What is a Yōkai House on TikTok? Folklore Explained

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A spooky look at the entities haunting abandoned homes in Japan

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: January 26, 2026 Fact Checked

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• What’s a Yōkai?
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• What is a Yōkai house?
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• Yōkai House TikTok Trend
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• Notable House Yōkai
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• Tsukumogami
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• Haunting Yurei vs. House Yōkai
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

Yōkai (妖怪) are a type of supernatural spirit from Japanese folklore. They range from demonic, cruel, and powerful to powerless, silly, and fun. A Yōkai house is an abandoned house that Yōkai inhabit. These “Yōkai houses” are of particular interest to Japanese home buyers and the TikTokers that explore and post about them. Here, we’ll dig deeper into the meaning of “Yōkai house,” describe some of the most common Yōkai, explore the TikTok trend, and more!

What does “Yōkai house” mean?

A Yōkai house refers to a home (usually an abandoned home, or “akiya”) that is haunted or occupied by a Yōkai—a kind of spirit in Japanese folklore. The most common house Yōkai include:

• Zashiki warashi: A young child’s spirit who brings good luck and plays minor pranks.
• Chōpirako: Ghosts of children who bring prosperity if you give them treats.
• Kasha: A chariot of fire reanimated as a cat demon that eats corpses.
• Karakasa Kozō: Paper umbrellas with one eye that enjoy jump-scaring homeowners.

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Section 1 of 6:

What are Yōkai?

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1. 
   Yōkai (妖怪) are a type of supernatural spirit in Japanese culture. The word “Yōkai” is often translated into English as “bewitching spectres,” “ghost,” “spirit,” “monster,” or “goblin,” but the concept is relatively distinct in Japanese folklore—they’re really more like a type of spirit that has (usually minor) powers to do something supernatural. Some Yōkai are good, some are evil, and some are just kind of silly. There are a bunch of different subgenres of Yōkai, including:

   • Oni: Ogre-like demons that are known for causing disasters and issuing punishments.
   • Kitsune: Magical, sly fox-spirits that are often deceptive and conniving.
   • Yūrei: The spirits of deceased people who can’t find the peace they need to leave.
   • Tengu: Mischievous bird spirits that reflect individual elements of gods.
   • Tanuki: Racoon dog spirits, inspired by the actual raccoon dogs that live in Japan.
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Section 2 of 6:

What is a Yōkai house?

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1. 
   A Yōkai house is an akiya (abandoned home) occupied by a spirit. “Akiya” (空き家) is a Japanese term that translates literally to “vacant home,” but these akiya carry a special connotation in Japanese culture. As a result, many akiya are said to be occupied by Yōkais. The association can be so potent that if people believe an akiya is occupied by a malicious spirit, it can impact the sellability of the property.

   • Why are akiya culturally important? The people of Japan have long been aware of demographic issues that are resulting in fewer and fewer people living there. As a result, an akiya has become a powerful cultural symbol of danger. They represent the end of a lineage, the potential loss of culture, and all kinds of other negative things.

Section 3 of 6:

Why are Yōkai houses popular on TikTok?

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1. 
   It’s a fun ghost-hunting activity for travelers. There’s an entire subgenre of ghost hunters who post videos on TikTok where they visit (or even buy!) akiyas looking for Yōkai. Many of these videos also weave educational tidbits about Japan’s shifting demographics, Japanese folklore, and spiritual traditions. Some of the videos are downright spooky. Here are a few of our favorites:

   • In this post by @JapanUnlocked, he buys a Yōkai house for $69, and the commentators drop the bad news. He later shares an update about paranormal activity in the home.
   • In this post by @addyroad, she stumbles on a cool Yōkai museum by accident.
   • Check out this post by @thepongok in which an angry Yōkai is caught on camera in a haunted home.
   • This post by @shumatsuopost discusses what it’s like to buy an akiya.
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Section 4 of 6:

Popular House Yōkai

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1. 
   1
   Zashiki warashi Translating roughly to “parlor child,” zashiki warashi are house spirits that typically appear as 5- or 6-year-old ghost children. They’re said to bring good luck to the homes they inhabit, but they are also known to be pranksters who can mess with the occupants of a home. They’re supposedly known to leave ghastly footprints, cause weird noises, trigger sleep paralysis, and rearrange your belongings.

   • It’s commonly said that if you treat a zashiki warashi with respect and leave treats out for them at night, they’ll eventually leave the building and seek out a new home.
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   Chōpirako Chōpirako are similar to zashiki warashi except they’re supposed to be incredibly beautiful, and they glow with a bright, white light. Supposedly, they’re the ghosts of dead children who died in a home where they were the only child, and they become chōpirako by being given lavish funerals. The spirit will supposedly bring prosperity to a family if the room where the chōpirako lives is kept pristine and treats are left out for them.

   • There are a few hotels in Japan that claim to have a chōpirako residing in them. Some guests apparently claim that they’ll get wealthier by staying in these hotels.
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   Kasha This one is a bit of a doozy. Kasha are corpse-eating demon cats that were originally chariots made of fire who took souls to Buddhist hell. Apparently, if a person dies in a home where a cat is present, the cat can turn into a Kasha. Kasha can be irritating to live with, but they’re not normally dangerous. They’re more likely to scare you than cause any serious trouble.

   • Supposedly, cleansing your home and cleaning thoroughly will help encourage a kasha to leave.
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   Karakasa Kozō Karakasa kozō are a type of Tsukumogami—they’re animated paper umbrellas that become alive after serving an owner for 100 years. They have a single eye and hop around on their handles. They’re said to enjoy messing with a home’s occupants by scaring them and moving around unexpectedly.
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   Mokumokuren Translating roughly to “many eyes,” Mokumokuren appear when a wall or door in a home has been neglected to the point where holes appear. Once the mokumokuren manifests, those holes become occupied with eyes. A single wall or door may develop hundreds of eyes, which they use to monitor and watch the house. Luckily, mokumokuren are harmless.
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   Makuragaeshi Known lovingly as “pillow flippers,” these house Yōkai appear as small children dressed as monks or samurai. They enjoy “flipping pillows” by taking the pillow out from behind someone’s head and putting it at the sleeper’s feet. They’re also known for leaving dirt around and conducting other silly pranks.

   • Most makuragaeshi are harmless, but some of them can mess with your sleep if they feel disrespected or ignored. They can cause sleep paralysis if they get especially annoyed with a homeowner.
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   Ao nyōbō When an especially wealthy, important, or expensive home goes unrepaired and abandoned for too long, an ao nyōbō may appear. These Yōkai appear as ancient noblewomen, draped in kimonos and expensive garb from previous eras. They wear the white face of a courtier and are said to devour trespassers whole if they sneak into the abandoned mansion or villa they inhabit without permission. A home with an ao nyōbō is said to attract bad financial luck.

   • “Ao nyōbō” translates roughly to “blue woman,” but the “blue” doesn’t refer to her color. In Japanese culture, “blue” is basically the equivalent of “green” in Western culture when talking about jealousy. An ao nyōbō is basically a jealous spirit who never received the attention she felt she deserved.
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Section 5 of 6:

What are Tsukumogami?

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1. 
   Tsukumogami are a unique type of Yōkai associated with akiya. Tsukumogami are really fun—they’re the spirits of household objects that are said to come alive after serving their owners for 100 years. Mattresses, staplers, tea-kettles, umbrellas, brooms, all of them can get a spirit of their own and become a Tsukumogami.

   • Are Tsukumogami good or evil? Every Tsukumogami is different, but most of them are depicted as bored, melancholic, and goofy, but not particularly dangerous. It’s said that how you treat an object determines what kind of Tsukumogami it becomes. If you always treat a coffee mug with respect, it may become a fun-loving house spirit. If you never wash your feet and toss your slippers around with abandon, it might become an angry Tsukumogami.

Section 6 of 6:

Difference Between a Haunting Yurei and a House Yōkai

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1. 
   Haunting Yurei are a type of house Yōkai. A Yurei is a human spirit that cannot move on to the afterlife due to unfinished business. This business could be with a person, a career, a family, or even…a house! When a Yurei haunts a home, it can be said to be a house Yōkai.

   • After Tsukumogami, Yurei are probably the most commonly cited spirits to be found in a home.
   • Are Yurei good or evil? It totally depends on the individual Yurei. Some Yurei are evil, malicious, and violent, while others try to spread love and joy everywhere they go. That doesn’t mean people aren’t going to naturally be spooked if there may be a Yueri around!
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