We meet again, my fellow ghoul-loving brethren! How’s everybody enjoying the summer? Well, it’s baking hot right now here in Japan, so what better way to cool off than with an introduction to one of Japan’s most chilling Yokai – the GASHADOKURO!

Like many ukiyo-e prints, I first saw one of these bad boys emblazoned across the back of a t-shirt in a typical airport souvenir store. It was my first visit to Japan and I was flying home to England after an amazing two weeks with bags bursting with purchases, including replica shuriken, a Dragonball keychain and a Gashadokuro T-shirt.

I knew it looked badass, but I had no idea what I was wearing until a few years later when I was back in Japan. My girlfriend questioned my choice of garment when going out for dinner one night… “What’s wrong with my shirt?” I protested, but she just laughed and said “Nothing at all, I’ve just never been to dinner with a Gashadokuro fan before”…

WHAT ARE…Gashadokuro?

Literally translated as “starving skeleton”, there’s nothing particularly unusual about the Gashadokuro’s appearance as it’s just a human skeleton. What makes it strike fear into the hearts of us mere mortals however, is it’s formidable size.

Somebody help meeee!!

Said to originate from Hiroshima, the Gashadokuro is a huge skeleton construct that’s a whopping FIFTEEN times the size of a regular human. Believed to roam the countryside after midnight, the creature fills the air with its rattling teeth and bones, making an irksome “gachi gachi” sound, terrifying the human populous. Gashadokuro are known to creep up and grab unwary, late night travelers, to then bite off their heads before drinking the blood gushing forth from the stumps of their necks. Now THAT’S what I call a bone-chilling though

According to legend, Gashadokuro are created when soldiers or lay folk, die in battle or starve to death in the wilderness. Since death of this nature rarely results in the deceased receiving their proper funeral rites, their souls are unable to pass on to the netherworld and are doomed to roam the world of the living.

With hearts poisoned with anger and pain, the spirits of those deceased are reborn as hungry ghosts that yearn to retrieve what they once lost. Though harmless on their own, when several hundred like-minded spirits converge in the same place, their anger and hatred for humanity becomes concentrated and the bones of their remains rise in unison to form a giant skeleton called a Gashadokuro.

What’s more, they are literally invincible, so they are destined to roam the wilderness until the flame of their hatred eventually dies out. Until that point however, all one can do to escape with one’s life, is run and pray you’re not caught. Alternatively, carrying a Shinto charm is a sure fire way of warding them off.

The good news however, is that because war and famine are no longer a part of everyday Japanese life, the likelihood of enough souls coming together to form one today, is thankfully very remote…

HUNTING FOR…Gashadokuro

With that in mind, you’re probably wondering where we can find one, right? Well, unfortunately (as I’ll explain in the next section) coming face to face with one isn’t as simple as an overnight mountain hike in Hiroshima. In fact, the only place I can guarantee that you’ll be able to see one is on the simply incredible Mizuki Shigeru Road in Sakaiminato, Tottori prefecture. There, you can actually see an amazing array of bronze Yokai statues based on Mizuki’s works, as well as one of the legendary Gashadokuro too. Naturally, the statue has been scaled down but is still definitely worth checking out!

Rural Hiroshima. Don’t be wandering around here after midnight!! m-louis/Flickr

Gashadokuro TODAY!

… Alas, this is where the myth suddenly fades. Gashadokuro you see, are actually a VERY recent Yokai, who only became known to the public when Mizuki Shigeru and occult researcher, Satō Arifumi popularized them through their works in the 1970’s!!

“But wait, what about that famous 18th century woodblock print you’ve got in your banner!?” I hear you ask.

Though very well known, that beautiful piece of art by Utagawa Kuniyoshi called ‘Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre’ doesn’t actually a depict a Gashadokuro. What it depicts, is a mythical scene where Taira no Masakado’s daughter, Takayasha-hime, summons an army of life-sized skeletons to frighten a samurai called Ōya no Mitsukuni. Instead of painting an army of skeletons however, Kuniyoshi depicted one large skeleton instead, and this served to become the foundation image for the late 20th century Gashadokuro! Now you know why there aren’t any places to see them!

The Gashadokuro in Sakaiminato, Tottori! IsaacBordas/Flickr

Despite their recent creation however, Gashadokuro have become a very popular choice of Yokai in modern culture. In addition to Mizuki Shigeru’s ‘Gegege no Kitaro’, they’ve been featured in several manga such as Cocoa Fujiwara’s ‘Inu X Boku SS’, Hiroshi Shiibashi’s ‘Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan’, as well as Masashi Kishimoto’s hugely successful ‘Naruto’. They’ve even piqued interest overseas, appearing in the 2016 American 3D stop-motion film ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ and also the animated series ‘Hellboy: Sword of Storms’. Gashadokuro have also graced several video game franchises with their boney presence, appearing in ‘Okamiden’ and ‘Nioh’, being notable examples. With so many appearances over a variety of mediums, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Gashadokuro’s appeal is going to continue long into the future. Not bad for one of Japan’s youngest Yokai, wouldn’t you say?

And with that, this week’s bone-rattling installment of the ‘Weekend Yokai Hunter’ comes to a close. I really hope you enjoyed learning about Japan’s “baddest-to-the-bone” spirit!

See you next week for more spine tingling tales of Yokai!!

Why hello there ladies and gents, welcome back to another eerie edition of the ‘Weekend Yokai Hunter’! This week we are taking a look at the most loyal, yet potentially horrifying, spirit that Japan has to offer – the INUGAMI!

Handsome looking fella, eh?

The first time I came across an Inugami, I was actually completely oblivious to the fact. Truth be known, I had been walking past one every morning on the way to work for a couple of months, but it wasn’t until my wife came to meet me one day that I finally realized what I had been seeing.

Me: “What’s the deal with all the fox statues in that shrine over there?”

Her: “Fox statues? Those aren’t foxes, they’re statues of dogs.”

Me: “Dogs? “

Her: “Yes, not just any old dogs though. Those are Inugami….”

WHAT ARE…Inugami?

Simply translated as “dog spirit/god”, Inugamiare protective familiar-esque spirits that look just like any other dog to the human eye, but who’s true appearance is actually that of a mummified dog’s head, wrapped in ceremonial garb, which is usually enshrined in a family home, or actual shrine. Inugami enshrined in family homes are almost always hidden away so as to keep the head safe, as well as to not attract unwanted attention from guests or other family members.

The Inukami of Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine…

There are several theories regarding how Inugami came to be, but the most interesting by far is the tale of when a samurai by the name of Minamoto no Yorimasa, came face to face with a terrible Yokai called a ‘Nue‘ (I’ll be hunting one of those in a later installment!) and emerged victorious after slaying it with his archery skills. Legend has it that upon its assassination, the fearsome Nue’s body split into 4 pieces and scattered across the country, with each piece becoming an Inugami.

Inugami are believed to be protective spirits that will loyally stand guard over entire generations of the same bloodline, so it was only natural that many Japanese clans clamored for one of their own. This where the dog lovers among you will be no doubt cringe (and as a dog guy myself I take no joy in writing this but…) for it is said that people would actually practice creating Inugami for themselves. How did they go about this? Well, to explain it in a VERY toned down way, the practice basically required beheading a starving dog, then burying its head in a road that sees a great deal of human traffic. The indignant death of the animal, coupled with the stress of being constantly walked over would cause the dog’s spirit to transform into a maleficent spirit, or Inugami. Thankfully this wicked practice was outlawed some 1000 years ago during the Heian period but, those who partook in the ritual, would inherit a loyal, protective spirit (yes, despite the torture they inflicted on the poor animal) for generations to come. These families were considered ‘Inugami-mochi’ and some of them still exist to this day…

…and the atmospheric entrance to the main shrine!

Though Inugami are generally protective of their masters, they also possess a somewhat nasty streak as well. Being possession spirits, Inugami have been known to wreak vengeance on the bodies of weak-minded or emotionally unstable humans, which they do by entering through the ears and settling in the host’s internal organs. Once there, it becomes very difficult to separate the Inugami from it’s host without undergoing an intense purification ritual. Doing so however, should be top a priority since those who become possessed often face immense misfortune, physical pain in the chest, joints and extremities, and are almost certainly overcome with feelings of jealousy or anger. It’s even been recorded that those who died in such a state, were found with teeth and claw marks resembling those of a dog all over their body. Pretty gnarly wouldn’t you say!?

HUNTING FOR…Inugami

Though Inugami shrines can be found pretty much nationwide, it’s worth noting that the vast majority of them are to be found in the western area of Japan, particularly Shikoku through to Kyushu. In eastern Japan, shrines dedicated to ‘Kitsune’, (fox spirits) are vastly more common but there are still plenty of locations which are dedicated solely to Inugami. One very convenient place for visitors to Tokyo would be the Miyamasutake Shrine in Shibuya. It’s very close to the station and offers a perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo’s most popular tourist area. The shrine itself is actually situated atop another building so walking up the stone steps of the entrance and into the peacefully shaded inner sanctum feels especially great on hot summer days. Visitors to western Japan will have an almost limitless number of places to choose from but my personal favorite spot would have to be the beautifully atmospheric Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine in Kumamoto. Steeped in history and said to be where the shinto gods of Izanagi no kami and Izanami no kami are enshrined, visitors will be greeted by two Inugami at the main entrance before disappearing into the lush green serenity within. Participants of this year’s SMAC! MasterClass Kumamoto Manga Camp will be pleased to know that this historic place will likely be on the itinerary too, so be sure to look forward to that!

Miyamasumitake Shrine in Shibuya, Tokyo!

Inugami TODAY!

With their origins heavily rooted in Shinto, the Inugami remain a well established deity (don’t worry, new ones aren’t being created anymore!) with their popularity in modern culture mainly being celebrated via the medium of manga and anime. The number of manga titles out there that feature Inugami are almost innumerable but worthy mentions would have to include Noriko Kuwata’s ‘Himitsu no Inugami-kun’, Michiru Mizusawa’s ‘Inugamihime no shimobe’, and of course, Rumiko Takahashi’s masterpiece ‘Inuyasha’. My personal favorite though, given my love of horror, would have to be Masaya Hokozono’s simply titled ‘Inugami’. It’s a story of how a young boy discovers a strange dog in an old abandoned factory, that can understand and speak human languages. Unable to remember who he is, or why he’s wandering the human world, the Inugami mysteriously has the number “23” carved in his ear, and has been given the task of “watching humans”. The boy and “23” soon build a friendship but the horrors that await them both are grisly to say the least! Mwahaha!

Masaya Hokazono’s excellent ‘Inugami・Kai’

Inugami have been featured prominently in anime too of course, with the 2011 movie ‘Hotarubi no Mori e’ immediately springing to mind (the setting for the movie actually being the aforementioned Kamishikimi Kumanoisu Shrine in Kumamoto!) and of course the unforgettable white canine in Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘Princess Mononoke’. Fans of Japanese horror movies might also want to check out the eerie 2001 film ‘Inugami’ directed by Masato Harada, too!

So there you have it, an insight in to one of Japan’s coolest deities! I hope you enjoyed learning more about Shinto’s take on man’s best friend and enjoy hunting for them yourselves! One thing to remember though, if the tail is big and bushy, it’s a fox, so keep an eye out for a long thin tail!

Good luck and see you again next week!