Chōchin Obake/Chochinobake/Obakechochin

The Chochinobake is a form of yokai from Japanese myth. They’re a form of tsukumogami, meaning an inanimate object that gains sentience after years of neglect. With this creature, the object that transforms is a chochin, a form of paper lantern with a spiral frame made of bamboo. These lanterns are commonly hung outside of businesses and are extremely common. They don’t appear in the oldest yokai depictions and are thought to be related to an older yokai called Burabura. These are Kitsune disguising themselves as lanterns in rice fields rather than tsukumogami like Chochinobake. They resemble worn cochin lamps with a massive tear for a mouth containing a large lolling tongue. Often the Chocinobake grows one or two eyes, and they rarely may grow limbs. These creatures don’t often hurt people, and instead just surprise and scare them, though sometimes Onryō will pretend to be Chochinobake before attacking.

Citations:

Davisson, Zack. Ultimate Guide to Japanese Yokai: Ghosts, Demons, Monsters and Other Creepy Creatures from Japan(with Over 250 Images). Japan, Tuttle Publishing, 2024.

Meyer, Matthew. The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons: A Field Guide to Japanese Yokai. United States, Matthew Meyer, 2015.