Revision as of 16:56, 5 June 2008 by Niko (talk | contribs) (New page: thumb|155px|right|Sculpture of a tenjoname. The '''tenjoname''' is a yokai in Japanese mythology. Like other spirits that perpetrate domestic mischief, the tenjona...)
The tenjoname is a yokai in Japanese mythology.
Like other spirits that perpetrate domestic mischief, the tenjoname appears at night or when nobody is watching. Just as the akaname is drawn to the filth of uncleaned bathrooms, the tenjoname is attracted to unkempt ceilings, which it licks voraciously with its long tongue. Dark, dirty stains on the ceiling are often blamed on this creature's incessant licking whereas other stories claim that their licking reduces stains on the ceiling and prevent houses from burning (in Japan, many firefighters wear the emblem of tenjoname).