Abura sumashi is a type of ghost, a rare yokai originating from Kumamoto. It has a squat-like appearance with a large ugly head that looks like a potato or a rock, and the limbs of an adult but shorter than normal. However, they are very agile and can instantly run away in front of others. Abura sumashi always wears a woven straw raincoat. It is extremely rare to appear in front of humans and is only found deep in the mountains or along the passes in southern Japan where wild tea trees grow.
Little is known about the lifestyle and habits of this reclusive yokai. The most famous Abura sumashi lives in the Kusazumigoe Pass in Kumamoto, it makes passersby startle when it suddenly appears in front of them or sometimes answers them unexpectedly with a mysterious voice and instantly disappears - gone without a trace.
Although its origin is a mystery, it is generally believed that Abura sumashi is the ghost of oil thieves who fled into the woods. Oil is a very difficult and expensive commodity that requires a lot of time and effort to extract it from tea seeds, and so stealing it is a very serious crime. Thieves who go unpunished in life are reincarnated as yokai - a divine punishment for their sins.
📚 Explore more of the Mystical Creatures series here: Dive into the Enchanted Realms of Mythology
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