When I was growing up, my mother and grandmother always gave the house a thorough clean during the run up to Christmas and the New Year. Most of the families I knew seemed to engage in the same yearly ritualistic cleansing before getting out the Christmas tree and other decorations. The cleaning often resulted in the throwing out of a huge amount of 'old junk' that was no longer needed. This yearly cleaning and throwing out is something that my husband and I have also done since we moved into our first home. It's probably something that you do too. But before you do go throwing out your great-great-grandmother's second-best knitted tea-cosy, or your great-great-grandfather's favourite three-legged armchair, you might want to consider the following story.
According to In’yōzakki (Miscellaneous Records Concerning the Yin and Yang), containers, tools and instruments receive souls and go about the place tricking people once they reach one hundred years of age. They become tsukumogami, so people in Japan used to throw them away during the yearly susu-harai (sweeping soot, the end-of-year house cleaning) to avoid being troubled by them.
End-of-year house cleaning within a samurai household, by Kitagawa Utamaro, published c. 1797-9 by Yamadaya Sanshirō.
However, legend has it that during the Kenpō era (964–968), there was a rebellion of such old household items. The story goes that, having been tossed out into the street by noble families in Kyoto, a group of angry household tools got together to formulate a plan to punish the humans who had discarded them after so many years of loyal service.
The old tools plotting their revenge after being thrown out, (this and the following images) from an Otogi zōshi scroll housed in Kyoto University Library.
'We have served faithfully as furniture and utensils for a long time,' the tools said angrily, 'but instead of getting our just reward, we are abandoned in the streets to be kicked by oxen and horses. Insult has been added to injury, and this is the greatest insult of all! Whatever it takes, we should become spectres and exact our revenge.'
A Buddhist rosary by the name of Ichiren objected to the plan, but he was beaten severely by a club named Aratarō and had to flee for his life. Then the discussion continued amongst the tools, until a wise old scroll by the name of Master Kobun suggested that the tools await New Year's Eve, the time when yin and yang change places, and throw away their lives in order to be transformed into spectres.
The old tools become utsuwa yōkai (tool spectres) on New Year's Eve.
So, the tools waited patiently and, on New Year's Eve as Master Kobun had promised, they were transformed by the God of Creation; some took on human form, some animal, and others became demons or goblins. They began enjoying themselves, devouring humans and animals, dancing and drinking and having a great time. The human population was completely terrified. The spectres were overjoyed; everything was going according to plan and they considered themselves to be very lucky indeed.
It occurred to the tool spectres, however, that since they had been transformed by the God of Creation they had not demonstrated their gratitude by worshipping him. So, in order to put things right, they decided to build a shrine in the recess of Mount Funaoka. They then constructed a portable float and went on a procession through Kyoto.
The tool spectres processing with their portable shrine.
Unfortunately, this is where their luck changed. As they were carrying their float along the road, they happened to come across the Prince Regent’s party as it proceeded along the First Avenue to the Imperial Palace. The Regent, who was not in the least bit frightened by the strange procession, happened to be carrying a powerful amulet, from which a flame burst forth and attacked the spectres, who fled in fear.
Immediately upon hearing the Regent's story, the Emperor issued an order that the Great Rite of Sonshō Darani should be performed, the consequence of which was the appearance of several gohō dōji (armed divine boys). The divine boys went immediately to the den of the tool spectres, who were soon defeated. The boys did not kill them, though. Instead, they showed mercy and offered them the chance to mend their ways.
'If you give up your evil ways,' the boys said, 'swear that you will do no more harm to humans, revere the Three Treasures of Buddhism and seek buddhahood, your lives will be spared.'
The spectres submitted immediately and decided to seek out Ichiren, the Buddhist rosary, to ask him to be their teacher. They discovered that he was living as a human priest in the mountains, and with his help they went on to attain enlightenment.
The tool spectres visiting the Buddhist recluse Nichiren.
It all worked out well in the end, if you don't count the humans and livestock that the spectres ate during their rampage throughout Kyoto. But just to be on the safe side, maybe it would be best not to throw out that old broom that lost half of its bristles fifty years ago... And the odd 'thank you' to it now and then wouldn't go amiss either.
