Japanese Folklore Umibozu

Their appearance is that of a giant human head with a shaved scalp and a perpetual smile.

Japanese folklore umibozu. In japanese culture most folklore and urban legends involve sp. The legend of the umibozu sailors in japan s yokai haunted waters had many things to dread. They are a human like sea creature with dark skin but they are so large that nobody has ever seen one from above its shoulders. Japan is one country with beautiful culture and nice people and their beliefs are also very interesting. With the size of its fishing market many of its resources come from the surrounding water. Other names include umihōshi 海法師 sea priest or uminyūdō 海入道 sea priest. Umibozu japanese folklore monsters.

An encounter with an umibozu rarely leaves any survivors. The word for these japanese weird folklore creatures is yokai which means supernatural monsters or spirits. Umibōzu 海坊主 sea priest is a paranormal phenomena or yōkai from japanese folklore. Its name is derived from the characters for sea and buddhist monk which also alludes to this spirit s possible origins. When something plays such a big role in society stories naturally develop. They appear abruptly on calm nights attacking ships by pushing waves or outright smashing them. Little is known of the origin of umibōzu but it is a sea spirit and as such has multiple sightings throughout japan.

Translated and sourced from mizuki shigeru s mujara yokai jiten japanese wikipedia and other sources if you find yourself out sailing strange tides in an unfamiliar sea the umibozu is not the kind of monk you should pray to for help. The weird folklore creatures we will look into today have their back story in japanese folklore from hundreds of years ago. Supposedly umibozu are the vengeful spirits of priests who drowned at sea.