The Legend of Kasa Obake

Kasa Obake, a creature of Japanese folklore, is one of the most well-known yokai in Japan. This mysterious creature is said to be an old or broken umbrella that has been transformed into a ghost, with one eye, one leg, and a long tongue. While some depictions may show the creature with two legs or two arms, the most common version is the one-legged Kasa Obake, as seen in the Hyakki Yagyo Zumaki by Enshin Kanō.

Kasa Obake are seen in many legends and caricatures, and are often used as characters in anime, manga, and films about yokai. They are also seen in the Obake Karuta deck from the Edo period to the Taishō period, and in the Mukashi-banashi Yōkai Sugoroku from the Ansei era.

Although Kasa Obake are widely known, there are no eyewitness stories from folklore about them. This has led some to believe that they are fictional creatures created by individuals when the Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai became popular in the Edo period.

Kasa Obake are sometimes thought to be an example of Tsukumogami, a type of yokai where everyday objects gain the ability to become apparitions after one hundred years. However, there is no evidence of this in classical literature or classical essays.

Kasa Obake’s popularity led to some similar stories around Japan. For example, in the Higashiuwa region of Ehime Prefecture, there is a legend that a rain umbrella would appear in valleys on rainy nights, and those who saw it would be unable to move. In Mizokuchi, Tottori Prefecture (now Hōki, Saihaku District), there is a yokai called Yūreigasa that has one eye and one foot like the Kasa Obake, but can blow people up into the skies on days of strong wind.