SETO TAISHO

Lore

Seto Taisho is a small yet ill-tempered yokai formed from old pottery. Miscellaneous clay items—teacups, bowls, bottles, and other kitchenware—mysteriously fuse together, creating a humanoid shape that abruptly comes alive. You might spot this creature in kitchens, pottery shops, or pottery workshops—anywhere large amounts of earthenware accumulate.

In old yokai illustrations, it appears as follows: a sake bottle or clay jug serves as the “head,” an overturned bowl becomes a makeshift “skirt,” a kettle makes up the torso, a stack of saucers forms its arms, and tiny dishes become its legs. The end result is a bizarre ceramic “monster.”

True to the spirit of ancient, castoff objects harboring resentment, Seto Taisho behaves with surprising hostility. It acts like a genuine “general,” in some stories even commanding other tsukumogami like troops. In an abandoned kitchen, it can spontaneously assemble from shards and launch a rampage—smashing pristine plates and bowls as it goes.