Abura-sumashi

A depiction of the abura-sumashi.

Abura-sumashi (油すまし, "Oil Presser") is a creature from the folklore of Amakusa in Kumamoto prefecture. This spirit, which surprises people on the Kusazumigoe mountain pass, is thought to be the ghost of a human who stole oil.

In the days before electricity, oil was a very valuable commodity, necessary for lighting and heating a house. As such, the theft of oil, particularly from temples and shrines, could lead to punishment via reincarnation as a yōkai.

In modern media the abura-sumashi is often depicted as, "a squat creature with a straw-coat covered body and a potato-like or stony head," an appearance inspired by the artwork of Shigeru Mizuki.

References

"Aburasumashi". The Obakemono Project. Archived from the original on 6 February 2006. Retrieved February 21, 2006.
"Aburasumashi". Kaii-Yōkai Denshō Database. Retrieved October 10, 2006.
"Sumoto-town (Home of Aburasumashi-don)". asahi.com. Retrieved October 16, 2006.

Japanese folklore

Folktales	Bunbuku Chagama Hanasaka Jiisan Issun-bōshi Kachi-kachi Yama Kintarō Momotarō Nezumi no Sumō Saru Kani Gassen Shita-kiri Suzume Taketori Monogatari Tamamo-no-Mae Tawara Tōda Urashima Tarō Yamata no Orochi Yotsuya Kaidan

Text collections	Konjaku Monogatarishū Otogizōshi

Legendary creatures	Akaname Bakeneko Daidarabotchi Dragon Futakuchi-onna Gashadokuro Goryō Inugami Gyoubu Kappa Kasha Kirin Kitsune Mujina Nue Obake Onryō Oni Rokurokubi Satori Shachihoko Shōjō Shuten-dōji Tanuki Tengu Tenome Tsukumogami Tsuchigumo Tsuchinoko Umi Zatō Ushi-oni Uwan Yama-uba Yuki-onna Yūrei Zashiki-warashi

Mythology in popular culture Legendary creatures

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