Oborogaruma – 朧車 – [Yokai | Tsukumogami]

Description

Oboroguruma – 朧車 – Hazy taxi.

•About this yokai: Sometimes said to be the lingering spirit of a nobleman -who died a petty death during a parking dispute: he didn’t get the best parking spot he wanted so he picked a fight and paid the price! Now fuelled by resentment & rage on particularly hazy evenings, it will run over unsuspecting pedestrians in kyoto over just for the fun of it as a ghostly Ox cart.

•Origin: earliest named in Toriyama Sekiens Konjaku Hyakki Shūi (1781) – The illustration shows a ghostly oxcart on a moonlt night, a gigantic smiling face sticks out of the front. – the included bit of prose goes as follows:

“Long ago on a misty moonlit night, the sound of oxcart wheels could be heard on a Kamo boulevard. if one were to look out they would have been greeted by a weird sight; the grudge of those jockeying their carts for position” – [translation: Japandemonium 2017]

This yokai is said to be inspired by on the carriage scene from the heian period novel; ”The Tale of Genji”.  In the story; lady Rokujo is pushed out of her prime viewing spot by a rival during the kamo festival, she becomes so enraged that she becomes a living ghost! (See also Irikyo.) 

That’s right, This yokai is pretty much the embodiment of an ancient parking dispute! Today most museums tend to use this yokais name for any oxcart-relevant yokai.

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!