In every Japanese household there is usually a butsudan, an ornate wooden shrine that contains scrolls, mantras, and religious icons. The family’s ancestors are enshrined inside and so it is treated almost like a member of the family being offered food and drink as offerings on special occasions. During the day the doors of the butsudan are kept open but are always kept closed at night. Supposedly the butsudan is a gateway to the spirit world and if the doors are left open then spirits can move between the worlds. One of these such spirits is the Nuri-botoke, a gruesome zombie-like yōkai who often have the appearance of Buddhas. They have black oily skin, and their eyeballs dangle from stalks from their heads. In some tales they have odd fish-like tails and smell foully. The Nuri-botoke doesn’t actively harm members of the household, but his presence is disturbing and are even said to give false prophecies. One of the more disturbing-looking yōkai the nuri-botoke is a warning against treating one’s ancestors and the spirit world carelessly.
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