Nobusuma

Nobusuma
	Information
	Romanized	Nobusuma
	Kanji	野衾
	Kana	のぶすま
	Meaning	wild quilt
	Other names	Tobikura
	Type	Animal form
	Book(s)	Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki

Nobusama (野衾, Nobusama) are a yokai from the Japanese folklore.

Description

A bat which lives to a very old age develops magical powers and changes into a yokai known as a nobusuma. They look almost identical to musasabi, or Japanese giant flying squirrels, although they are much more dangerous. Nobusuma eat nuts, fruit, and berries, but also feed on fire, and by sucking blood from humans and small animals (such as cats). They attack travelers walking the roads at night. They swoop down from the trees onto the faces of their unsuspecting victims, latch on, and begin sucking blood. When they do not need to feed, they simply swoop down and blow out lanterns and torches, flying back up into the night sky with a creepy cry that goes, “gaa gaa!”

While nobusuma are born from long-lived bats, the transformation does not stop there. Once a nobusuma reaches a very old age, it transforms again, either into a yamachichi or a momonjii.

This yokai should not be confused with the nobusuma (野襖) from Kochi prefecture, whose name is pronounced the same but is actually a variety of a different yokai called nurikabe.

Gallery

References

• Nobusama on Yokai.com