Abura Sumashi - 油すまし - [Yokai]

Abura-Sumashi - JP: 油すまし - "oil presser"

 •About this Yokai:

Said to once have been an oil thief, this rare yokai lives in the mountains of kumamoto (southern japan) close to where tea leaves grow wildly. – Its head is a large stone shaped like a potato, with an unchanging poised expression. Legend has it that if you’re walking in the Kusazumigoe mountain pass and you mention him, he will appear out of thin air, angrily shaking his lamp at you!!! ..it’s rude to talk about someone who's listening!!

• History:

Before Electricity: Oil used to be quite difficult to make (one method was by crushing up tea seeds.) so stealing it was considered a very serious crime. There are a lot of yokai that steal oil or drink it, perhaps they use it to fuel themselves too...

The popular appearance of this yokai seems to originate/have been popularized by Mizuki Shigeru (Gegege Kitaro) whose yokai bestiaries are notable for reviving/keeping yokai in the modern publics eye, so much that there's an entire road dedicated to him with statues of his designs. - Abura Sumashi also makes an appearance in the supervised the great yokai war movies in which Mizuki was on staff!

Sticker Art by @Samkalensky (yo thats me!) - Part of my Night parade of 100 Demons - Yokai & Japanese folklore sticker collection, weather-resistant 4" Glossy sticker. Check my shop & follow @samkalensky for many more!