Nari-gama 鳴釜

Nari-gama (鳴釜), the “Ringing Cauldron,” is a prophetic Tsukumogami—a centuries-old iron kettle that can speak the future through the sounds of boiling water.

Meaning and Origin

The name means “Ringing Kettle” or “Crying Cauldron.”

The Nari-gama is deeply tied to the Kibitsu Shrine in Okayama, where a ritual called Narukama Shinji is still performed today. In this ritual, the priestesses interpret the loud, groaning sounds made by a heated cauldron to tell fortunes. The yokai is the personification of this prophetic power—an object that has become so saturated with spiritual energy and human hopes that it has developed a life of its own.

Characteristics

In traditional art, the Nari-gama is depicted as a hairy, humanoid figure with a heavy iron kettle (kama) where its head should be. It is often shown wreathed in spiritual flames and holding a wooden Ema (votive tablet) used for writing wishes.

Despite its odd appearance, it is generally a benevolent or neutral yokai. Its primary “power” is its voice. When water is boiled within it, it doesn’t just whistle—it groans, cries, or sings in a way that can be heard throughout an entire village, signaling the coming of rain, a bountiful harvest, or a looming disaster.

Legends

The origin of the Nari-gama’s voice is tied to the legend of the hero Kibitsuhiko and the demon Ura. After Kibitsuhiko defeated the demon, he buried Ura’s head under a massive cauldron in the shrine. Even in death, the head continued to groan for thirteen years until Ura appeared in a dream, promising to use his voice to tell the future if the shrine would feed his spirit.

In household folklore, a Nari-gama could be a mischievous prankster. If it felt neglected, it would start “crying” at midnight without any fire beneath it. To stop the haunting and turn the spirit’s favor, the household was told to shout the name “Renjo” and offer a small coin near the stove. The Nari-gama would then switch from a haunter to a guardian, protecting the family’s kitchen from fire and famine.