Was at an Urban Legends from Japan panel and was surprised to see @samkalensky.com artwork on one of the slides.

Recently just finished building this Hitodama lamp. This has been work in progress for a little over a year now so glad it’s finally done.

Finally just finished a major project that I’ve been working on on and off for over a year. Originally it was not going to be such a huge thing, but it snowballed from being a relatively small project into a much bigger one.

They named their daughter Tora and as she grew so did the stone. Tora eventually became the concubine of a warrior whose life was saved by the stone. When an assassin came for his life the stone transformed into him and attacker mistook the stone for him. All of his attacks bounced off the stone.

The Torakoishi is based off a stone called the Toragoishi. In the legend and old samurai and his wife were unable to have children so they turned to the goddess Toraike Benzaiten and she blessed them with a stone. They worshipped the stone and soon they became the proud parents of a daughter.

Meet Torakoishi the tiger stone.

Reasoning:

1) Akaname appears in dirty tubs and licks them clean. Roaches go to dirty places to clean them.

2) Akaname’s saliva is toxic and can spread disease. Roaches carry diseases.

Was watching Ironmouse and Cdwag’s video where they tour the Alveus Sanctuary and they got to meeting the cockroaches and they’re told that roaches are janitors who clean dirty places, but you don’t want them since they carry diseases.

Made me think that Akaname is basically the roach of yokai.

I was at a pet store today and had to do a double take cause I thought I saw a Tsuchinoko.

It was just a fat lizard with little legs.

Look what goodies just arrived at my door! @yokai.com

I kinda forgot that that Setsubun could be either on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th and had it in my head that it on the 3rd and didn’t realize it was today. 😅

It’s a little late for me to do anything tonight, but might do a belated Setsubun photo tomorrow.

Sawaki Suushi's larger panel showing multiple yokai spirits, here focused on the Inugami: a person dressed as a Buddhist monk in a large cloak has a dog head, indicating they are possessed or the inugami has taken human form.

Possession is not always a bad thing: for example, in Japan people request an Inugami family allow one of their dog spirits to possess them, allowing them to increase their productivity and increase their wealth. But they can hex others, too. #FairytaleTuesday

Merry Christmas!

The advent calendar was really fun, but also really stressful. I didn’t get the last ornament finished until the 23rd lol.

Yokai Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar

Day 24: Bakezori

Yokai Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar

Day 23: Hajikkaki

Yokai Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar

Day 22: Nurikabe

Back in the 1650s, a man made history by walking across the sea on the backs of turtles!

I translated this supposedly true story in a new post on my Patreon. Check it out here: www.patreon.com/posts/how-ma...

a frightening old lady in white with glowing red eyes chases you down he highway, art sticker by samkalensky.com

Closeup

another detail shot

on a paisley background

Turbo-Baba [Urban Legend | Yokai] A harbinger hag of highway accidents! Haunts the highways & tunnels across Japans countryside, chasing after speeding cars, She taps on the driver’s side window startling them, causing drivers to swerve into a fatal crash! ⚠️ samkalensky.com/products/tur...

Yokai Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar

Day 21: Konaki-jiji

Origami design by Origami Dachan on YouTube

Yokai Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar

Day 20: Rokurokubi

a tabletop tree decorated with yokai pins and other yokai things. in the background a stuffed kappa and two tanuki statues are admiring it

yokai christmas to all!

#yokai

You know Frosty the Snowman is an inanimate object that came to life one day.

Does that make him a Tsukumogami?

Yokai Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar

Day 19: Chochin-Obake

Yokai Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar

Day 18: Otoroshi

Yokai Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar

Day 17: Jibanyan

Three round boats filled with Japanese ghosts are on the sea with an island rising behind them. It is raining heavily.

In #JapaneseFolklore there is a tale about hainan hoshi, #yokai associated with the Izu islands. They are believed to be the ghosts of drowned shipwreck victims who roam the open sea, riding in washtub boats. In one version of the tale they are said to be the souls of...
#FairyTaleTuesday
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Yokai Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar

Day 16: Suzuhiko-hime

Yokai Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar

Day 15: Nopperabo