Umibōzu

Umibōzu (Japanese: 海坊主 sea bonze) is a spirit in Japanese folklore. The Umibōzu is said to live in the ocean and capsize the ship of anyone who dares speak to it. This spirit's name, which combines the character for "sea" with the character of "Buddhist monk," is possibly related to the fact that the Umibōzu is said to have a large, round head, resembling the shaven heads of Buddhist monks. Alternatively they are enormous Yokai (spectres) that appear to shipwreck victims and fishermen. They are believed to be drowned priests, and exhibit the shaven head and typically appears to be praying. It is usually reported as having a grey, cloud-like torso and serpentine limbs.

According to one story, if angered, they ask that the crews provide a barrel that it proceeds to fill with sea water to drown them. To avoid this disastrous fate, it is necessary to give him a bottomless barrel.

This folktale is likely related to another Japanese tradition, which says that the souls of people who have no one to look after their graves take refuge at sea.

Umibōzu in literature and media

The umibōzu is a very well known youkai as it is also recognized in modern Japanese culture. Examples:
* Shigeru Mizuki's popular manga series "Gegege no Kitaro" features an umibōzu in its cast.
* A character in the manga "City Hunter" is nicknamed "Umibōzu". He is a large muscle-bound hitman and his bald head is what earned him the nickname of Umibōzu.
* In a filler arc of the anime "Naruto", a man who is an accomplice of Orochimaru named Amachi summoned a creature known as Umibozu which is a monster made up of water, with a grey outline as a body, sometimes used to help sink ships traveling from the Sea Country to the Water Country.
* Umi Bōzu is Monster in My Pocket #118.
* Umibozu is the name of an elite special forces unit in the JMSDF from the anime "".
* Umibozu is also the name of Kagura's father (who is bald and has been referred to as a monster) in the manga "Gintama".
* The manga/anime/movie "Lovely Complex" features a fictitious band named Umibōzu with an eponymous, bald lead singer.
* A traditional Umibōzu folktale is told in the second story arc of the anime "Mononoke", a sequel to "", which combined folktales, Kabuki plays, and animated versions of 19th century woodblock art prints to retell classic ghost stories.

ee also

*Sea monk

References

*Allardice, Pamela. Myths, Gods, and Fantasy: A Sourcebook. Dorset: Prism Press, 1991. p. 209.
*cite book | first=Setsuko (Ed.)| last=Suzuki| year=1996 | title=英語で話す「日本の心」Keys to the Japanese Heart and Soul | publisher=Kodansha International | id=ISBN 4-7700-2082-1
* [http://www.obakemono.com/obake/umibozu/ The Obakemono Project]