The 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
Japanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in the islands of the Japanese archipelago. Shinto and Buddhist traditions are the cornerstones of Japanese mythology. The history of thousands of year ...
.
Mythology
The ungaikyō is a
tsukumogami
In Japanese folklore, ''tsukumogami'' (付喪神 or つくも神, lit. "tool ''kami''") are tools that have acquired a kami or spirit. According to an annotated version of '' The Tales of Ise'' titled ''Ise Monogatari Shō'', there is a theory ...
that is in the form of a possessed mirror. They can manipulate their reflection to resemble what they prefer. Any human who looks into the ungaikyō sees a transformed monstrous version of themselves in the reflection. It has also been used by humans to trap spirits in them.
External links
Ungaikyōat Yokai.com
{{Myth-stub
Yōkai
Tsukumogami