The Zashiki-warashi
In old houses of northern Japan, a mischievous child spirit is said to bring good luck, as long as it stays.
What was reported
The zashiki-warashi, 'parlour child', is a yōkai from the folklore of Iwate and nearby regions: a spirit that looks like a child of five or six, living in the inner rooms of old houses. It plays harmless tricks, like leaving small footprints in ash or making noises at night.
A house with a zashiki-warashi is said to prosper, but when it leaves, the family's luck goes with it. Some inns, such as one at Kintaichi Onsen, became famous for guests who say they've seen one, and visitors leave toys for it.
Explanations offered
Folklorists, starting with Kunio Yanagita's The Legends of Tōno (1910), recorded the stories as part of rural belief, and some link them to the hardships of country life in earlier centuries. Sightings are generally put down to dreams, imagination and old, creaking houses.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Kintaichi Onsen, Ninohe, Iwate, Japan
- Witnesses
- Families and innkeepers in northern Japan
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.