Shirime — who is this in Japanese mythology
Shirime (尻目) is one of the strangest yokai in Japanese mythology. At night on a road he calls out to a traveler, asks him to wait, then bends over and shows a glowing eye — in a place where an eye decidedly does not belong. He does no harm: he frightens purely by the unexpectedness of the sight.
Most yokai have a purpose — to harm, to deceive, to take revenge. Shirime has no purpose at all: he simply appears one day, shows what he shows, and silently leaves, leaving the witness to deal with what he saw on his own.
Who Shirime is and what is wrong with him
Shirime is a rare Japanese yokai with no fangs, claws, or evil intent: according to legend, a samurai at night on a road near Kyoto meets a naked man who asks him to wait, then turns around and bends over, displaying a single glowing eye in an unexpected place. The witness flees in terror, and the yokai ends the story there — no chase, no curse, no further consequences follow.
- Place of appearance: a deserted night road, often near city gates.
- Action: asks you to wait, then displays a single glowing eye.
- Consequences: frightens and silently withdraws, without pursuit or harm.
- Genre: a classic example of a kaidan — 'one scene, zero explanations'.
An Edo-period tall tale, not a chronicle
The story of Shirime has nothing to do with official chronicles: it is a typical example of an Edo-period urban kaidan — a short tale for oral horror evenings, not part of official mythology about gods.
尻目 — a name that explains everything
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 尻目 | shirime · shirime | The yokai's name literally means 'eye behind' |
| 目 | me · me | Eye |
| 怪談 | kaidan · kaidan | Scary story |
| 驚く | odoroku · odoroku | To be frightened, to be surprised |
| 夜道 | yomichi · yomichi | Night road |
How 尻目 is read
尻目 is read しりめ (shirime): 尻 'back, buttocks' plus 目 'eye' — an extremely literal name that directly describes the creature's single feature. In ordinary Japanese, the same word 尻目 by itself means 'a sidelong glance, out of the corner of one's eye' — a play on words that the compilers of the kaidan could hardly have missed.
目 — значение: eye, look, vision — онъёми: モク、ボク — кунъёми: め、ま- — 5 штрих(ов). 目 — 'eye': a pictogram of an open eye turned vertically. One of the first N5-level kanji.
Write 目 along the guides and study the stroke order.
Shirime in yokai catalogs and anime
- Yokai encyclopedias and collections of kaidan in anime format regularly include Shirime as an example of a 'strange but harmless' yokai to contrast with more dangerous creatures.
- Comedy episodes of supernatural series sometimes use Shirime as comic relief after a series of truly frightening stories.
- In the West, the story of Shirime spread largely through translations and retellings of classic Japanese kaidan into English.
FAQ
- Is Shirime a deity?
- Not even close: it is a yokai of Edo-period urban folklore — a figure from a short kaidan with no harm, revenge, or further consequences for the witness.
- Is Shirime dangerous?
- Nothing but the suddenness: the only thing he does is frighten with an unexpected sight and silently withdraw. Folklore has preserved no stories of harm from Shirime.
- What do the kanji 尻目 mean?
- 尻目 (しりめ): 尻 'back' plus 目 'eye' — an extremely direct name. The same word in ordinary language by itself means 'a sidelong glance'.
- Is Shirime shown in anime?
- Occasionally — in yokai encyclopedias and comedy episodes of supernatural series, usually as comic relief contrasting with more dangerous creatures.
- Does Shirime have shrines or power spots?
- Nowhere — no separate cult exists. He is a character from a short oral tale, not an object of worship or a protective spirit.
- Is Shirime a spirit or a yokai?
- A yokai — a supernatural creature from urban folklore, with no status as a deity and not connected to the spirit of any particular deceased person.
Sources
Updated: 2026-08-29