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Abura-sumashi by Mizuki Shigeru

Abura-sumashi (油すまし, "Oil Presser") is a creature from the folklore of the island of Amakusa in Kumamoto prefecture (Japan).

Etymology

The abura-sumashi's name can be translated as "oil wringer", from abura (oil) and sumasu, a word from Amakusa dialect which means to "press, wring, or squeeze". It seems to be related to the production of katashi-abura ("hardship oil", taken from the seeds of the Camellia sasanqua plant) which was once prosperous in the Kawachi district of the island.

Description

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 Mizuki Shigeru.

Story

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 yokai. According to the story usually told about this spirit, an old woman was once walking her grandchild along this pass, when she recited a story she'd heard, in which the abura-sumashi would appear in that place, dangling an oil bottle. At that moment the abura-sumashi showed up, proclaiming that he may still appear.

This story was introduced to Japan by Yanagita Kunio, who in turn took it from the work of one Hamada Ryuichi, a folklorist who lived on Amakusa. This yokai attained considerable popularity by appearing in the work of cartoonist Mizuki Shigeru.