Written By Hailey Musgrove

Tsukumogami
Japan has numerous tales and superstitions that span from the start of the country all the
way to modern day. Out of those many tales, just one of them is the Tsukumogami which is a
type of yokai (monster). Tsukumogami is written (lit. Joined mourning deity)
(Reider: Animating Objects 247). Usually, when using the Japanese syllabic version of
Tsukumogami in Chinese characters, it is translated as hairs of ninety nine years of age (247),
basically something that is very old. Tsukumogami are considered objects that have reached their
hundredth year of service and gain their own spirit and personality to later cause mischief on
humans. The old and the more modern Tsukumogami are a little different from each other. The
old is a bit more religious and scary than the more fun and mischievous modern ones. Even
though they are quite different, some of the original Tsukumogami have survived even though
the modern one encompass basically any object. Their differences come from their starting or
history, their manifestation and their purpose.
The history of the Tsukumogami started in the Muromachi period (13921573) of Japan.
An otogizshi (companion tale) titled Tsukumogami ki (Record of tool specters;
Muromachi period) explains that after a service life of nearly one hundred years, utsuwamono or
kibutsu (containers, tools, and instruments) receive souls (Reider: Animating Objects 232). In
the companion tale the Tsukumogami come to life after being thrown out on the year ends
Susuharai (sweeping soot) celebration. They are hurt from being tossed out and mistreated by
humans so they decide to become specters and exact their revenge on their former owners. They
later decide to repent and become enlightened in the way of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism. While
Tsukumogami showed up in earlier literature there were very few before the companion tale was
written and the name Tsukumogami was given to them.

Written By Hailey Musgrove

In our modern era there has been a renewed interest in mystical creatures because of
gaming, TV and fantasy writing. Tsukumogami occasionally pop up here and there because of
this. There is even a video game called Tsukumogami. An anime and manga called Nura: Rise of
the Yokai Clan has a couple Tsukumogami. Even though they are from Japanese folklore, they
appear in American pop culture too. An example would be, The Brave Little Toaster where a
toaster, a blanket, a lamp, a radio, and a vacuum cleaner go on an adventure to find their owner
who abandoned them in a cabin. Other Examples would be Beauty and The Beast, Ted, Harry
Potter (the sorting hat) and Transformers. These Tsukumogami are very different from the
original ones and are a good example of how western TV has been influenced by an eastern tale.
The original Tsukumogami manifest themselves in a very different way from the modern
Tsukumogami. When the Tsukumogami from the companion tale turned into specters with help
from a creation god (Zkashin) to exact revenge upon their former handlers, they transformed
from their original animated object form. Some tools became men or women, old or young,
others took the shape of demons or goblins. Still others became beasts such as foxes and wolves.
These various shapes were indeed fearful beyond description (Reider: The Record of Tool
Specters 5). These specters then went and created mischief and mayhem among humans. They
feasted on animals and humans that they could take. The Tsukumogami from old were very
mean, evil spirits. They took part in all the worldly pleasures and enjoyed it. It was not until later
in the companion tale that they eventually became good and repented. Other illustrations of
Tsukumogami can be seen in Tosa Mitsunobus scrolls. The Tsukumogami from this scroll are
slightly less frightening. They have a more friendly appearance and look more like their object
forms than the specter forms from the companion tale. In this way they are more like the modern
Tsukumogami. (Foster 16-17)

Written By Hailey Musgrove

Modern Tsukumogami have come a long way from their original appearances. They are
less frightening and usually dont eat people unless they are in a scary movie. They can be
anything from a Toaster like in The Brave Little Toaster to a giant talking, living car like in
Transformers or even just be the same scary specters or animated objects as they first appeared.
There doesnt seem to be a certain rule as to what they should look and act like anymore.
This companion tale was possibly written by Shingon esoteric priest to spread the
knowledge of Shingon Buddhism. At the end of the Tsukumogami ki, the specters become
enlightened and turn towards the way of Buddhism. Reider talks about how the Tsukumogami
are sentient beings and by nature big containers able to hold great knowledge and exercise the
Buddhist practices (237). In the text the Tsukumogami also mention that they, because they are
alive, should worship and if they do not how are they better than the other rocks and objects that
are not. This is the author of the Tsukumogami ki trying to tell his readers that because they are
alive and have souls, they should worship a higher power or they are no better than the nonliving objects around them. From this view, the tale of the Tsukumogami becomes more than a
tale to scare and entertain the readers.
The purpose of the newer Tsukumogami is the opposite of the more religious original
ones. These new Tsukumogami are more for fantasy and fun. They are put into literature and
television for the entertainment of the viewer. The religious aspect has faded to the background
with the time that has past.
Over the time that has past some of the original Tsukumogami have lasted to become
popular in pop culture. Kasa-obake is one of the more popular Tsukumogami. A Kasa-obake is an
animated paper umbrella. Another popular one is Chchinobake, or an animated lantern. One of
these can be seen in Hayao Miyazakis Spirited Away. A few of the many others are Bakezoori

Written By Hailey Musgrove

(straw sandals), Boroboroton (futon), Ichiren-bozu (prayer beads), Kyourinrin (scrolls of paper),
Kosode-no-te (kimono robe), and Morinji-no-okama (tea kettle). Another that has a western
version is Ungaikyo, or animated mirror, which can be found in Snow White. These are only a
few of the many objects that can become Tsukumogami that have survived through the years.
The new and old Tsukumogami have stayed the same in some ways but the way they
came to be, their manifestation and their purposes are very different. Over time, religious stories
have taken on more modern views as our cultures slowly become less religious and more secular.
That is exactly what happened with the tale of the Tsukumogami. The story went from being
about objects with souls that were once evil but still able to repent in the end to fun little
creatures to watch out for in old items in your house. Even their appearance has changed. They
were once scary specters that looked like humans or beasts and now they normally take on just
their object forms. Even though the religious side of this story is not widely known, there are
other things that we, as containers ourselves, can take away from this tale. We are all capable of a
great capacity for talent and knowledge. Therefore, we are able to become more as a person than
we originally thought.

Works Cited
Foster, Michael D, and Kijin Shinonome. "Introducing Yokai." The Book of Yokai: Mysterious
Creatures of Japanese Folklore. Oakland: U of California P, 2015. 16-17. Print.

Written By Hailey Musgrove

Reider, Noriko T. "Animating Objects: Tsukumogami ki and the Medieval Illustration of Shingon
Truth." Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 36.2 (2009): 231-57. Nanzan Institute for
Religion and Culture. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. <https://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/2986>.
Reider, Noriko T. "Tsukumogami ki (The Record of Tool Specters)." Japanese Journal
of Religious Studies 36.2 (2009): 1-19. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. <https://nirc.nanzanu.ac.jp/nfile/2987>.

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Written By Hailey Musgrove

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Written By Hailey Musgrove

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