Nurarihyon

monster · Japan · East Asia and Pacific

Nurarihyon, the 'Supreme Commander of the Yōkai,' is an elderly aristocratic yōkai of Japanese folklore with a gourd-shaped head and flowing robes. He enters empty homes, makes tea, and acts the master so convincingly that returning residents defer to him. The title 'yōkai no oyadama' is modern, coined by folklorist Fujisawa Morihiko and popularized by Shigeru Mizuki's GeGeGe no Kitarō.

Open in the interactive archive →