Katawaguruma

monster · Japan · East Asia and Pacific

Katawaguruma ('broken wheel') is a yokai of Edo-period Japanese ghost lore: a burning wheel rolling through the night, sometimes bearing the tormented face of a woman in its hub. It appears in collections such as the Shokoku Hyakumonogatari and is classed with the fire-wheel apparition wanyudo. Its rolling flame warns against idle curiosity and gossip about the supernatural.

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