Umibōzu

Umibōzu (海坊主, meaning "sea monk") is a yōkai from Japanese folklore, taking the form of a giant, black, human-like creature. It is a mythical sea spirit, and sightings have been reported across Japan. The umibōzu typically appears to sailors on calm seas that suddenly become violent. It may break a ship upon emerging, or demand a ladle from the crew and then drown them. The only safe escape is to give it a bottomless ladle and sail away while it is confused.

The creature is also known by similar names such as Umihōshi (海法師) or Uminyūdō (海入道). Encounters often happen at night: a calm sea suddenly surges, and a giant, bald, shaven head surfaces, damaging or destroying ships. Their size ranges from a few meters to tens of meters, though some are human-sized, and they usually show only their upper body above the waist. Umibōzu are not always alone; some stories describe swarms boarding ships to cause mischief, such as clinging to the hull, sculling, or putting out the basket fire. Their weakness is smoke—tobacco fumes, according to some—which makes them flee.

Some explain the umibōzu as the ghost of a drowned person, a belief held locally in Chiba Prefecture. In Chōshi, Chiba, Edo period literature says a priest named Shōgaku-bō (正覚坊) drowned and became the umibōzu. English sources often regard it more generally as the spirit of a drowned priest. The story of the umibōzu asking for a ladle-like tool and then trying to sink the ship by scooping water is found all over Japan. In a common version, the creature demands a hishaku (wooden dipper); the wise strategy is to lend one with the bottom punched out. On Ukujima Island (Gotō Islands, Nagasaki Prefecture), the creature is called either umibōzu or funayūrei, and asks for a hishaku. In Morozaki, Aichi, the funayūrei demands an "aka-tori," where "aka" means bilge water and "tori" means taker or gatherer.

The umibōzu's clean-shaven head resembles a priest's, and English sources sometimes generalize it as the spirit of drowned priests. It is often conflated with the funayūrei (船幽霊, "ship ghost"), making a clear distinction difficult. In western seas, the umibōzu is a human-headed sea turtle, corresponding to the heshang yu (or oshōuo in Japanese, meaning "monk-fish") from Chinese literature. European folklore has similar sea creatures, such as the sea monk and sea bishop.

In the northern Gotō Archipelago, the lad