A-Yokai-A-Day: Koshiita no mushi

If you’d like to join me and many others in painting a yokai a day this month, all you have to do is paint, draw, or create any yokai you like, and share it using the hashtag #ayokaiaday. There’s no set list of yokai you have to paint, but you’re free to browse yokai.com or any other yokai resource and choose your favorites.


Koshiita no mushi
腰痛の虫

Translation: lower back pain worm

Koshiita no mushi is another worm that infects the kidneys. In this case, it’s not so strange though, as it mainly affects the lower back. It has a black head and a white body, with a long pointed beak like a bird.

It uses this beak to peck at its host’s muscles from inside the body, causing all sorts of pain throughout the lower back. The lower back begins to feel heavy and sore, and in severe cases movement becomes impossible.

Treatment is accomplished using the dries roots of the thistle mokkō (Saussurea costus).


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