is a

Yōkai are a class of supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore. The word is composed of the kanji for "attractive; calamity" and "apparition; mystery; suspicious." are also referred to as , or . Despite often being translated as suc ...

in Japanese mythology.

Mythology

The Oboroguruma is a ghostly oxcart with a face on it. Legend has it that on misty nights that are lit by the moon in

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...

, people can hear squeaking sounds coming from an oxcart. When the person steps outside, they would find the Oboroguruma parked outside their home.

Popular culture

* Different adaptions of Oboroguruma appear in the ''

Super Sentai is a Japanese superhero team metaseries and media franchise consisting of television series and films produced by Toei Company, and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi ("Sentai" is the Japanese word for "task force" or "fighting squadron"). The ...

'' franchise: ** In ''

Ninja Sentai Kakuranger is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' television series. It was Toei Company Limited's eighteenth production of the Super Sentai metaseries. The name given to this series by Toei for international distribution is ''Ninja Rangers''. Action footage from ...

'', the Oboroguruma is an oxen cart that evolved into a taxicab. In its adaption for the third season of ''

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ''Mighty Power Rangers'' (''MMPR'') is a superhero television series that premiered on August 28, 1993, on the Fox Kids programming block. It is the first entry of the ''Power Rangers'' franchise, and became a 1990s pop culture phenomenon along ...

'', the monster is adapted into "Crabby Cabbie." ** In ''

Samurai Sentai Shinkenger is the title of Toei Company's thirty-third entry in its long-running Super Sentai metaseries of Japanese tokusatsu television series. It premiered on February 15, 2009, the week following the finale of ''Engine Sentai Go-onger'', and ended on F ...

'', the monster Homurakogi is an Oboroguruma-type monster with wheels for hands. In its adaption ''

Power Rangers Samurai ''Power Rangers Samurai'' is the eighteenth season of the children's television series ''Power Rangers'', which is based on the Japanese ''Super Sentai Series''. The season was the first to be produced by SCG Power Rangers, after Saban Brands ( ...

'', the monster is adapted into "Sergeant Tread." ** In ''

Shuriken Sentai Ninninger is a Japanese television series, the 39th entry of Toei's long-running Super Sentai metaseries, following '' Ressha Sentai ToQger''. It is the third ninja-based Sentai, and the fourth to be based on Japanese mythology and culture (after Samura ...

'', the Oboroguruma is an Advanced Yokai created from two Sealing Shuriken that Masakage brought into contact with six Gashadokuro. In ''

Power Rangers Ninja Steel ''Power Rangers Ninja Steel'' is the twenty-fourth season of the television program '' Power Rangers''. The season was produced primarily using footage, costumes, and props from Japanese 39th Super Sentai series '' Shuriken Sentai Ninninger'' ...

'', the monster is adapted into Megamauler. * In '' Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan'', an Oboroguruma lives in the Nura House and is used as a mode of transportation for the Nura family and allies of the Nura family. * In '' Yo-kai Watch'', the Yo-kai Mayoiguruma is based on the Oboroguruma and is referred to as "No-Go Kart" in the English dub. * In the ''

Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game The ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' Trading Card Game is a collectible card game developed and published by Konami. It is based on the fictional game of ''Duel Monsters'' created by manga artist Kazuki Takahashi, which appears in portions of the manga fr ...

'', the cards "Shafu" and "Oboro-Garuma", both otherwise known as "the Wheeled Mayakashi", are based on this spirit. Shafu's effect of returning a monster to the field from the graveyard is a direct reference to the legend. * In '' Digimon'', a Digimon named Oboromon, based on Oboroguruma, debuted in the ''Vital Bracelet Digital Monster'' in 2022.

External links

Oboroguruma
at Yokai.com Yōkai {{Myth-stub