52) Japan - 25. Ushirogami

Written with the kanji for 'back' (後) and 'god' (神), its literal translation is something like 'god behind' or 'back god.' It is said to be a yokai that appears behind people walking alone at night and pulls the hair on the back of their head. In Toriyama Sekien's 'Gaiken Hyakki Yako,' it is depicted as a woman with a large single eye. Sekien's commentary states that it attaches itself to timid or indecisive people, whispers hesitation in their ears, and when they are about to act, it pulls the hair on the back of their head from behind, clouding their judgment or intensifying their fear and lingering doubts. While some legends from the Tsuyama region describe it as a tangible monster that messes with women's hair or makes them feel a cold touch or hot breath on their neck, it is generally interpreted not as a being with a concrete form, but rather as a personification of the sensation of hair being pulled from behind, or an embodiment of hesitation and lingering doubt. The recommended way to deal with it is to ignore the feeling of your hair being pulled and continue on your way without looking back.