Abumikuchi 鐙口

Abumikuchi (鐙口), also known as Abumiguchi, is a unique and melancholic creature from Japanese folklore, recognized as a sentient object or tsukumogami.

Meaning and Origin

The name Abumikuchi literally translates to “stirrup mouth,” derived from the Japanese words abumi (鐙 - stirrup) and kuchi (口 - mouth).

As a tsukumogami, the Abumikuchi is an object that has gained a soul. Its origins lie in the stirrups belonging to a mounted warrior who fell in battle. When the warrior died and the stirrups were abandoned on the blood-soaked field, the emotional trauma and the sudden loss of purpose caused the gear to transform into a living being.

Characteristics

Appearance-wise, the Abumikuchi is a small, four-legged creature with a body covered in thick, coarse fur. Its most striking feature is its face, which is formed by the metal stirrup itself, resembling a gaping, sightless mouth. The decorative tassels or straps of the original stirrup often function as its spindly limbs.

Despite its monstrous appearance, it is not malevolent. Instead, it is characterized by a deep sense of loyalty and sorrow, perpetually mourning its lost master.

Legends

The Abumikuchi was first popularized by the Edo-period artist Toriyama Sekien in his 1784 work, Gazu Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro. Sekien linked the creature to the tragic Noh play Tomonaga, which tells the story of a warrior who was shot in the knee and eventually abandoned his horse and gear.

Legends tell of these strange creatures wandering abandoned battlefields at night. They are said to emit soft, whimpering sounds—a ghostly echo of the stirrup’s original master—as they wait eternally for a warrior who will never return.