curious ordinary

Thank you, and thanks so much for reading.

Momijigari Hunting for Autumn Leaves in Japan

Halloween is not traditionally celebrated in Japan so for #LegendaryWednesday I thought instead I'd share my latest article about momijigari, which means autumn leaf viewing. It includes a traditional tale, yokai, photographs, and art and poetry inspired by autumn.
open.substack.com/pub/curiouso...

Thank you for the link, I will enjoy reading that when I can. I'm always keen to learn more.

I'm sure you're right. 😁

Oh that's fabulous, I'm curious to learn more now.

I agree, I love it.

Apologies for the lack of sound in the video but it will give you the idea.

PomPoko No Face Scene literally only uploading this becuase I couldn’t find just this scene anywhere else.

....kitsune or, most frequently, mujina (magical badgers). Here is the link to the full nopperabo scene in the Studio Ghibli film Pom Poko, which is a perfect example of how this yokai operates.
vimeo.com/312456572
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A scene from the Studio Ghibli film Pom Poko where there are multiple faceless people in a convenience store.

...in the terror they cause. When a victim runs from one faceless #yokai they find themselves confronted with yet another. Sometimes nopperabo even take the form of family members or friends to really freak their victims out. It is believed that these yokai are actually shapeshifting tanuki,...
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A person in traditional Japanese dress with a blank face.

...around on dark streets, often keeping their backs turned until people get close, whereupon it turns to reveal a featureless face. In some cases it will initially appear with a face, but use one hand to wipe it away, revealing a featureless orb instead. Nopperabo work in groups, delighting...
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A person with a blank face stands at a good stall at night. The awning is blue and white checks.

Nopperabo is a strange supernatural phenomenon from #JapaneseFolklore. This yokai appears just like any normal human, but it is far from ordinary because it has no face. Generally nopperabo aim to scare unsuspecting victims out of their wits. They lurk...
#WyrdWednesday
🎨Matthew Meyer @yokai.com
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Re-sharing one of my favourite #yokai for #WyrdWednesday and the spooky season.

An old woman with a wide mouth.

... broom which will cause her to scurry away and hide under the floorboards. In the past there was a belief that each part of the house had a guardian spirit and nando baba may once have been one of these. Over time the custom evolved and she became known as a yokai instead.
🎨Shigeru Mizuki
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An old woman peeks around the corner of a cupboard in a traditional home.

In #JapaneseFolklore nando baba is the storeroom hag who lurks inside closets. Appearing as a ragged old woman this #yokai is fairly harmless but is known to leap out screaming and chase you. It seems the best defence is to hit her over the head with a...
#WyrdWednesday
🎨Matthew Meyer @yokai.com
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That's really interesting, and bizarre.

Four tanuki stand in a river using one tanuki's expanded scrotum as a fishing net.

A tanuki stands on a river bank using his enormous expanded scrotum to kill birds.

A group of tanuki reading a sign on a wall fashioned out of an expanded scrotum.

Weightlifting practice using giant scrotums as weights.

In #JapaneseFolklore tanuki are a shapeshifting #yokai with a special talent involving their magical expanding scrotums. #Ukiyoe artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi depicted them in a series of prints that are perfect for today's #WyrdWednesday. And these are just the tip of the tanuki testicle iceberg.
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A woman lies back as food grows from her body. On the right is the sun god Amaterasu and on the left the moon god Tsukuyomi.

In Japanese mythology the food goddess Ukemochi invited the moon god Tsukuyomi to a special feast. When he arrived, the goddess produced the food for the meal from her body. She vomited up the fish, meat and rice. She then pulled even more food from her nose and rectum. Rather...
#WyrdWednesday
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A human head with two horns with a fish body. Waves behind.

Jinja hime are #yokai found in deep lakes and oceans of Japan. They have a long serpentine body with the head of a woman. Their name means 'shrine princess' and they are believed to be servants to Ryujin, the sea dragon king, at his palace, Ryugu.
🎨Yaemi Shigyo via (nishigawakobo.com)
#WyrdWednesday

A man sits holding a sword and an enormous spider sits in a web above him.

In #JapaneseFolklore there are believed to be terrifying #yokai spiders. They look exactly like regular spiders during the day but at night, when everyone is sleeping, they grow to an enormous size and develop supernatural powers. Yokai spiders shapeshift and take on...
#LegendaryWednesday
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Illustration depicting instruments that have developed human characteristics. The koto in centre has a face and hair. The biwa right is a person with a biwa as their head.

In #JapaneseFolklore there's a belief that objects that are very old are able to gain a spirit and transform into a type of #yokai known as tsukumogami. In the case of musical instruments this can occur if they're stored away for long periods of time and are no longer played.
#LegendaryWednesday
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The tale of Kasane is a Japanese ghost story about a woman murdered by her husband because although he wanted her money he found her far too ugly. She returned as a vengeful ghost to make sure he wasn't able to be happily married ever again
bsky.app/profile/curi...
#LegendaryWednesday #WyrdWednesday

I'm afraid I don't. It's a beautiful little shrine to visit.

It's a beautiful city to explore, enjoy your time there. I can't wait to go back one day.

So beautiful 💙

All the things I do that actually add value to my life are not about earning money. An income is obviously important in life but if it's all we focus on then we risk becoming very one dimensional...in my opinion.

Great advice Zack, and a good reminder for me too.

What a beauty

Netsuke in the form of a tengu mountain demon emerging from an egg.

Netsuke in the form of a tengu mountain demon emerging from an egg - this image shows an underneath view of the object

Here we share the object that inspired the animation by Abby Senter.

This 19th-century netsuke takes the form of a tengu mountain demon emerging from an egg.

Resharing for #NationalBlackCatDay 🐈‍⬛

A-Yokai-A-Day: The Ghost Who Asked a Fox to Stop a Drinking Problem | Matthew Meyer (The Yokai Guy) Get more from Matthew Meyer (The Yokai Guy) on Patreon

Tonight on A-Yokai-A-Day:

How do you get a loved one to overcome their drinking problem? Especially if you're already dead? One clever ghost found a way to do so by enlisting a fox to help out.

🍶🦊👻

Read tonight's story for free on my Patreon at the link below!

www.patreon.com/posts/yokai-...