Obo (オボ Obo) are animal-like yōkai.
Appearance[]
Obo are dark-gray, hairy curled, hairy creatures.
History[]
Video Games[]
- Obo appear in GeGeGe no Kitarō: Yōkai Yokochō as C-Rank yōkai.
Legend[]
Illustration of Obo
The name Obo can refer to four different yōkai found in Japan.
In Kakidaira, Tone District, Gunma Prefecture, Obo are weasel-like yōkai similar to the Sunekosuri that wrap around the legs of people walking. These Obo can only leave if the person cuts the sageo of their sword, or cutting and giving them a piece of their kimono.
In Minamiuonuma District, Niigata Prefecture, Obo are a local variant of the Yama-Inu, and are said to dig up and eat corpses. In Sado Island, Obo, also called Ubu, are a local variant of the Ubume that resemble a large spider. This Obo will attack and chase people while crying like a baby, and the only one can stop it from chasing them is by throwing one of their zōri and saying "That is your mother".
In Hinoemata village, Minamiaizu District, Fukushima Prefecture, the term "Obo", refers to women who have given birth, as well as a local variant of the Ubume. This Obo will ask passerby to hold her child, and if they do, the Obo will pass on to the afterlife and disappear. It is said that the child will bite into the throat of the person holding it, so it's advised they must hold it facing away from their neck.
Out of all of these yōkai, Shigeru Mizuki seemed to have based his illustration of the Obo on the version found in Gunma Prefecture.
Trivia[]
- While Obo didn't appear in the 2007 anime adaptation, it was one of candidates for the 47 Yōkai Warriors of Gunma Prefecture.