Rokurokubi

[Posted： 2025/07/18]

[Update：2025/08/18]

Makuragaeshi,the Yokai

Known as a yokai with a long neck, Rokurokubi actually comes in two types: one whose neck stretches, and another whose head detaches and flies through the air.

The name is said to derive from the sensation of spinning a potter's wheel ("rokuro") when crafting pottery, though various theories exist.

The head-detaching type, known as "Nukekubi," is considered the original form of the Rokurokubi and is believed to originate from the Chinese yokai “Hitoban.”

However, yokai whose heads detach also appear in other cultures, such as the Chinese "Luotou," Borneo's "Pontianak," Malaysia's "Penanggalan," and South America's "Chonchon."

In terms of being “only a head,” Japan's own "Ōkubi" might also be considered a variant of Rokurokubi.

As for why the heads of Nukekubi detach, some say it's to suck human blood, while others believe it's because the soul leaves the body.

Another theory about this type of Rokurokubi is that after the soul leaves the body, what is seen is a spiritual thread connecting the soul to the body.

Rokurokubi in Hyakki Dassyutsukou

The "Rokurokubi" that appeared in this installment of Hyakki Escape was the spirit of a woman who had been unknowingly murdered and sealed within a wall.

A soul that became a spirit without realizing it began flying around as only a head in an attempt to regain life…

In other words,the head was flying around in search of a new body.

And the one it deemed to be that "new body" was the protagonist.

The protagonist's body was stolen,and their soul was trapped in a sealed space.

If they hadn't encountered Shihotei Zabuton,they likely would never have regained their body.