I work as a yokai exterminator, ask me anything? Part 4

[1] Q. Yokai don’t exist. This is a made-up story, right? A. Maybe they do exist. Whether you believe it or not, I just want you to know a little about the world of Yokai. Q. Do you have spiritual senses? How do you exterminate them? A. I don’t have spiritual senses, so I can’t cast amazing spells or shoot beams of light. It’s more like I use folk remedies born from past eras, without really understanding the logic behind them. Q. OP isn’t showing up. A. I apologize for that, please be patient. Q. How often should we bump the thread? A. Apparently, once or twice a day is fine.

• [3] Thanks for setting up the thread! Seriously, this is way more interesting than other stories! It’s the best! Question: what happens when people die? Can they still think? According to you, spirits can have mental effects. If so, can they communicate? If they can, couldn’t we communicate with the spirits of murdered people to solve crimes? Also, what about searching for missing children?
• [5] Your writing style is really good, OP. It draws you in like a well-written novel. You’ve returned at just the right time, but is the 10th month of the old lunar calendar particularly busy?

The 10th month of the old Japanese lunar calendar is called “Kannazuki” (Month of No Gods), as it’s said all the gods across Japan gather at Izumo Taisha Shrine, leaving other regions devoid of gods. Conversely, in the Izumo region, it’s called “Kamiarizuki” (Month of the Gods).

• [6] Thanks for setting up the thread. The New Year period seems like it’d be busy with all the festivals. If you could get your wife (a god?) to help out, maybe you’d get some bonuses.
• [9] I’m so happy. More than just getting to read the continuation, I’m glad you’re back, OP.

[10] >>5 Busy… well, maybe. It’s more that many things are mentally exhausting, so often I don’t even feel like opening my laptop. I’m not very tech-savvy, so please bear with me on that (lol). >>3 Actually, don’t they have something like that in America? Psychic investigations or something. I’ve never died, so I don’t know about the afterlife, and I’m not a psychic who can tune into ghost radio waves, so honestly, I don’t know how it is.

[11] However, I asked my teacher something similar a long time ago, and he said, “I don’t want to go to hell, so maybe hell doesn’t exist.” With things like this, you can’t see them, so no matter what others say, there’s ultimately no way to confirm. Rather than what’s actually true or not, what you yourself believe is probably more important.

• [15] The claim that certain individuals can perceive things that the vast majority of humans cannot suggests the possibility that their brains or minds are abnormal. What are your own thoughts on this?
• [32] Just read through the summary, it’s fascinating. I can understand it intuitively, but seeing it written down makes it different.
• [33] Interesting. I was just thinking about undergoing Tokudo (Buddhist ordination), so the talk about karma was intriguing. I thought I had deep karma in this life and wanted to reduce it a bit through training for the next life, but does it carry over…?

Tokudo is the Buddhist ordination ceremony for becoming a monk.

• [34] You mentioned procedures when your teacher died. Did you know much about his family or background? Or did he give you something like a will beforehand, just in case? Or do people in this line of work cut ties with relatives?

[88] >>15 Well, you know, there are people with sharp senses that most don’t have, like perfect pitch. Of course, there’s also the possibility of illness. My teacher asked me once, what do you think is the strongest human desire? There’s hunger, sleep, survival instinct, etc., but most can be suppressed by reason. Some people fast to death, controlling hunger. Some can stay awake until they die, overcoming sleep. Even the survival instinct, some eventually commit suicide. Sex drive? People can practice abstinence, so that can be managed too. So, what’s the ultimate desire? It’s the desire for knowledge. Thinking about something is the one thing you absolutely cannot suppress. The more you try to suppress it, the more it sticks in your brain. People in the past were surrounded by unknowns, and they feared those unknowns. Even we modern people close our curtains at night. Of course, privacy is a factor, but humans are afraid of the dark. Maybe there’s no specific reason now. Still, you can’t suppress the feeling of fear. Your mind whirls, wondering what’s in the darkness. It might sound strange coming from me, but maybe Yokai and ghosts are forced shapes given to this formless fear? Maybe by forcibly “knowing” them, people suppressed this desire to think about the fear within themselves?

• [89] Going to take a bath before I get scared (lol).
• [90] Too scared to sleep now…. Is there any connection between having one extra Sanshi worm and the high suicide rate?

Sanshi refers to the three worms believed, according to Daoist tradition, to reside in the human body. On specific nights, when a person sleeps, they are said to report the person’s sins to the Celestial Emperor, shortening their lifespan.

[95] >>88 Continued. So, it’s entirely possible that people who are slightly more sensitive to sounds or whatnot, tried to put a lid on things they couldn’t understand, started seeing illusions without realizing it, and their minds went haywire to reach a state of acceptance. But for those people, Yokai definitely exist. Inside the fear within their hearts. Maybe my job isn’t exterminating Yokai, but being a psychiatrist? (lol).

• [97] >>88 Sounds like “I think, therefore there are monsters.” Self-proclaimed psychics might get angry hearing that (lol). But maybe because you frame the existence of Yokai this way, your content is more convincing than the occult board regulars or the questionable posters that sometimes pop up in this thread.
• [104] I saw this in another thread somewhere, but apparently, someone in Korea(?) cast a powerful curse on Japan, and the Japanese gods were fighting it. The gods eventually won, but while they were busy, Japan was left vulnerable, leading to the recent earthquake. Japan is protected by gods, but that was the biggest crisis recently, and the one before that was World War II, or so the story went. My memory’s fuzzy, so I might be wrong, but you mentioned losing things in the war in a previous thread, so it caught my attention. Do you know anything about that?
• [107] Teacher, why did you die?

[108] >>104 The definition of “god” is also an issue. Are we talking about the gods in the sense of those in manga adaptations of the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters), which my teacher forced me to read? Or those who reached enlightenment through mastering Shinto? Or perhaps Yokai that have been enshrined? There are many gods, but based on what I learned from my teacher, it seems a bit strange for any of them to be protecting the country of Japan itself. It’s more likely they protect their own territory or don’t want their comfortable places disturbed. In that sense, maybe there were people who used them to protect Japan.

The Kojiki, compiled in 712, is Japan’s oldest extant historical record, containing myths, legends, and imperial genealogies.
Shinto is Japan’s indigenous, polytheistic religion centered on the worship of nature and ancestors. It characteristically lacks a specific founder or scriptures.

[109] >>107 Hmm, that’s a long story. I’ll tell it another time. Sorry, I need to sleep soon.

• [111] >>107 Maybe because his karma was deep.
• [134] Strangely realistic and interesting.
• [136] I worry that writing here might connect you to a lot of “karma,” OP. Also, how can I provide financial support to you?
• [137] Just read everything from the summary at once, my head is spinning.
• [157] What happened to the OP of the thread “I’ve been able to see Yokai since I was little”?
• [163] I tried putting Morijio (salt piles) at my entrance for now. I don’t know the recipe for ginger salt water with plenty of salt, but is it okay to just put grated ginger and a suitable amount of salt in hot water?

Morijio is a Japanese custom of placing cone-shaped piles of salt at entrances or room corners for purification, warding off evil, and good luck.

• [164] How much is “plenty of salt”? I want the recipe.
• [166] How do you make ginger salt water?

[177] Hey hey. Wow, quite a few people are trying the ginger salt water. It’s probably not super spiritually beneficial, and I don’t think it’s scientifically good for you—in fact, it feels like it might be bad—so you should probably stop drinking it every day. It’s like doing an enema daily. I think it’s fine just for times after things like Kimodameshi (tests of courage), exploring ruins at night, or visiting famous suicide spots. Worrying about the exact amounts of ginger and salt is very modern. It feels like you’re getting caught up in words and letters, and somehow the more important core aspect is wrong. I don’t understand the detailed logic either, but with things like this, the maker’s intention, the meaning imbued in the object, those things are important first, so I don’t think you need to worry too much about the quantity itself.

Kimodameshi is a Japanese game where people go to scary places like cemeteries or abandoned buildings at night to test their courage.

• [178] >>177 We’ve been waiting!! Welcome back!
• [179] >>177 Welcome back. Thanks for your hard work.
• [183] >>177 Welcome back! I’m curious about your teacher, but please tell us when you’ve settled down, no rush.

[184] >>136 I want money, but I think you should donate it to the Philippines or somewhere. Also, I just remembered, I think I posted a picture of Chef Kawagoe back when he was doing Yokai extermination, does anyone still have it? I seem to have lost it…

[186] >>183 I don’t have much time today, so maybe I’ll talk about my teacher tomorrow.

• [188] >>186 Please get some rest. Also, I couldn’t find the Chef Kawagoe picture.

[191] Since I have a little time, maybe I’ll talk about a Yokai related to my teacher’s story. It’s not very famous, but it’s called “Chou.” I don’t really know the detailed descriptions or which books mention it, but I think there’s an old tale where a human eaten by a tiger becomes a “Chou” and lures other humans to be eaten by the tiger. Only then can the first victim be freed from the tiger and pass on peacefully, or something like that. So, “Chou” is like a common trope, for example, you often hear stories about suicides trying to kill the next person who comes along, right?

Chou is a being originating from Chinese folklore. The spirit of a human eaten by a tiger is sometimes said to serve the tiger and lure the next victim. By extension, it can also refer to human spirits who have become minions of evil spirits or Yokai.

• [192] Been waiting!
• [193] Whoa! Don’t push yourself too hard!

[198] Well, maybe only Yokai who have achieved considerable spiritual power can do that, but didn’t a famous one appear as a bear’s underling in the story of Kintaro? I don’t remember that part well. “Chou” refers to humans who are still trapped even after being killed like that, and it also partially refers to the entity doing the trapping. In the past, animals or Nyudo (lay priests/monsters) with high spiritual attainment were sometimes called this, but recently, the trapping entity is often a “place,” so maybe those “places,” like famous suicide spots, are also this “Chou” Yokai (lol).

Kintaro is a child hero of superhuman strength appearing in Japanese folktales and legends, known for exploits like wrestling a bear.
Nyudo refers to someone who has entered Buddhist priesthood. It’s also used as the name for Yokai appearing as monks.

[201] Still sleepy. Good night.

• [203] >>201 Good night.
• [206] >>201 Thank you for your hard work. Rest well, and please tell us more later.
• [247] I want to use a Yokai to make my wife’s child from a previous marriage disappear (don’t care if they die), how can I do it?
• [249] >>247 That kind of creative writing isn’t funny.
• [252] >>247 Don’t do it.
• [255] First time meeting you, OP, may I ask a question? Around New Year’s or Setsubun with the Oni extermination, do Yokai become more active? Just simple curiosity, so ignore me if you don’t feel like answering.

Oni taiji (Oni extermination) refers to defeating “Oni” (demons/ogres) who cause trouble in Japanese folktales, legends, and events.
Setsubun is an annual Japanese event held the day before the start of spring. It involves throwing beans while chanting “Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi” (Demons out, Fortune in) to drive away evil spirits.

[258] >>247 You must really hate that stepchild. This reminds me of something my teacher once said about the kanji for “death” (死). Originally, “死” represented the ground (一) with a corpse buried beneath it. So, a corpse in the shape of “タ” and “ヒ” inside the earth. In the past, there were two ways to bury a corpse. I forget which was which, but one was for burying relatives normally, where they’d place the person in a sitting position inside a barrel and bury it. The other was incredibly cruel, where for some reason, they’d break the person’s spine backward and bury them like that. One thing you can understand from this is the kanji for “grudge” or “resentment” (怨). You can probably tell just by looking at it. It apparently means wishing from the “heart” (心) for someone to become a “corpse” (夗 – derived from 死). And not just a normal death, but wishing for them to die with their spine broken in some weird way.

[260] Continued. And another kanji read the same way is “恨” (also grudge/resentment). This is composed of the heart radical (忄, derived from 心) on the left, and the character “良” (good) minus the dot. In other words, something is missing from a good state. To put it more bluntly, the character “恨” means the heart is in a bad state. Envying or resenting someone might be unavoidable. It’s unpleasant for the other person, but most of all, it’s bad for your own heart. Well, maybe I can only say this because it’s someone else’s problem, but if you hate the kid that much, why not get a divorce? If you hate the child but love the mother… well, all I can say is you lost the moment you fell for her (lol). Sorry for being cheeky even though I’m a virgin.

[261] >>255 Maybe it’s more lively around the old lunar calendar dates? I can’t see Yokai, so I can’t say “They’re active now!!” or anything. There probably isn’t much work during the New Year holidays. Maybe even if slightly strange things happen in normal households, there are lots of fun things going on, so people probably don’t worry about it much during that time.

• [265] >>261 Thanks for the reply. For the past few years, it’s been noticeable that whenever something good is about to happen to me, something bad immediately occurs and cancels it out. Are there Yokai that interfere with people like that…?

[267] >>265 It’s not good to give advice without knowing the situation, so maybe try visiting a nearby shrine first? Also, I heard an old story about something similar. When you’re having bad luck, instead of drinking tap water straight, it’s good to boil it in a kettle first. Expensive tea is calming too. Also, maybe a picture of the Emperor or Chef Kawagoe.

• [288] >>258 So each character really does have a proper meaning. Your explanations are very clear and helpful, thank you.

[303] About karma and causality, I feel like the original meaning and what modern people think are different. The modern understanding is quite influenced by Buddhism. And Buddhism, though this might be prejudice, basically teaches that doing good deeds leads to happiness, according to what my teacher taught me. But it’s common for good deeds not to yield good results. Anyway, I’m going to talk about my teacher now, and probably by the end of that story, you’ll understand karma and causality a bit better.

• [305] Oh, it’s OP. Thanks for your hard work.
• [306] Why are people asking pointless questions?
• [307] Well, it is a question thread originally. I guess trivial things are fine.
• [308] Oh, good timing.

[310] My teacher’s cause of death was drowning. Thinking back now, my teacher disliked places with water. He absolutely avoided the sea, and rarely even went near rivers. He didn’t use tap water much either, always hydrating with bottled water, and for baths, he used water stored in the tub. Once, during summer, I invited him to go to the sea, but of course, he refused. When I asked why he hated water so much, he always explained that he had spiritual senses, and going to places like watersides where Yokai and ghosts gather made him feel sick. However, once when we were drinking together, maybe it was a slip of the tongue, but he mentioned that he grew up in a small port town and always played in the sea as a child. Clam digging, fishing, and of course, swimming. But one time, while swimming in the sea, he felt something grab him and almost drowned. His older brother tried hard to save him, and in the end, he was saved, but his brother died in his place. That’s what he said.

• [311] There was a mass drowning incident at some coast. Was that really ghosts?

[325] My teacher quite liked alcohol. And he was rather strong, enjoying pub crawls as a hobby. That was the only time I remember seeing him get that drunk. I drink a fair bit myself, but I’m not strong, and I still don’t get the appeal of beer, always ordering some fruit pulp sour mix. By the way, according to my teacher, you understand the taste of beer once you lose your virginity. Don’t know if that’s true. The drinking session that day was right after finishing a certain job. I won’t go into details since it’s his story, but we drove a Yokai out of a house. But the child in that house was probably being abused, and maybe the Yokai was trying to protect the child, or at least, that’s what my teacher and I speculated. Then, after I had about two sours and he had about three hot sake flasks, he asked me, “Do you think what I’m doing is wicked?” I immediately nodded.

[329] Then the teacher laughed. “Actually, sometimes I myself wonder if what I’m doing isn’t a bit cruel. But even so, I don’t regret it. Because it was definitely what I wanted to do at that time. It’s best for humans to live ‘Seichoku’.” Or something like that. I asked what ‘Seichoku’ meant. Then, perhaps loosened up by the alcohol, he became a bit talkative and started explaining. “‘Seichoku’ is written ‘正直’ (shoujiki – honest/upright) but read ‘Seichoku’. But don’t misunderstand, Seichoku is not ‘Shoujiki’. ‘Shoujiki’ is monk terminology, meaning not telling lies. In the monks’ world, telling lies sends you to hell. Even if it’s a white lie for someone’s sake, it’s no good. Well, you’re old enough to drink now, so you probably know there are such things as ‘good lies’ in the world, but regardless, if you tell one, you go to hell. So you have to be ‘Shoujiki’ and not lie. But Seichoku is different. Seichoku (正直), literally means being straight, upright. Straight towards what? Towards your own heart, of course.”

Seichoku (正直) is a term used by the protagonist’s (OP’s) teacher. Unlike “Shoujiki” (honesty, not telling lies), it’s based on a unique interpretation meaning “being true/straight to one’s own heart.”

• [330] Interesting.
• [331] I agree with the teacher’s thinking. Somehow, “Seichoku” really resonates.

[332] Then, the teacher told me a story about a great person from the past, Confucius. One day, Confucius was talking to the king of a certain country, and the king said, “Everyone in my country is honest! For example, the father of family A stole a goat from family B. Then, the son of family A testified that his own father stole it.” Confucius replied, “That is not what I consider honesty. If a parent commits theft, the child conceals it. If a child commits theft, the parent covers it up. This is the true meaning of honesty.”

• [333] Hmm.

[334] Acting according to your heart’s true desires. This is very important. It doesn’t change whether you’re dealing with Yokai or humans. If you follow your true heart, even if you lie, deceive, or do something bad, it can’t be helped. It’s your true intention. What happens when you live Seichoku? You become “satisfied” (満足, manzoku). The state of being satisfied is the best state for the heart, so much so that ghosts and Yokai are nothing. There’s talk about dispelling them with a “Ha!” sound, but that’s something only a truly satisfied person can do. Or something like that, I think that’s what he told me. But then, a question popped into my head. So I asked the teacher, “If it’s okay to act according to your heart’s desires, then if you want sex, should you just rape? If you want things, should you just steal or rob? Is that also unavoidable?” The teacher said, “That’s a good question.”

• [335] That’s a good story.
• [336] Hmm hmm.

[337] Doing whatever you want to satisfy your heart’s desires. However, this is also not good for the heart. Why? Because the heart forgets “satisfaction.” Before you know it, the heart is just constantly thinking “more, more, next, next.” This is “Ma” (魔 – demonic influence/temptation). You don’t have spiritual senses and have no connection to spells or things like that, but this Ma is the biggest reason people in this industry perish. Their hearts eventually become nothing but desire, they lose sight of satisfaction and the true path their heart should follow, and in the end, they become something more miserable than Yokai.

• [338] Ma, huh. Now that you mention it, people who just do whatever they want don’t seem fulfilled.
• [339] “Ma ga sasu” (Temptation strikes / To be possessed by an impulse) is a fitting phrase.
• [340] I see.

[343] By that time, the teacher had already told me about the concept of “the Way” (道, michi/dou), and he touched on that too. Ma clouds the Way. Practitioners in the past often underwent rigorous training. Why? To prevent the birth of Ma. However. Like the phrase “ma ga sasu,” Ma cannot be eradicated. So what should one do? In China, there’s the term “Wu wei” (無為自然, mui shizen) – natural inaction. Do nothing, engage with nothing. Then, Ma won’t arise. But this is also impossible. Obviously, doing nothing means you die (lol). So, what should be done? First, find the Ma within your own heart and face it. Properly accept your own ugliness, your flaws, those kinds of things. Don’t become subservient because of it, and don’t become strangely overconfident either. Accept reality as it is. And don’t be swayed by it, getting overly happy or sad. Only when you can do that are you truly mature as a human. And it’s important from there too.

[344] Ah, I was about to smugly say “Ma ga sasu,” but someone beat me to it. Embarrassing.

• [345] Don’t worry about it (lol). Cheering you on.
• [348] The teacher’s words always draw me in.
• [349] This is incredibly insightful stuff, but it’s totally foreshadowing, isn’t it?

[350] Sorry, I’m having trouble getting to the main point. I try to summarize, but I can’t write it well. I think my writing skills have improved a little, but still not good enough.

[352] >>349 What he talked about happened quite a long time ago, so it’s not foreshadowing (lol). I just wanted you to know more about the kind of person the teacher was. Don’t eradicate the Ma, but rather lead it by the hand, following the rails laid down by your own heart. This is the original meaning of Seichoku. However, while this might be fine if you live entirely alone, we live in a world with many people and must interact with them. At this time, others can sway our hearts. For example, a salaryman somewhere. Even if he maintains his true intentions, say there’s an annoying boss, and he has to bow and scrape before him even though he hates it. Then, he starts to hate his own true feelings more and more. Eventually, he rejects his true feelings, unable to even face the Ma, let alone achieve Seichoku. This is the currently fashionable “depression” (鬱, utsu). So, what should be done? I don’t know. If I knew, I’d already be a “saint.” You have to find the method yourself.

• [353] It’s perfectly easy to read. Waiting for the continuation.
• [355] >>352 Is that so, my apologies. It’s a very interesting story, so please take your time telling it.

[356] Sorry, but I’m getting sleepy around here. When you have bad dreams routinely, you become chronically sleep-deprived. Sorry, good night.

• [357] Good night. Hope you sleep soundly.
• [358] Take your time. Today was fun too. Thank you for your hard work.
• [359] Thank you. It’s a good story.
• [378] >>343 I was just in the process of confronting and accepting my own negative aspects, so reading this thread has been a good push forward. By recognizing my own evil, I simultaneously recognize my own good. Only by combining everything does the shape of my own heart emerge. However, the concepts of good and evil are ultimately subjective, merely words to express my own heart to myself – that’s the conclusion I reached. Sorry for the long post, but anyway, the teacher’s story was a good experience, thank you. As someone who’s been enjoying reading since the first thread, I’m worried about you, OP, but I’m looking forward to the rest of the story.
• [379] >>311 Could it be about Nakagawara Beach in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture? http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/橋北中学校水難事件 But my husband (39), who is from Tsu, didn’t know about this incident or the beach. He said maybe he didn’t know about the beach because swimming wasn’t allowed, or maybe the incident faded from memory, or maybe the adults have been hiding it from the children for generations… Apparently, only one person actually said they were pulled by ghosts. The weekly magazines and media supposedly exaggerated it as if everyone testified to that.

[442] The teacher had several policies, sort of. For example, if he said something pure like this, he’d follow it up by saying something equally obscene. If he did someone a kindness, he’d immediately do something equally mean afterward. The teacher, being like that, also said this: “I’m bad at taming my own Ma. That’s why I always have to remind myself through actions like this. I am neither good nor evil. I must not attach any reason other than my own true feelings to what I do. What matters is not good or evil, but what I choose. And if it’s something I’ve chosen, I will never regret it.” This way is called the path of Chuyo (the Middle Way). “I believe this path suits me. But it probably doesn’t suit you. So, what will you do? What are your true feelings, and what path will you take? You’re at that age. It’s time to decide.”

[447] Listening to my teacher’s story, I thought hard. I had many thoughts, but I probably wasn’t adult enough yet to put my own path into words. I also felt that the teacher telling me this story wasn’t just a coincidence. Much earlier, I talked about our school, the “Hanzan” (搬山 – Mountain Moving) school. Its origin is the story of Gukou Yishan (愚公移山 – The Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains). Once upon a time, there was a village. Transportation to and from this village was very poor because a large mountain stood right in front of it. The most foolish old man in the village decided to do something about it. He went to the mountain, dug up earth, carried it to the distant sea, and dumped it there. He did this every day. His son and grandson also helped him. Still, the amount of earth dumped into the sea each day was minuscule. Then, the wisest old man in the village said to the foolish old man, “No matter how hard you try, the mountain will never really disappear from just that.” Hearing this, the foolish old man replied, “That’s true. The mountain won’t move in my lifetime. After all, I can only dump this much each day. But even after I die, my son will dig and dump earth every day. After my son dies, my grandson will dig and dump earth every day. After my grandson dies, his children will. After his children die, their children’s children will dig and dump earth every day. And if we keep piling that up, someday the mountain will disappear.” The wisest old man in the village was speechless. Meanwhile, the god of the mountain in front of the village heard the foolish old man’s words and thought, “Oh crap, this old man is serious, and he’ll probably actually do it. If the mountain is going to be removed anyway, I might as well move it somewhere else myself.” So the god moved the mountain. The most important thing in the Hanzan school is this foolish old man’s will. When chanting poems and such, you do it with this will. Essentially, you convey to the Yokai, “I will never give up. No matter what happens, I will not give up. So, you break first.” But to do that, you first need to find the path of your own heart. No human can possess such a strong heart without a guidepost.

• [448] I see~.

[449] About the questions, I always post from my computer. I rotate about 5 of them every 3 months or so. I have about 3 feature phones (garakei). I swap the SIM cards to use them. Work mainly comes through referrals. Word of mouth from past clients and such. Also, wealthy people tend to attract unpleasant things more easily. So, various things from that direction. Also, celebrities often join religions, and that’s one cause too.

[450] Good night.

• [451] Thanks for your hard work. Such an interesting story, it’s fascinating!
• [452] Wow, some amazing story has been posted. Always appreciate your hard work, OP. Good night.
• [453] Thanks for your hard work (^○^).
• [476] Question for OP, I understand you can’t keep pets, but are electronic pets okay? (Like Tamagotchi, for example)
• [478] Question for OP. There was that story about corpses moving in Wang-san’s basement. Were those ghosts? Apparitions? Yokai? What category do they fall into? Good thing it was dark, if there had been light and I’d seen them, I would have fainted.
• [479] Question, do you ever get requests from foreigners living in Japan?

[480] Good evening. I’ll write something after dinner. >>479 Not among the memorable ones, no. >>478 Honestly, I don’t know. >>476 Never thought about it, but you get attached, so it probably still isn’t good.

• [486] Anyway, waiting for the master’s story.

[487] Dinner was yakisoba, white rice, and vegetable juice. By the way, the Demonic Path (魔道, madou) is also one kind of Way. Completely abandoning your true heart and acting solely loyal to your own desires. Of course, the desires endlessly inflate, but if you possessed the means to fulfill them no matter how much they swelled, you could eventually make everything in this world go your way, attaining sainthood through the Demonic Path.

[489] Continued. After hearing the teacher’s story, I thought about it for a bit, but I still didn’t really understand my own path. Then, a question floated up. Come to think of it, how did the teacher find his own path? Well, it’s rare for anyone to find their path without any experience. Of course, the teacher must have had some trigger or something like that. When I frankly voiced this question, the teacher began to talk about his origins. The first surprise was that the teacher was actually the second son of a small temple in a port town.

• [494] The teacher was a temple son…?

[495] >>494 Temple-born folks really are amazing. That’s what I thought while typing about yakisoba.

• [496] Like Mr. T! Also, it’s “while typing about yakisoba” (焼きそばを書き込みながら, not 焼きそば書き込みながら). [Note: Correcting OP’s minor typo]

[498] The teacher had three brothers. The eldest son, the teacher (second son), and the third son. His parents were apparently strict people, very particular about discipline. And well, being born in a temple, he had many opportunities to encounter Buddhism. As a child, the teacher disliked his parents. Or rather, he was scared of them. The eldest brother was quite brilliant, the pride of his parents. And the third son, being the youngest, was doted on by the adults. Amidst this, the teacher felt he might be the least loved by his parents. Because his brilliant older brother was rarely scolded. His younger brother was spoiled, so even if he caused mischief, it was brushed off with a “can’t be helped.” But only the teacher was severely reprimanded every time he messed up. When he failed, the scolding words were things like “Your older brother didn’t do things like this when he was little,” or “You really are a useless child.” Despite that, he rarely received praise. Even if he got what he considered very good grades at school, at home it was “Try harder, your older brother got much higher scores at this age.”

[509] The teacher’s older brother was apparently a kind person. When the teacher was scolded and shut himself in his room crying, it was always only his brother who comforted him. But, the teacher disliked his brother the most in the family. He knew his brother was a good person. Still, maybe out of jealousy, he felt that his brother’s kindness actually made him feel more miserable, and he wanted to avoid seeing his brother even more than his cheeky younger brother. That was the kind of person the teacher was. But there was one thing he was confident in: swimming. The teacher’s brother apparently had considerable athletic skill, but he was completely hopeless when it came to swimming. On the other hand, the teacher loved swimming. After school, he always went diving in the sea with friends. Only when swimming did he feel superior to his brother, apparently.

• [555] Caught up. OP, don’t push yourself too hard~.

[558] The incident happened when the teacher was 10 years old. Around early summer. In a normal year, it shouldn’t have been that hot, but apparently, it was a severe heatwave that time. The school pool wasn’t open yet, and even if it had been, the sea was more fun, so he would have gone there anyway. The teacher made plans to go swimming with several friends. However, when he told his parents, his father objected. Usually, that wouldn’t happen, but for some reason, he was told no. When he asked his father why, his father showed him a drawing and asked, “Did you draw this?” It depicted something squirming like a worm. But this worm had three leg-like appendages extending from it, and it was entirely colored black. Indeed, the teacher had drawn it. It was a strange creature he had seen among the rocks when playing by the sea before. He had drawn it during art class at school. When the teacher confirmed he had drawn it, his father asked further, “Did you see this?” When the teacher nodded again, his father said, “Then you are forbidden from going to the sea this year.”

[560] About the black fox in Hokkaido. Just because one exists doesn’t mean Japan will be destroyed or anything. I don’t think it’s a bad omen at all. There’s a story from some country long ago. One day, a solar eclipse occurred. Now, we know it’s because the sun and moon align, blah blah blah. But ancient people didn’t know that. The king who saw it became very anxious. He asked his retainers, should this be seen as a good omen, or a precursor to something terrible? One minister said, “Something like this happened in an ancient kingdom too. At that time, the people were terrified, and eventually, a rebellion occurred. Therefore, Your Majesty, please be vigilant.” But another minister said, “No, Your Majesty. This is cause for celebration. What’s more important than the sun is how the populace feels. The eclipse might indeed be a sign that a rebellion could occur. However, the king was able to know this in advance and had the opportunity to review his mistaken policies. Let us issue a proclamation saying that as a result, the rebellion was prevented. Surely then, the people will admire the king’s capacity and trust him even more.” In Japan too, there’s an old tale where they saw a white snake in the imperial palace, thought it was a good omen, and the nobles were indulging in luxury when a rebellion broke out. The nobles, angered that it wasn’t a good omen after all, cut the snake, and it immediately turned pitch black. There’s one interpretation that the black snake had disguised itself as white, and another theory that it was actually a white snake, and the rebellion should have eventually subsided thanks to it, but because the nobles killed it, it turned black. But ultimately, it’s all about perspective. Even if it’s a sign of good things, don’t let your guard down. Even if it’s a sign of bad things, don’t panic; instead, think of it as a chance to review your own mistakes.

• [561] >>OP Welcome back. Always learning something.

[562] Continued. Of course, the teacher wasn’t convinced by that. “Why can’t I go?” he asked his father, but his father insisted, “No means no.” When he started saying he still wanted to go, his father got angry and scolded him severely. Then he said, “Stay inside the house all day today.” The teacher, saddened by the sheer unfairness, went back to his room and started crying in secret again. Then, perhaps having heard the father’s scolding, his older brother came to the room. He asked the teacher what happened. After hearing the story, the brother laughed a little and said, “Is that all?” Then, the brother made a proposal to the teacher.

• [566] Curious about what happens next.
• [570] Bumping.

[599] >>571 Eh!? I’m not this handsome. But Wang-kun might be pretty close.

[605] Continued. The teacher’s older brother was quite trusted by their parents. So, he would lie and say he was going to play dodgeball with friends today and wanted to take his younger brother, the teacher, along. The teacher had been told to stay home all day, but surely, if the usually responsible older brother offered to look after him, permission for an outing would be granted. Well, they probably wouldn’t think the brother, who couldn’t swim, would take the teacher to the sea. So, the brother would go to the sea with the teacher. They could just hide their swimsuits and bring them along. It was a flimsy plan, the kind kids come up with, but the teacher, wanting to go to the sea, immediately agreed. The brother promptly sought permission from their father. The father, emphasizing, “Absolutely do not take your brother to the sea,” eventually gave his permission. Maybe the father also felt a bit sorry for keeping his second son cooped up at home all day. Perhaps having the older brother accompany him provided some reassurance too. However, as soon as the brother and teacher left the house, they immediately headed for the sea.

[606] Arriving at the sea, the teacher immediately got in and started playing. Although the brother couldn’t swim, perhaps suffering from the intense heat, he decided to stay in the very shallow water. By the way, this wasn’t a proper, well-maintained swimming beach like a sandy shore, but rather a place with lots of rocks scattered around. The teacher and the friends he was meeting often swam there. Perhaps because there were many rocks, the current wasn’t too strong, and even if you were about to drown, you could quickly grab onto one of the nearby uneven rocks. So, for locals, swimming meant going there. The teacher was swimming and frolicking with his waiting friends, but eventually, the friends got tired, and one by one, they moved to the shallow area where the brother was and started chatting with him. After a while, the teacher realized he was swimming alone, and all his friends were cheerfully playing with his brother. Then, the teacher felt like his friends had been taken away from him and felt somewhat out of place.

• [607] Whoa! First time encountering you live!! Enjoying this.
• [608] Always looking forward to this. Waiting patiently for the continuation (lol).

[609] The teacher got a bit stubborn, insisting he could swim, so he was having fun alone, etc. Honestly, he was a bit tired, but instead of returning to the shallows, he headed towards deeper water. When he reached a place with considerable depth (apparently around 2 meters, but that must seem quite deep to a child), he remembered, “Oh yeah, I saw that weird worm around here.” But he wondered why his father had suddenly forbidden him from going to the sea. The next moment, while vaguely thinking about this, the teacher felt something cold touch his right leg, and then his whole body suddenly froze.

[612] Ah, crap—before he could even think that, with a sensation like something pulling his leg, the teacher’s body sank sharply below the surface. It was so sudden that the teacher swallowed several mouthfuls of water. Still, being used to the water, the teacher struggled to regain his posture, but his body wouldn’t move as he wanted, and due to the strong pulling force, he sank deeper and deeper instead. He couldn’t breathe, panicked halfway, lost track of up and down in the water, and his mind went increasingly blank. Then, by chance, the teacher opened his eyes underwater. The salt, debris, and water refraction made his eyes sting badly, and normally, in a calm state, let alone a panicked one, he couldn’t possibly grasp the situation instantly. But for some reason, he said he saw that one thing with strange clarity. Pitch black, hairy, with no eyes, mouth, nose, ears, or even a face, but emitting a creepy, grinning atmosphere. From it, something like black mist extended towards his leg and was entangled around it.

[613] The teacher’s memory from that point on became hazy. He couldn’t remember what happened in the deep water anymore. After a while, when he vaguely regained consciousness, he heard panicked adult voices around him. There was a strong foreign sensation in his mouth, his head throbbed intensely, and his body wouldn’t move an inch. Forcing his eyes open somehow, the first thing he saw was someone lying right next to him. Who is it? What happened to me? His thoughts felt distant and jumbled. But slowly shifting his gaze, he managed to see the face of the person next to him. It was his older brother. His face was deathly pale, eyes and mouth half-open. Huh? Why is brother here? he thought for a moment. The next instant, his brother’s eyes glared directly at him. It was a look filled with some intense emotion. Of course, there were no words. But somehow, just from those eyes, the teacher understood what his brother wanted to say. “It’s your fault.” At that point, the teacher lost consciousness again.

[615] Later, the teacher heard the story. The children finally noticed him drowning after some time, panicked, shouted, and called for adults. Fortunately, since it was hot that day, other adults were swimming nearby and managed to rush over. And that his brother had disappeared from among the children at some point. That his brother probably tried to save him, his younger brother. That his brother drowned and died near where the teacher was, while the teacher was saved. Something like that. But the teacher couldn’t believe that story. His brother couldn’t swim. It was obvious that for such a brother to come to a deep-water area to save him was nothing short of suicide. There was the funeral and various other things. The teacher’s parents cried constantly, and when the teacher, who had been in the hospital for 2-3 days, returned home, it felt incredibly uncomfortable. No one blamed the teacher. But somehow, he felt that everyone around him thought his brother had died because of him.

• [616] Didn’t think I’d get to see this in real-time. Thanks for your hard work, OP.

[618] He couldn’t even talk properly with his father. After all, he had defied the order not to go to the sea, and this was the result. Actually, he couldn’t make eye contact properly not just with his father, but with anyone around him. When he made eye contact, he felt like they were saying it was his fault. He didn’t want to talk to anyone. He didn’t go to school, just stayed shut in his room alone. Meals were always left outside his roomいつの間にか (before he knew it / somehow). The first time he spoke after a long while was on his brother’s Shijukunichi (49th day memorial service). At night, his father forcibly dragged him out of his room and said, “Let’s go see your brother.”

Shijukunichi is an important Buddhist memorial service held on the 49th day after a person’s death. It’s sometimes considered the period when the deceased’s soul’s destination is decided.

• [619] This is painful.

[620] The teacher and his father headed towards the rocky area near where the teacher had drowned, under the moonlight. For a while, both of them silently stared at the water’s surface. The teacher thought about various things, like why his brother had died, and whether what he saw in the water that day was real. Then, in the dark water surface a little distance away, he saw something. A shoe. He was sure it was the shoe his brother had been wearing that day. For some reason, at that moment, the teacher thought, “I have to pick that up!” and took two or three steps towards the sea, but his father grabbed him firmly by the back of his collar from behind and asked, “What’s wrong?” When the teacher replied, “Brother’s shoe is over there,” his father said, “Where is it? Look carefully.” The teacher strained his eyes again and looked at the spot where the shoe had been, but this time there was nothing. “Huh?” the teacher thought, puzzled. Then, as if having understood something, his father said to the teacher, “I have an acquaintance inland (naichi – mainland Japan). I’ll send you to their house.”

[621] Going to sleep.

• [622] Good night~. Sweet dreams~.
• [623] Curious about the continuation (lol). Thanks for your hard work.
• [624] Good night~ Waiting for the continuation!
• [627] Inland, does that mean you’re from Okinawa? The sea is scary.
• [628] People from Hokkaido also say “naichi” (referring to mainland Honshu), apparently.

[629] The teacher summarized the events that followed as “a lot happened.” Basically, without understanding why, he suddenly ended up staying with someone, a distant relative, an elderly couple who had no children and treated him reasonably well. Then, sometime after his brother’s death, the teacher became afraid of places with flowing water. Apparently, he started hearing the voice of his dead brother. At first, it just whispered incomprehensible things, but gradually, the voice escalated. His brother’s voice spoke of various things: That the brother actually disliked him too. That while the brother and the third son were spoiled by their parents, among the siblings, the teacher always received the most attention from the parents. That the parents were often together with the teacher, the second son. That no matter what mistakes the brother made, the parents brushed them off lightly, making him feel somewhat neglected, and he envied the teacher. That he felt satisfaction when the teacher was scolded. That comforting the crying teacher made him feel like a superior person. And that his death was the teacher’s fault.

• [630] Such a sad story…

[631] Apparently, the teacher never returned to his hometown after that. Somehow, he was afraid to go near that town, near that sea. He entered middle school, high school, and then Kyoto University. In university, he learned that his father had died of cancer. At university, he studied all sorts of things, met various people, and finally understood that his tormented brother might have become a “Chou.” That his brother, even now, in the dim depths of that sea, wanted to drown him. That he had something like spiritual senses. That his parents had said harsh things to protect him. That he didn’t hate his parents; rather, because he loved them, he wanted their affection. That just as he had complex feelings towards his brother, his brother also had various feelings towards him. And the teacher regretted it. There were so many things he wanted to say to his father, to his brother. But the circumstances, his own pride, got in the way, he couldn’t be honest, and both were gone before he could say anything.

[632] Logging off.

• [633] Thanks for your hard work, waiting for the continuation.
• [634] Thanks for your hard work!!

[638] I’m back. Continued. And so, the teacher ultimately felt that he lacked the ability to determine what was truly most important to him as a person. Well, maybe it’s normal for humans to have such aspects to some extent, but his father was a stubborn old man, and perhaps because the teacher resembled him slightly, he often suffered from being unable to be honest. That’s why the teacher chose the path of Chuyo (the Middle Way). Chuyo is often misunderstood as meaning halfway or mediocre, but that’s not its original meaning. It means that when judging things that happen at any given time, one acts with one’s usual composure, without bias towards either side. Well, if you’re curious, you can google it and find deeper discussions. As I said before, the teacher had policies or something like that: if he did something good, he’d do something equally bad; if he said something honest, he’d tell a lie next. From the outside, he looked like just a strange person, but this was a kind of vow, a way he always used to gaze at his own honest feelings. This is how the teacher chose his path. After hearing the story, I asked him, “Then why doesn’t this path suit me?” Well, listening to him, I thought parts of this way of thinking weren’t bad.

[639] Sorry, my writing isn’t great, and trying to talk about someone’s inner thoughts gets pretty jumbled. The teacher was such a good speaker… I’m not confident I’m recreating the story I heard back then accurately.

• [640] >>639 It’s easy to understand.
• [641] Yeah. It’s clear and easy to read.

[642] The teacher answered my question like this: In this world, there are people who can see spirits and ghosts, and people who can’t see them at all. Furthermore, among those who claim to see such things, there are two types: those who truly have spiritual senses, and those who don’t but claim they do. But both types of people are somewhat mentally unbalanced. People who can see things that may or may not truly exist in this world have some darkness in their hearts. Through such darkness, humans find monsters. And people who can’t see but claim they can are also mentally unhealthy. Liars like that are proof that their hearts are unfulfilled somewhere. Well, I’m not saying everyone who can’t see is perfectly normal. But, according to the teacher, I, lacking spiritual senses, am an extremely mentally sound person. The reason I turned out that way is surely because I was raised well. Not by the teacher, of course. But by my family, who are already gone. During the most crucial period of personality formation, I was undoubtedly happy.

• [643] Still interesting as always. And thanks for answering my question!
• [644] Interesting.

[645] I still remember it sometimes. Just yesterday was Friday, right? When I was little, on Fridays, my whole family used to watch the Friday night movie show together. I’d be on my dad’s lap, my little sister on my mom’s. We’d watch things like Indiana Jones, and during important action scenes, I’d stretch up a bit and deliberately block my dad’s view as a prank. And my dad would always go, “Hey, you little…! (lol)” trying to see, shifting his head sideways, but I’d match him, shaking my head to block him, until finally, Dad would rest his chin on the top of my head and say something like, “Hey! Gotcha!” Mom and my sister watching next to us would laugh too. When slightly risqué scenes came on, Dad would suddenly cover my eyes with his hand, and I’d protest, “Hey, I already know about this stuff!” peeking through his fingers. That was the kind of family I had. So, when the teacher said I was happy, it was probably true. I was raised in a good home. The teacher said that while he was someone unable to be honest with himself, I was not that kind of person. Even after a fight, I could quickly laugh, apologize, and forgive. I get hurt, but I can also think about others. I often slack off, but I can still somehow discipline myself. I might not clearly know my source of happiness, but I have a vague image of it, and I’m not afraid to pursue it. The teacher assessed these aspects of mine as proof that I was undoubtedly just a “normal person.”

• [646] Wouldn’t it have been better if the old man had forced himself to eat the weasel? Sorry for interrupting the story.

[647] But precisely because of that, the teacher continued, he couldn’t give me advice about my path. People in this industry usually have some strange circumstances. Honestly, most of them are crazy. For someone lacking something in their heart like that, finding the “Ma” living within them is easy, though they’ll struggle accordingly, and the path that suits them is also quite clear. Even if they don’t realize it themselves, someone with a little life experience can easily point it out. But because I am “normal,” it’s conversely difficult. What is my heart lacking? What is making me unsatisfied? Objectively or subjectively, it’s extremely hard to tell.

[648] To put it more simply, it means, “You’re not suited for this kind of work.” (lol). The teacher joked afterward. “Oh, I see… so I’m still somehow within the bounds of ‘normal’…” I thought, feeling fuzzy about the teacher’s past story I’d just heard for the first time and about my own path. After that, the rest of the drinking session was just ordinary, rambling conversation, and then it ended.

• [649] Kind of sad…

[650] Logging off again.

• [651] You seem busy.
• [652] Don’t push yourself, rest well, and write at your own pace. I’ll wait patiently!
• [655] The teacher attracted monsters due to his spiritual senses, and his brother got caught up and captured by a monster as a result. While searching for a way to save his brother’s monster-turned soul?, the teacher gradually started working as a Yokai negotiator… something like that?
• [656] And because the teacher comes from a family line of talented individuals, he has a proud and stubborn personality. He took you in when you were around elementary school age because, like him, you were targeted by Yokai. By saving you, was it a form of atonement, like saving his younger self and his brother from that time? People often try to heal the wounds of their past major failures and regrets by taking actions to save someone similar who they can project themselves onto, thereby slightly healing their own past trauma. Your family died due to the weasel’s curse, but wasn’t the teacher afraid to take you in? Surely the teacher must have chosen a path in life where he wouldn’t regret dying at any moment, and taking in a child as a foster parent and watching over them until adulthood is an incredible thing. As one gets older, one understands the difficulty of human growth, so he must have had considerable resolve.

[657] >>656 I wonder. He’s gone now. I don’t know what he was thinking.

[658] So next, I finally want to talk about how the teacher died, but before that, any questions?

• [659] >>658 Please continue the story!
• [661] Is Kanto good from a Feng Shui perspective? Is it related to the Yamanote Line Tai Chi diagram thing?
• [663] >>658 Requesting the continuation for now.
• [666] >>658 Since there’s a Hanzan school, does that mean there are other schools of Yokai extermination? How many people work in the same Hanzan school? Are there like main and branch families?
• [669] >>658 I read somewhere that something big is going to happen in the Kyushu region. Have there been any movements related to Yokai?

[673] >>666 They exist, but the connections are pretty thin. Apart from personal acquaintances, we hardly ever meet. Okay, after I finish the teacher’s story, I’ll tell an episode related to that. >>669 I don’t know what big movement you mean, but my workload hasn’t increased that much, so it’s probably fine. I don’t have many other ways to judge (lol). >>661 I’ve heard it used to be good. But Feng Shui changes often with shifts in ley lines and such, so I don’t know how it is now. I don’t specialize in Feng Shui. But maybe large civil engineering projects like that are done with some thought behind them?

• [674] Can you please continue? I’ve been looking forward to this every day recently.

[676] >>674 I have moods too, you know, please wait a little bit (lol).

• [677] Understood. Sorry for rushing you…

[687] Watched Full House and got choked up. Made me want to get married.

• [688] Michelle is cute, isn’t she.
• [689] I don’t dislike your laid-back pace, OP (lol).
• [692] >>687 The Olsen twins who played Michelle launched the teen fashion brand “Mary-Kate and Ashley” and became #1 on the “Richest Teens” list at age 19.

[694] >>692 Really? If I had spiritual powers, I’d want to win the lottery and make some money too.