A-Yokai-A-Day: Ino Mononoke Roku, Day 14

This year for #ayokaiaday we are looking at the bizarre occurrences which took place at the Ino residence in Miyoshi, Hiroshima, during July of 1749. These occurrences all revolve around a young boy named Ino Heitaro. His story is collected in Ino mononoke roku, a collection of scrolls, books, and legends which collectively form the narrative of a supernatural phenomenon that took place 270 years ago.

On day fourteen, Heitaro heard a strange noise coming from his shed. When he went to check, he saw that the grindstone was moving all on its own!

Heitaro thought this was awesome. He filled up the mill with unpolished rice, and decided he would let the ghosts do the hard work of removing the husks.

He went to bed happy.

Until, that is, something woke him from his sleep.

The enormous head of an old woman had materialized on Heitaro’s ceiling. Her tongue was long, and drooping out of her mouth. Before he could react, she began to lick Heitaro all over.

Heitaro wasn’t scared. More like inconvenienced. He rolled over and tried to fall back asleep.

The worst part: Upon waking up, Heitaro discovered that none of the rice he put in the mill had been polished! Even though the millstone was grinding noisily all night, it did not actually do any work.

Stupid ghosts…

3 thoughts on “A-Yokai-A-Day: Ino Mononoke Roku, Day 14

  1. Pingback: Ino Mononoke Roku (index) | Matthew Meyer

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