You leave work at 3 am yet again, glumly thinking I’m going to become another karoshi statistic. The nearest capsule hotel is just a half-hour walk away, but you’re knackered and you know a shortcut: straight through an unlit park. It’s dark and you can barely see past your own nose, but you also know this park like the back of your hand.

So off you go, stepping on the grass in brazen disregard of the rules, when suddenly you walk into a wall. Literally. What? Did they put in a new block of toilets? You try to go around it, first left, then right. But the wall seems to go on forever: after walking along the wall for a good five minutes you’re drenched in cold sweat and beginning to think you’re losing your mind.

You wearily lean against the wall and light up a cigarette to calm your frazzled nerves. I’m just tired and starting to imagine things, you think. The city council’s in debt; maybe they sold half the park to some rich eccentric. Just as your hands stop shaking, the wall behind you disappears – you’re on the ground, on your back, looking up at the stars.

Well and truly freaked out now, you dash through the park in record time, slowing down only when you round the corner and the capsule hotel’s lights come into view. What the hell just happened?!

You, my friend, just got punk’d by a nurikabe (塗壁), a ghostly plaster wall.

A Primer on Nurikabe

The nurikabe is just one of Japan’s many youkai (妖怪), the otherworldly apparitions of Japanese folklore. It is representative of the coastal areas of Fukuoka, almost always invisible, and as I’ve hinted at, really enjoys taking the mickey out of nighttime travelers.

There is some debate as to whether nurikabe is even a youkai in and of itself. For example, references to nurikabe in the historical records of Fukuoka’s Oita prefecture place the blame squarely on tanuki – or more specifically, on the tanuki’s super-stretchy scrotum – for the wall that appears out of nowhere to block a traveler’s path. Oita also has a folktale where a tanuki stands on a traveler’s obi knot and covers the traveler’s eyes with its paws – hence the “invisible” wall.

For the sake of argument, though, let’s assume the nurikabe is a separate being. There are several variants, although their modus operandi is always to obstruct or impede someone’s path. Generally, a nurikabe will disappear if you hit its nether regions; in contrast, the nobusuma (野襖) variant is a Japanese sliding door that disappears if you just sit a spell and have a smoke. The nuribou (ヌリボウ), yet another variant, is specific to mountain roads, and grows out of the mountainside at night.

Some people claim to have seen nurikabe too: regular folks as well as celebrities. Shigeru Mizuki, one of Japan’s great mangakas, was a soldier in Papua New Guinea during WWII. Following an enemy attack, he became separated from the rest his company. While alone in the jungle, something like a wall of hardened coal tar suddenly appeared. Attempts to sidestep it were futile; the wall quickly grew to encircle him. Tired and confused, he stopped to rest – and the wall spontaneously disappeared.

More recently, in 2005 the medium Yuuko Sou visited the infamous Aokigahara to film a segment for the “Youkai Kids” (妖怪キッズ) TV program. She and the TV crew were just about to enter the forest when a blurry, wall-like thing allegedly rose from the ground, as if the spirits of the dead had come together to say, No further! If you’ve come to commit suicide, you can’t enter!

The Origins of Nurikabe

The veracity of these real-life stories aside (hey, who am I to judge?), how and why did the nurikabe legend start?

Nurikabe was first depicted in a painting by Tourin Kanou in 1802, and was first mentioned in literature in 1938, in a bulletin published by the Folklore Society of Japan (日本民俗学会, Nihon Minzoku Gakkai). However, neither offered much information on the origins of nurikabe.

A similar creature is seen in a scroll painting at Kawasaki Museum, but no-one knew what it was – until the above painting, fortuitously annotated with a name, was found in a library at Utah’s Brigham Young University in 2007.

Some say nurikabe was just a story created to explain the delay or non-arrival of travelers. Others claim that nurikabe are merely reflections in puddles, amplified by the flickering firelight from the kagari-bi (篝火) lanterns used during the Edo period. Another theory, which I personally think is the most credible, was put forward by Bintarou Yamaguchi, a novelist, manga writer, and youkai scholar.

Yamaguchi-san theorized that nurikabe came about during the Edo period, when the craftsmen of Usuki city in Oita became especially known for their skill in making the increasingly popular, water-resistant plaster walls. Meanwhile, polished white rice was fast becoming a staple in lieu of brown rice. This meant that the poor, who often had nothing but rice to eat, were severely lacking in vitamins A and B1 – hello night blindness and beri-beri!

Beri-beri is an unfortunate ailment of the nervous system, whose symptoms include extreme lethargy and fatigue – every step forward is a mission. Night blindness is basically just that: it’s very difficult or impossible for those affected to see in relatively low light. Together, these two afflictions plus some imagination perfectly describe the nurikabe phenomenon: nighttime travelers figuratively hitting a wall they cannot see.

The Nurikabe Today

The manga GeGeGe no Kitarou (ゲゲゲの鬼太郎) or Hakaba Kitarou (墓場鬼太郎, “Kitarou of the Graveyard”) is a Japanese classic, and was the brainchild of Mizuki-sensei, whom I mentioned earlier. He is much-feted in his hometown of Sakaiminato, where there is a museum dedicated to him, and bronze statues of the GeGeGe no Kitaro characters, including one of nurikabe, line Mizuki Road.

The manga has been adapted into several anime and live action versions which include nurikabe as one of Kitarou’s cronies. Did you spot the nurikabe family around 0:33, 0:40, and 0:48?

Thanks to the popularity of GeGeGe no Kitarou, nurikabe went from being relatively unknown to being a youkai celebrity. This also meant that Mizuki-sensei singlehandedly (literally – he lost his left arm during the war) determined how the whole of Japan now visualizes nurikabe: as a sleepy-eyed, wall-like creature with stubby arms and legs.

Note how different the contemporary interpretation of nurikabe is compared to Kanou-sensei’s version!

Nurikabe has also loaned its name to the binary determination puzzle created by Lenin (れーにん), where the goal is to determine the location of each “wall.” I haven’t had the time to have a go at it myself, but at first glance it seems like a hybrid of nonograms and Minesweeper.

The dots represent cells that are known to be white, and the white cells represent (presumably) the nurikabe walls.

So, have you tried the nurikabe puzzle? Or has anyone had an encounter with a nurikabe or any other youkai for that matter? Halloween’s coming up; share your ghost stories!

※ This post was requested by cloudsnapper some weeks ago – or like, eons ago in Internet time. So if you’re reading this, cloudsnapper, thanks for being so patient and I hope you enjoyed it!

Header image by bluegreen405

Traditional Japanese Ghosts

Traditional Japanese beliefs state that every human being has a soul called a reikon (霊魂). After death, the reikon exits the body and enters a temporal stage where it waits for the living to perform final rites and funeral rituals for them. If these are completed properly, the reikon is satisfied and it can be at peace in death, leaving spiritual limbo and continuing on to the afterlife. This sort of reikon will become a spiritual protector of its family, looking down on its ancestors with favor.

However, if a person dies an unnatural, traumatic death, or if their final rites aren’t properly performed, the reikon becomes a yūrei and starts wreaking havoc on everyone’s sanity. The yūrei wallows in temporal space, forever yearning for whatever needs to be done for it to finally achieve peace in the afterlife. If the yūrei has strong enough emotional ties to the physical world however, it can return as a ghost. A scary ghost. One that’s sure to give you the heebie-jeebies.

These ghosts dwell on Earth, haunting its fleshy inhabitants. While all Japanese ghosts are referred to as yūrei, there are a handful of specific types differentiated mostly by the circumstances surrounding their death.

Onryō – 怨霊

Onryō are female ghosts who were abused or neglected by their lovers in life. These ghosts dwell in the physical world seeking vengeance on those who wronged them. Strangely enough though, they rarely do actual harm to the lovers who hurt them. They are also the most common type of ghost seen in Japanese horror films. In the case of onryō, the emotions tying them to the land of the living are usually hatred or sorrow- sometimes both. So if you’re in Japan, be sure to not piss off any ladies because they might come back as onryō and ruin your life.

Ubume – 産女

Women who die in childbirth or without providing for their children before death are classified as ubume. The power of their motherly love allows them to remain in the physical world to attempt to help the children they failed in life. Usually they come back to help their child in a time of need or leave gifts for them mysteriously. A mother’s duty is very important in Japan, and the stories of ubume are many.

Appearing in the form common to most Japanese ghosts, ubume are clad in robes of white, have long, unbound, disheveled hair, and are creepier than your perverted uncle Mike. Given their grim origins, the stories revolving around ubume are more sorrowful than those of onryō and focus mainly on the mother’s quest to ensure her child’s continued safety.

There’s no haunting to be had in these stories; the mother’s spirit directly interacts with her child after death, serving as a sort of guardian angel. However, in her providing for the child, the mother inadvertently leaves clues that otherworldly devices are at work. The most common sign are coins and gifts left for the child that turn into dead leaves after they’ve been discovered. Worst. Birthday. Ever.

Goryō – 御霊

Goryō are malicious, vengeful spirits – martyred in life and returning for revenge in the form of widespread death and destruction. Usually these spirits were those of the ruling class (the more powerful the person, the more powerful the spirit). Out of all the yūrei, goryō are undoubtedly the most dangerous. They can be incredibly powerful. They are capable of everything from destroying crops to evoking widespread natural disasters.

In medieval Japan, it was a common belief that one’s social status carried over with them into the spirit world so goryō were almost always spirits of the aristocracy. The more powerful someone was, the more likely they would return as a ghost capable of great destruction, so naturally respecting the dead was very important. On the other hand, if some jerk assassinates you for no good reason, it doesn’t really matter if there’s a shrine built in your honor because you’re going to be mighty peeved regardless.

Goryō are vengeance ghosts similar to onryō. However, their destructive ways didn’t necessarily end with the death of those who had wronged them. Only the super-cool-mountain-powered yamabushi could put these spirits to rest for good.

Funayūrei – 船幽霊

Funayūrei (ship ghosts) are the ghosts of those who died at sea. They approach seafaring vessels and ask for a bucket or a ladle. If they are given one of these they will deviously scoop water into the ship so efficiently that it will sink (so if you’re driving a big boat, you’ll probably have the time to get to land first, I think).

Funayūrei are usually not the end result of military conflict at sea, however (those who die in battle or on a battlefield are considered separate spirits all their own). Just about any sort of general drowning will do the trick here. They’re simply upset that they died, and now they want to take everyone down with them. Hey, you’d be bummed out too if you drowned in a big puddle.

Their ghost ship will linger by the coast, waiting for fishing vessels to victimize. As one passes by, the ghost crew cries for help in repairing their woefully sinking ship. But if the passing fisherman are nice enough to help out the spirits, they’re screwed. What sort of ghost punishes those who are kind to them? A lousy one.

If the funayūrei are given a bucket or a ladle they will immediately use it to fill the fishing vessel with water and kill all those on board, ultimately creating more funayūrei and ruining a perfectly good boat. Funayūrei sound like a bunch of jerks to me. I don’t like ‘em.

Funayūrei are believed to look human, however some are said to take on a scaly sea-like appearance much like those under Davy Jones’ command. So much for helping out your fellow man at sea, eh?

Zashiki-warashi – 座敷童

Zashiki-warashi are child ghosts who dwell in large, well maintained, fancy houses. They’re a squirrely bunch and really enjoy playing pranks on their fleshy housemates. However, seeing a zashiki-warashi or having one in your home is considered very lucky and can even bring fantastical fortunes.

These spirits usually appear as five or six year old children with bobbed hair and red faces. Zashiki-warashi are unique in the fact that they aren’t hell-bent on murdering everyone or seeking vengeance on those who wronged them. Instead, these ghosts just act like trouble-making kids. They’re brats, but at least they aren’t trying to drown you, right?

Once they’ve decided to haunt your home, they will demand your attention much like any bratty child would. If you choose to ignore the spirit, it will then begin to play increasingly devilish pranks on you until you acknowledge its presence. If you still don’t learn to love your forcibly adopted ghost-child, it will cry its little ghost eyes out and run away from home forever. Congratulations. You’ve failed as a ghost parent. When you die you’ll become an ubume for sure.

Despite their somewhat annoying nature, zashiki-warashi are considered lucky and are capable of bringing riches to those whose homes they inhabit. Should the family successfully adopt and care for the ghost child, they will be rewarded financially. But keep in mind, these kids are no angels. If you want those riches, you’re gonna have to work for ‘em, girl.

Additional Links

• Great post summing up the finer points of Japanese ghosts.
• Detailed post all about Japanese ghosts and ghost related things.
• List of Japan’s most haunted places!

Traditional Japanese Monsters

From the beginning of time, Japanese artwork and folklore has been littered with a baffling amount of unique goblins, ghouls, beasts, and demons. Known collectively as yōkai, these mythical monsters come in hundreds of recognized species complete with back stories, detailed strengths, weaknesses, hobbies, and favorite members of AKB48. A handful of the most famous and widely recognized yōkai are detailed below for your enjoyment.

Kappa – 河童

The kappa is easily one of the most famous creatures to come out of Japan. This angsty aquatic monster is a fusion of duck, frog, and turtle. By their powers combined, a kappa is born. A small pool of water atop the kappa’s head is its only means of functioning on land, and they have an unhealthy obsession with cucumbers. Why they like them so much I do not know.

Nowadays the kappa is loved by many and drawn up to be cute and marketable (even Hello Kitty has one among her diverse group of pals). In days past, however, the kappa was used by parents for psychological warfare against their children. Japanese tykes were warned that if they took a swim without adult supervision, a kappa would sneak up beneath them and suck out their insides through their anus like a hot bowl of ramen noodles. I’m serious. If you don’t believe me, just look at the above picture one more time. Go ahead. Look at it.

Tsukumo-gami – 付喪神

Tsukumo-gami is a yōkai subcategory comprised of inanimate objects that have sprung to life. Two of the most well-known tsukomo-gami are the Karakasa (umbrella ghost) and the Chochinobake (lantern ghost), but virtually any object is capable of transforming into a yōkai. The chances of this happening were said to increase with the object’s age, peaking around the 100 year mark. It was also essential that the object be somehow agitated. Most commonly this would be a result of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Just remember that the next time you think about throwing your XBOX controller across the room in frustration, k?

Kitsune – 狐

We talked about kitsune before in an earlier post (check it out!) so I won’t go into too much detail here.

Stories depict kitsune as intelligent beings possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. The most notable of these abilities is their adaptability to human form. While some folktales speak of kitsune employing this skill to trick folks, other stories portray them as faithful guardians, friends, lovers, and wives.

Foxes were a popular pet in ancient Japan and this gave rise to many a legend concerning them. Kitsune became closely associated with the Shinto spirit known as Inari, and served as its messengers. This role reinforced the fox’s already supernatural significance.

The more tails a kitsune has (up to nine) the older, wiser, and more powerful it is. Because of their potential power and influence, some people also make offerings to them as to a deity (much like weeaboos worship Naruto).

Tengu – 天狗

Tengu are incredibly popular supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. They also continue to make appearances in present day media such as anime and movies. Tengu are one of the best known yōkai and are sometimes worshiped as Shinto kami. Although their name comes from a dog-like Chinese demon (Tiangou), the tengu were originally thought to be birdlike, and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics.

The earliest tengu were pictured with beaks, but this feature has since modernized into an unnaturally long nose (did you know that Pinocchio is actually a tengu?!?!), which is undoubtedly their defining characteristic today.

Buddhist dogma long held that the tengu were disruptive demons who brought both violence and death. However, their image gradually softened into protective, if still dangerous, spirits of the mountains and forests. Tengu are also associated with the practice of Shugendō, and they are usually depicted in the distinctive garb of its followers, the yamabushi.

Enma Daiō – 閻魔大王

Enma Daiō is the Japanese lord of death. He’s so popular they even let him on a TV show called Dragon Ball Z. What more do you need to know?

Other Popular Demons Worth Checking Out

Nekomata (cat monster)

Here kitty kitty kitty~

Jorōgumo (lit. “whore spider”)

Yeah, she gets around.

Kubire-oni (strangler demon)

Another peeping Tom meets his end.

Rokurokubi (long-necked woman)

It is like, soooo hard to find clothes in my size you have like no idea.

Onmoraki (bird demon)

Fire! My only weakness!

Tenjo-sagari (ceiling dweller)

Ceiling cat would be pleased.

Baku (dream-eating chimera)

I’s in your dreams, eatin’ yo’ dreams.

Yamasei (mountain sprite)

Yama say whaaa?

Rashomon no oni (ogre of Rashomon Gate)

You shall not pass!

Waira (mountain-dwelling chimera)

gtfo my mountain, fool.

Japanese Monster Fun Facts!

1. Monsters are tied with robots as Japan’s #1 export! Cool!
2. Japan invented several full genres of monster-centric entertainment! Can you name them all?!
3. Some Japanese people are highly aroused by monsters! Are you!?

Additional Links

• The top 10 strangest Japanese monsters.
• Interesting post about the anatomy of some of the quirkier Japanese monsters.
• Some nifty pictures and short descriptions of Japanese ghosts and monsters.

Want to know how to survive a yōkai attack? Check out this book!

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P.P.S. Does the monster living under your bed look like one of these yōkai? Tell us about it on Twitter.

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