LEGEND: Inugami

Rooted deep within Japanese folklore is a terrifying legend known as the Inugami. Often described as a dog-like spirit capable of possession, manipulation, and even violence, the Inugami was believed to bring wealth and protection to its master, but at a devastating cost. While the legend originated in Japan, alleged encounters have since surfaced in the United States, blurring the line between folklore, superstition, and something more sinister.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  Traditional home security only alerts you after a break-in, and that's too late. SimpliSafe is changing that.

• 0:06Yvette Gentile?

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• 0:09Speaker 00

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• 0:31Rasha Pecoraro?

  There's a reason why dogs are considered man's best friend. Human beings and canines have always had a special relationship. They guard us while we sleep, they sense things that we can't, they stay fiercely loyal. And that kind of unconditional love is priceless. Once you've experienced it, it's hard to imagine life without it. According to one Japanese legend, the bond between a person and their dog can transcend life and death. They say it's possible for dogs' spirits to continue serving their masters even after they pass away. But this story isn't as warm and fuzzy as it sounds.

• 1:16Yvette Gentile?

  Today, we're talking about a dog-like spirit from Japanese legend called Inugami. And just like their flesh and blood counterparts, they just want to love and serve their owners. The difference is that Inugami are created by dark magic, and they bring death and destruction wherever they go. Stories about Inugami originated in Japan, but they didn't just stay there. Because there are a number of documented reports of these spirits in the United States, too, even to this day. I'm Yvette Gentile.

• 1:56Rasha Pecoraro?

  And I'm her sister, Rasha Pecoraro. This is So Supernatural.

• 2:32Yvette Gentile?

  One of the things we love about our home state of Hawaii is that it's a big melting pot of cultures. I like to call it chop suey. It's a little bit of everything. It sits roughly midway between Eastern Asia and the United States, so it has a huge population of immigrants from the US mainland, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and Japan. And of course, there's a large indigenous Polynesian community, too. So, modern Hawaiian culture includes a lot of elements from all over the world. You can literally see the way these communities blend so authentically

• 3:15Yvette Gentile?

  through their amazing food, the clothes that people wear, and in the myths and stories we tell one another, which is how we actually learned about today's topic, a mysterious creature that originated in Japan. But in the past century, it's also been spotted on Hawaii's shores. But to explain how it made its way across the Pacific, we have to look at the Japanese legends that are at least 1,000 years old.

• 3:47Rasha Pecoraro?

  These stories talk about an entity called Inugami. Translated into English, the word means something like "dog spirit" or "dog god" in Japanese. The legend says these are the undead souls of dogs, but they're much more powerful than an ordinary ghost. Inugami have a physical body in the real world, and they can shape-shift. Sometimes, it looks like an ordinary dog. Other times, it takes the form of a mouse, a bat, a weasel, or other animals. Occasionally, they even look like dogs with clothes on. But if you're picturing something cute and cuddly, think again. Because in their true form,

• 4:32Rasha Pecoraro?

  Inugami look like disembodied, mummified dog heads. And they are terrifying to look at.

• 4:40Yvette Gentile?

  Inugami are dark spirits. They can bring bad luck, death, and destruction if you cross them. Their sheer presence is enough to drive off good, friendly spirits who might otherwise help you. However, Inugami can perform the occasional good deed, too. It's said that they can give people visions of the future. If you're unsure whether to move forward with a business deal or trust a certain friend, an Inugami might appear to warn you by showing you all the ways that partnership could go bad. So, there were benefits to keeping Inugami around. And in ancient Japan, the legend said it was possible

• 5:22Yvette Gentile?

  to turn actual flesh-and-blood dogs into Inugami. But very few people actually knew how to do this. Apparently, the magical ritual was so dark, so disturbing, and so powerful, it became a closely guarded secret.

• 5:41Rasha Pecoraro?

  It is worth noting that black magic was very taboo in Japanese culture. Still, some sorcerers leaned on their art, performing rituals, selling spells, and even conjuring undead servants. The process for creating an Inugami was different depending on the sorcerer. But based on the few details we have learned over the years, we can now piece together a general sense of what the spell entailed. And I have to warn you, it's disturbing and involves cruelty to animals. We won't get into all the ugly details, but if you want to skip ahead, this would be the time to do it.

• 6:24Yvette Gentile?

  First, the sorcerer would have to kill a dog in a very upsetting and disturbing way. And all you need to know is that, by the time the ritual was done, the dog's spirit was broken. And that made it so its soul would be bound to its head and unable to move on to the afterlife. The sorcerer could get rid of the body however they saw fit. That part wasn't useful. But they'd take the head to a very busy intersection, then dig a grave for it. And they'd often have to do this in the middle of the night because they didn't want to get caught midway through the ritual. Again, their magic spells were very dark,

• 7:09Yvette Gentile?

  very controversial, and secret. However, they didn't rush the digging process either. The hole had to be deep. Since the skull had an angry spirit tied to it, the head had the ability to move around on its own. If it managed to dig its way out of the ground, it could torment anyone who crossed its path, even its own creator.

• 7:36Rasha Pecoraro?

  So, as soon as the hole was deep enough, the practitioner would put the head inside, cover it with dirt, and then run away before they could be spotted. Then, each time someone would walk through the intersection, they'd unknowingly pass over it, stepping on the dog's resting place. That was intentional, to make the dog's ghost angrier and more vengeful over time, to the point that it becomes furious at the world.

• 8:06Yvette Gentile?

  When the time was right, the sorcerer would return and retrieve the dog's head to complete the ritual. Then, they'd take it home and bake it or dry it out until it looked like a shriveled-up mummy. And that's when the process was finally complete. As long as the practitioner had the Inugami's head in their possession, the spirit would be bound to them, and it would have to serve them.

• 8:33Rasha Pecoraro?

  What's interesting is, the sorcerer didn't always make Inugami for themselves. They could be hired by someone else, anyone with enough money or enough greed to desire an eternal undead servant. And when the sorcerers bestowed the mummified head to their client, they then became the new master. Those who possessed an Inugami were called Inugamimochi, or in English, "those who have Inugami." These people often kept the head hidden in their home under their beds, in cupboards, or in storage rooms. The spirit form of the Inugami needed to be treated very well, better than an ordinary dog.

• 9:16Rasha Pecoraro?

  In fact, many masters acted like their undead servants were on par with the living family. The Inugami were treated with only the best food, they'd sleep in the most comfortable beds, and their master would provide for their every possible need. In return, the Inugami would happily do whatever its owner wanted. At least, that's how it was supposed to work.

• 9:41Yvette Gentile?

  A master would be wise not to fully trust their Inugami. After all, they'd been created through a ritual of torture, a process that left the spirit brimming with rage. Owners treat them well, mainly to keep them calm. Because an angry Inugami can resist the magic that binds them to obedience, and thus, turn on their masters. So, there was always tension between Inugami and their people, one based around fear and obligation.

• 10:15Rasha Pecoraro?

  But the real danger was for the masters' enemies and rivals. Because if an Inugami's owner sent the spirit to torment someone else, there was almost no way to defend against it. The creatures could attack their finances, their household objects, and even possess their physical bodies.

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• 10:49Speaker 00

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• 11:11Speaker 04

  Hi, I'm Ashley Flowers.

• 11:13Rasha Pecoraro?

  And I'm Britt. And if you're on the edge of your seat, listening to this show, Crime Junkie needs to be your next listen.

• 11:18Speaker 04

  Every Monday, I dive into a new true crime case that our reporting team has been on the ground looking into. From lesser-known disappearances to the most chilling cases hitting the headlines. And I'm gonna walk you through it the way I tell my best friend, because, well, that's what I'm doing.

• 11:34Rasha Pecoraro?

  Yeah, that's me. And I'm right there with you as we listen together, react to every wild detail, and of course, I ask all the questions.

• 11:42Speaker 04

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• 11:49Rasha Pecoraro?

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• 12:07Yvette Gentile?

  According to Japanese legend, Inugami were the creation of magic practitioners looking to create the perfect servant. One that couldn't disobey, that couldn't leave, that had no choice but to serve, even from beyond the grave. But there were some exceptions to those rules, which is why many masters worked hard to treat their spirits with respect, giving them nice comfy beds to sleep in and plenty of good food to eat, all to ensure that Inugami never turned on them. They'd also give the spirits duties to complete. But these weren't just your daily chores. Inugami were like a curse, bringing bad luck wherever they went.

• 12:50Yvette Gentile?

  Typically, a wicked owner would send their undead servant to a rival's house. Because the Inugami could shapeshift, they'd enter with ease, morphing into a mouse and squeezing through a hole, or transforming into a fly and coming through a window. Once inside, death and destruction would fall upon the household.

• 13:11Speaker 04

  This is probably why I hate flies so much.

• 13:14Rasha Pecoraro?

  You do. So does Peanut, your beautiful dog.

• 13:19Yvette Gentile?

  This kind of ruin could happen in little ways. For instance, Inugami were known to possess inanimate objects, rendering them useless. You simply couldn't use an object if an Inugami had possessed it, which would have been pretty serious if you depended on those tools for your livelihood. Imagine you're a carpenter who can't build anything, or a farmer who can't grow food.

• 13:44Rasha Pecoraro?

  Or a podcaster who can't turn on their mic.

• 13:46Yvette Gentile?

  Exactly.

• 13:49Rasha Pecoraro?

  But a broken saw should be the least of your worries, because Inugami can possess people, too. It's said that the spirit possesses someone by worming through their ears and into their head. The possessed host is then driven, literally insane. They begin acting like a dog, barking or running around on all fours. And if you've ever seen how a dog eats, then you'll know how they are around food. The possessed are made to gorge themselves, scarfing down so much food, they become physically sick. But that's not all. Victims often experience soreness within their chests and muscles. Scratches and bite marks appear on their bodies,

• 14:33Rasha Pecoraro?

  almost like they've been mauled. For an Inugami possession, there is only one cure. Shinto is one of Japan's traditional religions, and only a practicing priest could perform the exorcism. For that reason, the Inugami is said to have taken countless lives.

• 14:53Yvette Gentile?

  This may be why around the 10th or 11th century, Japanese officials made it illegal to have anything to do with Inugami. It was criminalized as part of a larger crackdown on black magic and sorcery. The law forbade the creation and the use of Inugami. If anyone was found to have an evil spirit in their household, they would be exiled. They'd be forced to abandon their home and all of their possessions, and left to fend for themselves out in the wild. The same punishment also applied to their children and their children's children for countless generations. But it's believed that many rich and powerful families

• 15:37Yvette Gentile?

  still meddled with Inugami. As risky as it was, they couldn't resist the temptation to bring an eternal, supernatural servant into their household.

• 15:51Rasha Pecoraro?

  And in fairness, it wasn't that hard to hide an Inugami. Thanks to their shapeshifting powers, they could pose as an ordinary dog. So as long as no one found the mummified head hidden somewhere in their home, all was well. At least for them.

• 16:07Yvette Gentile?

  With that said, rumors can be just as dangerous as any wrath. Even being accused of dealing with Inugami could ruin a family's social standing. Brides and grooms would call off weddings rather than risk marrying into a family who consorted with sorcerers. Business deals would crumble at the last minute thanks to gossip about dog spirits. And since punishment extended to their descendants, that meant the whole families could be exiled just by circumstantial evidence alone. It's impossible to say how many people were actually using Inugami and how many were wrongfully accused. But we now believe these dog spirits

• 16:51Yvette Gentile?

  were very widespread throughout Japan for at least a millennium. From before 1,000 CE, when they were outlawed, up until the mid 1900s.

• 17:02Rasha Pecoraro?

  But around the turn of the 20th century, many Japanese were leaving the country for opportunities elsewhere, such as Hawaii. The sugar industry was booming, and plantations were hiring. Throughout the Americas and Eastern Asia, agricultural workers flooded the Hawaiian Islands. And with them, they brought their own culture and beliefs, and even their own spirits. Because that's when a number of stories began to surface, stories about Inugami in Hawaii.

• 17:38Yvette Gentile?

  In the early to mid 1900s, a Shinto priest named Kingoro Matunaga was living on Kauai and in Hawaii. He had been born and raised in Japan, but had immigrated to Hawaii and became a Shinto priest. Matunaga was very devout and even had a reputation for confronting strange phenomena and dark spirits. One day, a man, and we're gonna call him Kenji, came to Matunaga for help. Kenji said he was struggling with a serious problem, one only Matunaga could fix. Kenji believed he was possessed by an Inugami. Taking Kenji at his word,

• 18:21Yvette Gentile?

  Matunaga brought the suffering man into the Shinto temple where other priests and people from the village were worshiping. For the next hour, Matunaga prayed nonstop to cast out the Inugami. But his ritual was interrupted. Suddenly, Kenji got on his hands and feet and started barking. He crawled around the floor on all fours, and before anyone could stop him, he ran out the door towards a busy street. Some of those that were present chased Kenji. Thankfully, they managed to catch him before he could cause any harm. They brought him back to the temple, and Matunaga picked up the ritual right where he'd left off.

• 19:04Yvette Gentile?

  It's unclear how much longer Matunaga spent chanting and praying, but eventually, Kenji closed his eyes. And when he opened them again, the Inugami was gone. Kenji was free.

• 19:20Rasha Pecoraro?

  But while Kenji's story ended all right, there are others who weren't so lucky. And as the years went on, more and more possessions occurred, until it became clear that these weren't one-off events. It seemed as though Hawaii's shores were infested with Inugami.

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• 20:16Rasha Pecoraro?

  Sometime after Kenji's exorcism in 1937, another person was attacked by an Inugami on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. This time, the victim was a young woman and brand-new mom. We'll call her Yuna. Her husband, who we'll call Shohei, was very concerned about her. Because ever since Yuna had given birth, she had been acting erratic. One night, she actually picked up a butcher knife from the kitchen and approached her baby. Seeing what she was about to do, Shohei immediately intervened. But when he stepped in between Yuna and the baby, she turned her knife towards him. A vicious struggle ensued.

• 20:58Rasha Pecoraro?

  Yuna chased him from room to room as he tried to defend himself and their child. The police ended up getting involved, and thankfully, they arrived in time to prevent Yuna from harming anyone. They put her in handcuffs and took Shohei's statement. They believed she was having some kind of mental health crisis and were going to send her away to a hospital so she could get treatment. But Yuna's parents begged the police not to take her to a hospital. Instead, they wanted to send her to a Shinto priest, the same one that had previously helped Kenji, Kengoro Matsunaga. They thought she was possessed by an Inugami.

• 21:39Yvette Gentile?

  After persuading the police to try their plan, the officers brought Yuna to a local Shinto temple. And it seems like Matsunaga learned a bit from that previous exorcism. Because he treated Yuna differently. As soon as he laid eyes on her, Matsunaga told her, "Come, just like you would do to a dog." And she immediately dropped to all fours and crept toward him. From her body language, he could tell she was intimidated, maybe even scared of him. But he ordered Yuna to go into the temple and kneel in a particular spot. Yuna obeyed. Then the ritual began. Matsunaga lit incense. He prayed, he chanted, just like he did with Kenji.

• 22:24Yvette Gentile?

  Except then, Matsunaga changed things up. After about 60 minutes had passed, Matsunaga paused his ritual. He looked down at the woman, and in Japanese, he asked her, "Anatowa daradesuka," or "Who are you?" When Yuna answered, it sounded like someone else was speaking. She said, "You know who I am. I don't need to tell you who I am. You know who I am." Then, before Matsunaga could say another word, Yuna turned and ran out of the temple on all fours, just like a dog.

• 23:09Yvette Gentile?

  She only made it so far before she collapsed to the ground, like all of the energy had just left her body. Shohei and some other relatives had been waiting outside during the ritual. When they saw Yuna dart out of the temple, then pass out, they picked up her body and carried her back to Matsunaga. From there, Matsunaga chanted a little more. And within a minute or two, Yuna woke up. And this time, she was herself. But she had no recollection of being possessed by a dog spirit.

• 23:47Rasha Pecoraro?

  As you can imagine, Yuna had a lot of questions about how she ended up in the temple and what had happened to her. But before she could get any answers, the police officers came in to question her. They still had to decide if she was a threat to herself or anyone else, and if she needed to be taken to a mental health facility. So they asked Yuna about how she felt, if she was angry, scared, hallucinating, or anything else. She answered their questions well enough that they believed she truly was cured. And they let her go home. After that, it's said that Yuna went to the temple to pray every single day.

• 24:26Yvette Gentile?

  As for Matsunaga, he spent the rest of his life and career practicing Shinto, helping the people in his community and casting out evil spirits. He passed away in 1964 at the age of 84. But Inugami possessions continued in Hawaii, even while they became less common in their home country. And this may be because, after World War II, a ton of Buddhist and Christian missionaries flooded into Japan. Many citizens converted to these new religions. And afterwards, the majority of Japanese society took less stock in Inugami and other such folklore.

• 25:09Yvette Gentile?

  Today, they treat creatures like the Inugami the same way we do the tooth fairy or the boogeyman. You can tell scary stories about them, maybe scare some young children into behaving, but most adults agree, they're not real. Instead, skeptics believe there are scientific explanations for these older legends. And you may already suspect this from the cases we've shared. But many believe alleged Inugami attacks were really just undiagnosed mental health episodes. In ancient Japan, people didn't understand psychology as well as we do now.

• 25:51Yvette Gentile?

  If someone was hallucinating, experiencing paranoia, or other such symptoms, nobody knew the cause. So it was very easy to blame evil spirits. In fact, some legends say it was easier for Inugami to possess someone if that person was already stressed, stretched too thin, or emotionally vulnerable. Which fits the idea that some conditions can be triggered by challenging situations.

• 26:23Rasha Pecoraro?

  Now remember, some legends say Inugami can turn on their masters. Sadly, this likely-fed ill belief that someone with a disorder was actually a sorcerer. They'd say they were only sick because they'd been practicing black magic and summoning evil spirits, claiming they'd brought their conditions on themselves. And tragically, once Inugami were made illegal around 1,000 CE, this put people with mental health conditions in a terrible no-win scenario. They couldn't seek treatment or admit that they were experiencing symptoms because they or someone they loved could be accused of being in contact with Inugami.

• 27:06Rasha Pecoraro?

  Instead, they'd have to hide their condition and treat it like some shameful secret.

• 27:12Yvette Gentile?

  There's just one detail that doesn't quite fit with this theory. Kenji and Yuna's stories both ended with Matsunaga saving them through prayer and ritual. And we know mental health conditions can't be cured with an exorcism. Even today, priests perform exorcisms on people who are suffering from paranoia, hallucinations, or disordered thinking. That's because it can be very difficult for even trained professionals to distinguish between those who do or do not need psychiatric treatment. And you don't have to take our word for it.

• 27:52Yvette Gentile?

  Vice Media interviewed a Catholic psychologist who works for the Vatican, Dr. Andrea Barazzelli. He said the symptoms of possession and some mental health conditions are nearly identical. So priests do sometimes exorcise those who actually need mental health treatment. And in the short term, they can often feel better. And that's because exorcisms can function like a placebo. The patient actually believes they're going to recover, so their symptoms improve temporarily. But sometimes their symptoms come back.

• 28:34Yvette Gentile?

  Because most spiritual leaders and mental health professionals agree, exorcisms cannot replace authentic medical care. If someone is suffering from a severe mental condition, they need to speak with a therapist, a counselor, or a psychiatrist. But both Kenji and Yuna were said to have made complete recoveries after their exorcisms. They never relapsed. What if the Inugami possessions were real after all?

• 29:07Rasha Pecoraro?

  It's possible, but there's one more theory we have to explore. Some cultural researchers say legends about Inugami stem from something even deeper, like our love for dogs. The thinking is that it's hard to find another person who would sacrifice anything for you, who would dedicate their life to trying to make you happy, who'd spend every waking moment seeking your praise and obeying your commands. Even the best-trained dogs can't be that devoted all of the time. But as any dog lover will tell you, that's just how pups are. Their love for people can be almost overwhelming.

• 29:49Rasha Pecoraro?

  And that intense devotion can seem almost supernatural. Maybe that level of loyalty defied logic to some people in ancient Japan. And this was their way of reasoning with it, that dogs were otherworldly spirits bound to us by magic.

• 30:10Yvette Gentile?

  It's amazing how devoted and loving dogs can truly be. And I know that we both love our dogs more than we love most people, and that is a fact. You know, I have a 15-year-old little Chihuahua who I love and adore like she was my own child. She is my fur baby, you know? And when you have these pets in your lives for so long, they become a part of your family, they're your best friend, they're cheering you on every moment of the day, like literally, absolutely. And as we know, trust and devotion go both ways. We, as human beings, have a duty to care for all of the animals around us,

• 30:55Yvette Gentile?

  whether they're pets, livestock, or wild animals. Ultimately, we, the people, have the power to shape the environment, to preserve our resources, and to provide good, healthy homes for all of the animals on the planet. So maybe it's time to flip the script and look for ways that we can serve nature, rather than trying to bend it into our own will. Only then can we live in perfect harmony with all the animals around us. And that, my friends, is magic in itself.

• 31:50Rasha Pecoraro?

  This is So Supernatural, an AudioChuck original, produced by Crime House. You can connect with us on Instagram at So Supernatural Pod and visit our website at sosupernaturalpodcast.com. Join Yvette and me next Friday for an all-new episode.

• 32:10Rasha Pecoraro?

  I think Chuck would approve.

• 32:15Speaker 05

  When the nights grow longer, the shadows start to stir. And that can only mean one thing. Full Body Chills is back. This season, step inside original tales where every doorway leads somewhere darker, every stranger carries a secret, and nothing is ever quite what it seems. Each story takes you somewhere new, but be careful. You never know what might follow you home. So gather round, listen close, and stream Full Body Chills wherever you get your podcasts.