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Akubōzu

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Irori (hearth)

Akubōzu ((あく)(ぼう)()) is a yōkai from Akita Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture. It is said that they live in the ash of the hearth in Senboku-gun and Ogatsu-gun in Akita Prefecture, and appear when they play with the ash.

Analogy

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In the Tohoku region, there are many traditions that yōkai appear when you play with ashes. In Ninohe-gun, Iwate, those who play with the ashes of the furnace are said to be drawn into the ashes by a monster called "Amanesaku" and eaten. There is a theory that this is a genie, and the one that emerges from the furnace in some parts of Fukushima Prefecture is called "Amanjak". Also, according to Kunio Yanagida's book, Tono Monogatari, a ghost called "Boko" appears in the Tono region when digging furnace ash.[1][2]

References

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  1. ^ 村上健司編著 (2000). 妖怪事典. 毎日新聞社. pp. 22頁. ISBN 978-4-620-31428-0.
  2. ^ 柳田國男 (1951). "遠野物語拾遺". 遠野物語. 創元文庫. 創元社. pp. 181頁.