the broom is routinely used in rituals, especially regarding the birthing of babies and the getting rid of unwelcome guests, it will become animate. Or, if a broom reaches a very old age, like 100 years, it will also become animate.
Finally, we end up in the study to meet with the Himamushi Nyudo. This particular yokai lives in your floorboards and appears as a small humanoid, with a long neck, bald head, and a long tongue. It uses this long tongue to lick the oil out of oil lamps. It’s translation is close to ‘those who waste their time at night’. This yokai wants everyone to be a bad student - it takes away your attention, causes you to lose focus and even scares you a bit!
A scourge to scholars and those enjoy pulling all nighters, it’s surprising the Astonishing Legends Team hasn’t been visited by one yet!
I hope this post encourages you to look at your house with a little more whimsy and strangeness. You never know what your pillow may have in store for you, what that broom in the corner is up to, or the consequences of staying up all night.
Thank you so much to Cameron K for this blogstonishing topic.
This image is licensed under the Public Domain, it is Makura-gaeshi (the pillow-moving spirit) from Kyōka Hyaku Monogatari
