Ko-ji no Yōkai 古寺の妖怪

Ko-ji no Yōkai (古寺の妖怪) refers to the diverse and eerie spirits that haunt abandoned temples, representing the Buddhist belief that even sacred places can be corrupted by time and neglect.

Meaning and Origin

The name literally means “Yokai of the Old Temple.”

In Japanese folklore, an abandoned temple (Ko-ji) is considered one of the most spiritually unstable locations. When a temple loses its residents and its rituals, the remaining religious objects—statues, bells, and scrolls—can become lonely and resentful, eventually transforming into Tsukumogami (artifact spirits). The artist Toriyama Sekien dedicated entire sections of his bestiaries to these specific entities that dwell in ruins.

Characteristics

There isn’t just one “Old Temple Yokai,” but rather a collection of them. Common examples include the Koto-furunushi (an animated koto), the Nuri-botoke (a blackened, bug-eyed buddha-spirit), and the Mokumokuren (eyes watching from the holes in old paper sliding doors).

The atmosphere of an Old Temple Yokai is defined by “spiritual dust”—a mixture of lost holiness and encroaching shadows. They are often depicted wreathed in flickering Onibi (spirit fires) and surrounded by overgrown weeds and tattered religious banners.

Legends

One famous collection of tales, the Konjaku Monogatarishū, describes a nobleman who sought shelter from a storm in a ruined temple. During the night, he witnessed a parade of hundred objects coming to life to dance and play music. This legend reinforces the idea that objects given life through prayer do not simply “die” when humans leave; they continue to exist in a strange, parallel world of their own.

Another legend tells of a traveling priest who restored a haunted temple by sitting in meditation for seven days. He didn’t fight the spirits; he simply acknowledged their presence and performed the forgotten rites, allowing the “Old Temple Yokai” to finally find peace and pass on, showing that these monsters are often just remnants of a forgotten devotion.