If you really want to meet a Zashiki-warashi, we recommend traveling to the Tohoku region. There are inns where you can meet a Zashiki-warashi, but if you’re wearing normal clothes instead of kimono, it’s just the ghost of a child.

Zashiki-warashi is a child-like deity that has been passed down in the Tohoku region of Japan, where Aomori, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, and Fukushima prefectures are located, centering on Iwate Prefecture. It is said to live in a Zashiki (the rooms with tatami mats) or a storehouse, and is said to play tricks on householders and guests, bringing good luck to those who see it and wealth to the family. In recent years, there are Ryokan inns where you can meet zashiki-warashi, and it has become a hot topic as it has been featured in TV programs and magazines.

Zashiki-warashi are said to look like children around the age of 5 or 6, have Okappa (bobbed) hair or Zangiri (chopped) hair, wear kimono, and both boys and girls are said to be present.

There is a story that the Zashiki-warashi can only be seen by family members, and that children can see it but adults can’t see it.

Zashiki-warashi are mischievous and are said to make sounds like running around the room or sweeping with a broom.

There is also a story that when a guest stays at a house, the Zashiki-warashi straddles on the futon or turns over the pillow to keep the guest from sleeping.

Due to their mischievous personality, there are many stories that Zashiki-warashi’s true identity is that of a kappa. There are tales of a kappa who lives in a deep pool and goes into a nearby house to play tricks on it.and another story that a kappa became a Zashiki-warashi by living in the house.

The following is a folk tale about a zashiki-warashi that has been handed down from ancient times in Iwate Prefecture.

Once upon a time, in a village, a pilgrim monk visited a millionaire’s residence in search of a place to stay. The landlord of the residence was very kind and treated the monk well.

That night, the sleeping monk woke up to a noise and found a group of young girls singing and playing around the futon. The monk was so comforted by this sight that he called out to the girls. At that moment, the girls stopped moving and disappeared.

When the monk woke up the next morning, he thought that what had happened last night had been a dream. The monk thanked his landlord and continued the pilgrimage.

One day, several years later, the monk passed by the residence of a millionaire for the first time in a long time. Then little girls came out of the residence. When the monk asked the girls, “Are you from the residence?”, the girls said, “I’m going to the residence in the neighboring village,” and left.

The landlord of the millionaire’s residence who had entertained the monk had already passed away, and was now replaced by a greedy-looking landlord. When the monk saw it, he realized that the girls were Zashiki-warashi.

After the Zashiki-warashi left the millionaire’s residence, a series of misfortunes soon followed, leading to its downfall. On the other hand, the residencein the neighboring village where the Zashiki-warashi moved to prospered.