Yakan-Zuru - 薬缶吊る - [Yokai]

"Yakan-zuru" - (JP: 薬缶吊る) - "The hanging kettle" - Nagano Prefecture.

• About this yokai: A Mysterious iron kettle-shaped-yokai that dangles from trees in the woods at night. If you're walking alone and think to yourself "man, i'm thirsty" it will drop down. If you see it, you'll be overcome with the urge to take a sip... The brew tastes sweet & refreshing --But you'll fall ill soon after drinking it.

Surprisingly. it's decidedly -not- a Tsukumogami! - (Though there are many other haunted kettle yokai.) when you see this one you might also think of a fox or tanukis tricks, however, the yakanzuru it does not seem to be a tanuki or fox (Though there are very similar tanuki, foxes and other yokai that pop out of nowhere to offer someone a drink or food (Kabukiri kozo & TofuKozo for instance.) -Rather it seems to be a unique yokai that just so happens to -look exactly like an iron kettle. Which perhaps makes this one a bit of an oddity.

Something as simple as a kettle hanging in the woods can invoke an ominous feeling, why would someone leave such a nice kettle there... I suppose it could be a simple cautionary tale not to drink from strange kettles which hang low in the woods (ones left behind by hikers perhaps?) there isn't much info about this one to be found about this one online. (so, if you're from Nagano (or just happen to know more!) I'd love to hear your take!)

Art by @samkalensky(yo thats me!) part of my Hyakki Yagyo: Night Parade of 100 demons, yokai sticker set.