Kyōkotsu was the Yokai I’ve chosen to have reflect upon. This specific Yokai was chosen as I did find it intriguing that it is formed from bones that were improperly disposed of by being tossed down a well. This was interesting to me as this creation story is very sorrow and saddening. There could be so many of these Yokai around because of how much of a common occurrence improperly disposing corpses are.

Whether it’s the ghostly body or skeletal face, this Yokai is one that doesn’t let go of grudges! They are driven solely by their hunger for vengeance and care for nothing else. The Kyōkotsu is like any other ghost as it passes their grudge on to those they come into contact with. They are a passive Yokai which only becomes aggressive if disturbed when resting at the bottom of its well. The name Kyōkotsu originates from violence & fury. The translation to English is “crazy bones” which correlates to it’s skeletal figure.

Japanese Yokai are completely different creatures compared to Western monsters and mythical creatures. Yokai are spirits or entities. These are an independent existence which does not have a materialized body such as Western monsters and mythical creatures. They are actual demons and creatures which have a materialized body and exist in the real world. However, they have similarities such as mischievous behavior towards humans which categorizes both of them as monsters.

With all of the information provided above my standpoint on the existence of these creatures has not changed prior to this research; which is that I simply do not believe in these creatures. If they truly existed they could easily wipe the existence of mankind. They are simply conceptual beings created by humans which have been used in many forms; this includes, but is not limited to, tales, books, scaring children, or simply for interest. There has been no scientific or video recorded evidence of what these creatures truly look like or the events of their mischievous behavior towards humans. Although I do not believe in these creatures, I am still deeply interested in their origins and stories!