KOSODE-NO-TE

Lore

Picture an old kosode—a traditional Japanese garment—tucked away for decades in a storage chest. One day, it simply awakens, acquires a mind of its own, and decides it’s high time for an adventure. That’s Kosode-no-te, a type of tsukumogami whose name literally means “the hand of the kosode.” It gains ghostly arms extending from its sleeves—the most fitting way for living clothing to reveal its yokai nature!

After a hundred years, the fabric has had enough of being folded and left to languish. Kosode-no-te loves to grab, poke, or tickle unsuspecting humans—especially if it feels overlooked. It might gently tug a wrist, slap cheeks, or reach out from nowhere to surprise a passerby, then hang innocently on the rack, feigning innocence.

Some Kosode-no-te bear grudges: if a former owner treated them poorly, these haunted garments might secretly slither over their target at night to choke them. Conversely, if you wore your kimono lovingly and mended its holes, the Kosode-no-te could even become your household protector. Good luck explaining the occasional ghostly arm protruding from your attire, though.