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 付喪神 (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 (1392–1573) of Japan.

“An otogizōshi (“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 (Zōkashin) 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 Mitsunobu’s 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 don’t 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 doesn’t 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 non-

living 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 Chōchinobake, or an animated lantern. One

of these can be seen in Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. A few of the many others are

Written By Hailey Musgrove

Bakezoori (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 付喪神記 (The Record of Tool Specters)." Japanese Journal

of Religious Studies 36.2 (2009): 1-19. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.

<https://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/2987>.

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Written By Hailey Musgrove

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Written By Hailey Musgrove

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