Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
座敷わらし (zashikiwarashi) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Report an issue with this page
言い
わ
れ
て
いる
。
In the Tōhoku region, it is said that a house with a zashiki-warashi will prosper.
My grandmother told me that she once saw a zashiki-warashi when she was a child.
Kanji 子 child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM Related words 妖よう 怪かい General term for supernatural creatures in Japanese folklore; 座敷わらし is a specific type of 妖怪.
家いえ 神がみ A household deity or protective spirit; 座敷わらし is sometimes considered a kind of 家神, but is more specifically a childlike yōkai.
Written forms 座ざ 敷しき わらし
Most common modern spelling, using hiragana for わらし.
座敷童子ざしきわらし
Full kanji spelling; more formal or literary.
座敷童ざしきわらし
Abbreviated kanji spelling; less common.
Etymology Formed from 座敷 “tatami room” and わらし, a northeastern Japanese dialect word for “child,” naming a childlike household spirit.