Abinbōgami (貧乏神, lit. "kami of poverty") is akami (god or spirit) inJapanese folklore said to inhabit a person or their house, bringing poverty and misery. References to binbōgami appear in classic Japanese tales, essays, andrakugo performances.[1]
A binbōgami typically appears as a skinny, dirty old man with a pale complexion, often carrying apaper fan (shibu-uchiwa) and wearing a sad expression. Regardless of appearance, they are said to be fond of lazy people.[1] When inhabiting a house, they reportedly prefer to live in closets.[1] According to the poet Nakamura Kōgyō, binbōgami have a fondness formiso, and use their fans to waft and enjoy its aroma.[2] Some descriptions add details like wielding akendama and wearing only one brokengeta.[citation needed]
Being a kami, a binbōgami cannot be killed,[citation needed] but methods to drive one away exist.
In 1821, in the Banchō area of Edo, a samurai household suffered constant misfortune. A servant of this household, travelling to Sōka, met a Buddhist priest who claimed he had just come from the servant's master's house. The servant, having never seen the priest there, was told: "Illness constantly breaks out in that house; it is all my doing, for I am the Binbōgami. But that house has reached the depths of poverty, so I am moving elsewhere. Your master's fortunes will improve from now on." The priest then vanished. As foretold, the household's fortunes gradually improved.[5]
A man, napping at home, dreamt of a ragged old man entering his room. From then on, nothing he did succeeded. Four years later, the old man reappeared in a dream, announcing his departure. He instructed the man on the ritual to send off a binbōgami: "Prepare a little baked rice and bakedmiso, place them on anoshiki (a square wooden tray), carry it out the back door, and release it into a river." He also advised how to prevent the binbōgami's return: "Binbōgami love miso, so never prepare baked miso. Eating raw miso is even worse, as it signifies poverty so severe one cannot even afford the fire to bake miso." The man followed the instructions and his household never faced destitution again.[6][7]
A man who revered the generally disliked binbōgami was visited at his bedside on the night ofJinjitsu (the 7th day of the first lunar month) by the binbōgami itself. The god was deeply moved, saying, "This is the first time I've ever eaten at a proper table setting." In gratitude, the binbōgami made the man wealthy. Another tale recounts a perpetually poorhatamoto (a direct vassal of the shogun) in Edo'sKoishikawa district. On New Year's Eve, reasoning that his lack of major misfortune despite constant poverty must be due to the binbōgami's protection, he offeredsake, rice, and other items to the god, asking it to alleviate his poverty somewhat and share some fortune. Thereafter, his situation reportedly improved slightly.[1]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)| Mythic texts |   | |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese creation myth | ||
| Takamagahara mythology | ||
| Izumo mythology | ||
| Hyūga mythology | ||
| Human age | ||
| Mythological locations | ||
| Mythological weapons | ||
| Major Buddhist figures | ||
| Seven Lucky Gods | ||
| Legendary creatures | ||
| Other | ||