the online database of Japanese folkore

Ittan momen

一反木綿
いったんもめん

Translation: one tan (about 28.8 cm by 10 m) of cotton

Appearance: Ittan momen are long, narrow sheets of cloth normally used to make clothes, but reanimated as tsukumogami. They are native to Kagoshima, and can be seen flying through the sky at night.

Behavior: Ittan momen attack by wrapping their bodies around a person’s face and neck, strangling or smothering them to death. As far as tsukumogami go, they are fairly malicious and even deadly.

Alphabetical list of yōkai