Image of Koto furunushi

Koto furunushi

The Koto furunushi looks like a koto—a long, harp-like instrument that is the national instrument of Japan—transformed into a wild beast. A koto which was once played frequently but later forgotten about and stored away can transform into the koto furunushi. These yōkai may look like wild beasts, but they remember every song that was ever played on them. Koto furunushi play when no one is around, causing everyone to wonder where the music is coming from. They prefer to play old, forgotten tunes that have fallen out of style and vanished from people’s memory.
Alias Koto furunushi (琴古主)
Real Names/Alt Names “Old koto master”
Characteristics Yōkai, Enlightenment and Neoclassicism, Japanese
Creators/Key Contributors Toriyama Sekien, ○
First Appearance Japanese folklore
First Publisher
Appearance List Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro (百器徒然袋, “The Illustrated Bag of One Hundred Random Demons” or “A Horde of Haunted Housewares”, c. 1781) Vol. 2
Sample Read Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro Vol. 2 (c. 1781) [Smithsonian]
Description The Koto furunushi looks like a koto—a long, harp-like instrument that is the national instrument of Japan—transformed into a wild beast. A koto which was once played frequently but later forgotten about and stored away can transform into the koto furunushi. These yōkai may look like wild beasts, but they remember every song that was ever played on them. Koto furunushi play when no one is around, causing everyone to wonder where the music is coming from. They prefer to play old, forgotten tunes that have fallen out of style and vanished from people’s memory.
Source Koto furunushi – Yokai.com
Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro Vol. 2 (c. 1781) | Toriyama Sekien
Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro Vol. 2 (c. 1781) | Toriyama Sekien