House Spirits

A yokai that visits neglected bathrooms to lick up the accumulated grime and scum — harmless to people, but a vivid supernatural reminder to keep the bath clean.

A haunted Edo mansion terrorized by an enormous disembodied foot that crashes through the ceiling demanding to be washed. This famous Edo kaidan is one of Japan's most distinctively absurd ghost stories.

A yokai covered in glowing eyes, born from the spirit of a habitual thief.

A small, shaggy creature covered in long hair that lurks in damp, shadowy corners of houses. The kekkaigen brings illness and misfortune to those who share a home with it.

A mischievous spirit that sneaks into bedrooms at night and moves or flips sleepers' pillows. The makura-gaeshi is a classic Japanese house yokai known for disturbing sleep without causing serious harm.

An old man who slips into homes uninvited and cannot be removed.

A yokai that licks old house ceilings with its long tongue, causing no harm.

A yokai that haunts abandoned buildings and lets out a sudden thunderous shout. Named for the sound it makes, it appears in Toriyama Sekien's works.

A yokai responsible for the creaking and groaning sounds that houses make at night — tiny oni said to shake the beams and walls from unseen places.

A child spirit of Tohoku manor houses that brings fortune while it stays.