BOROBOROTON

Lore

Imagine a beloved blanket that served you faithfully for years. One day, you buy a replacement and toss the old one aside to collect dust in a dark corner. Over time, that poor, worn-out scrap of cloth might decide it’s had enough—and thus Boroboro-ton is born. The yokai’s name roughly means “shabby” or “tattered,” perfectly capturing its frayed appearance and resentful spirit.

In old Japan, fabric was expensive and labor-intensive to produce. Instead of discarding such items, people patched or repurposed them. Occasionally, a forgotten blanket would languish for years in a closet, slowly evolving into Boroboro-ton: a classic example of an “offended” tsukumogami.

Come nightfall, Boroboro-ton creeps through the house, making eerie rustling or sighing noises. If its owner continues to show no respect, it may slither onto a sleeping person’s chest, pressing down with a suffocating weight. If the owner ignores the blanket’s pleas for too long, Boroboro-ton might escalate its harassment, even attempting to strangle its neglectful master.