A-Yokai-A-Day: Jinzō no higemushi

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.


Jinzō no higemushi
腎臓のヒゲ虫

Translation: kidney moustache worm

Jinzō no higemushi are worm-like yokai which inhabit the kidneys. They get their name from the long, white mustache-looking growth which hangs off of their face. They have long, black bodies, and a round, lump-like shape just behind their neck.

People infected with jinzō no higemushi suffer from various kidney ailments. They also develop a sweet tooth, and their skin may become tinted yellow as a result from eating too many sweets.

These infections can be treated successfully with byakujutsu (Atractylodes japonica) and mokkō (Saussurea costus).


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