Itsumade, from Japan: what it is and what people believe

Itsumade is a supernatural bird from Japanese folklore, first illustrated in a 1779 picture book. The creature originates from a fourteenth century chronicle about an archer who shoots down an ominous bird during a plague. It is known for its strange cry and its association with unburied corpses.

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First illustrated in Toriyama Sekien's 1779 picture book.
Named after its repeated call meaning until when.
Described as having a human face and a snake body.
Linked to the vengeful spirits of war and famine victims.
Appears in modern video games and anime series.

What it is

Itsumade is a strange bird from Japanese folklore. The creature first appeared in a 1779 picture book by the artist Toriyama Sekien. Sekien named the bird after its repeated call. The story describes a monster with a human face, a hooked beak, jagged teeth, a serpentine body, and sharp claws. Its wings stretch nearly five meters across. The bird is classified as a yōkai, which means a supernatural being or spirit in Japanese tradition. Artists and writers use the image to represent unnatural omens.

Where it comes from

The tale comes from a fourteenth century chronicle called the Taiheiki. In the autumn of 1334, a deadly sickness spread through the capital. An unknown bird landed on the imperial palace roof and cried out until when. Court officials feared the omen and called upon the archer Oki Jirōzaemon Hiroari. He shot the creature down with a special arrow. Sekien later adapted this historical account into his illustrated collection and gave the bird its current name.

Itsumade, drawn and placed

Emblem With the feather shape. Drawn from this page, not a photograph.

Living
Revived
Fading
Historical
Legendary
Performed

Standing: Legendary Known from myth, story and legend rather than from recorded practice. This says whether people still do it, not whether it works.

A feather: used in cleansing and blessing in some traditions, worn as a sign of office, and carried as a charm.

Lineage: Japanese yōkai tradition

Where it sits The tradition it belongs to, and when it is done.

Peoples and places

Japanese storytellers and artists have shaped the creature over centuries. Early Edo period painters showed it as a dark cloud or a generic monster during battle scenes. They did not use the name Itsumade at that time. Later writers in the twentieth century added new details to the legend. These accounts describe the bird as a restless spirit that lingers near unburied bodies.

At a glance: who, where and when

Peoples

Japanese

What people believe

Folklore holds that the bird feeds on sorrow and death. Some texts say it is the onryō, or vengeful ghost, of soldiers and starving civilians. It circles graves and ruins while repeating its question. The phrase translates to asking how long a dead body must remain exposed. The creature embodies anxiety about plague, war, and neglected remains.

Today

Modern fantasy media frequently features the bird. Video games, anime series, and manga adaptations include Itsumade as a monster or character design. Some stories show warriors transforming into the creature to gain its fearsome appearance. The legend survives through these visual retellings rather than through religious practice or local custom.

Questions people ask about Itsumade

What is Itsumade?

Itsumade is a supernatural bird from Japanese folklore. It was first drawn in a 1779 illustrated book by Toriyama Sekien. The creature is known for its strange cry and its connection to ancient tales of plague and war.

Where does the story come from?

The tale originates from a fourteenth century chronicle called the Taiheiki. The text records an archer shooting down an ominous bird during a deadly sickness in 1334. Sekien later adapted the account and gave the bird its name.

What does the bird look like?

The chronicle describes a monster with a human face, a hooked beak, jagged teeth, and a serpentine body. Its claws are sharp enough to cut like swords. The wingspan measures nearly five meters across.

Why is it considered a vengeful spirit?

Later writers described the bird as the onryō, or restless ghost, of soldiers and starving civilians. It is said to circle unburied bodies while asking how long they must remain exposed. The creature represents fear of death and neglect.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Itsumade", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryJaadu rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes. Names and customs differ from one community to the next, and some knowledge is closed to outsiders and left out here. This page describes belief and practice. It does not say that any of it works, it is not a how-to, and it is not medical advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-16.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.