Tsukumogami
Household objects — tools, utensils, instruments — believed to gain a spirit or consciousness after reaching great age, often becoming mischievous or vengeful once animated.
EverydayConcepts.io
Origin
Rooted in Shingon Buddhism and Shinto animism, the concept dates to Japan's Heian period (794–1185). The word tsukumogami (付喪神) first appeared in a waka poem in the 9th-century Tales of Ise, where tsukumo ("ninety-nine," implying great age) combined with kami ("spirit") — a homophone of kami ("hair") in the original poem about an old woman's white hair.
Updated February 22, 2026