A popular figure dancing in the sky

Hello, this is Kamiyo. The other day I climbed Mount Inari in Kyoto. At that time, I found a side path near the top."There have been many incidents of strangers approaching people in the area. Please avoid walking alone."There was a sign that said that.

I was just looking at it, but this is not a sign that you would see on the top of a mountain. It is not a place with many people, so is it necessary to have such a warning?People I don't knowI can't help but wonder whether these things are really human.

Let's digress. There are a huge number of Japanese monsters, but which one is the "most popular"? Is it the nationally popular Gegege no Kitaro? Or the Tengu and Bakeneko, which are thought to be well-known? In fact, it's none of these.

So, this time, we will be holding the first Sakaiminato Yokai Popularity Poll.First placeThe monster who won theIttan MomenI would like to introduce "Kyoto Kid". It overturned the expectations and came in first place, beating out Kitaro (fourth place). Perhaps the reason for its popularity is the humorous and meddlesome senior monster character in the work.

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Ittan Momen is a legend from Kagoshima Prefecture that tells of a monster that looks like a piece of cloth one tan long (roughly 10 meters). It is a ferocious monster that flies around in the sky and attacks people it encounters, wrapping itself around their neck and suffocating them.

At first glance, this monster may seem like a cloth that was treated poorly by humans, and as a result, it has developed a grudge against humans, transforming into a monster and attacking people."Fabric-like creatures"Some also believe that this is a mysterious phenomenon.

First of all, the cloth-like monster that is said to be the original source of the Ittan Momen depicted in the Hyakki Yagyo Emaki scroll has limbs with sharp claws, just like a living creature.

Also, in the legends, there is a passage that says "blood came out when it was slashed with a sword." It is hard to imagine that a yokai with attributes like a tsukumogami would obtain flesh and blood. This is also considered to be evidence that Ittan Momen is a yokai with biological roots.

If Ittan Momen was a transformed fox or a raccoon dog, it would make sense that it would bleed, but no legends have been found yet that say that Ittan Momen was actually an animal. If Ittan Momen was not a "fabric monster" but a"A fabric-like organism with a very small population"If that's the case, then perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it an unidentified mysterious animal (UMA) rather than a monster.

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Ittan Momen is a rare yokai, and there have been several sightings of it in recent years. Its shape, size, flying style, etc. change, but they all have the same appearance of white cloth. This may also be evidence that Ittan Momen exists as a living thing.

However, whether or not they are UMA is determined by whether or not they have been observed by humans, and they are simply alive.Cotton (thing)I guess that's a trivial matter,cottonThat's why.

(Image: Hyakki Yako Emaki)