Takakiyo followed the blood trail until he came across its dead body. He cut off the horns, brought them to the temple, and presented them to the head monk. It’s said to this day the ushioni’s horns are still housed at the Negorōji Temple in a wooden box labeled “Ushioni.”

Also on display at the temple is a statue of what that particular ushioni looked like. It’s weirdly adorable and an unusual variation; it has a monkey-like head, ox horns, big round eyes, and bat-like ears. It’s standing upright on two legs and its open mouth reveals downward-pointing fangs. It also has the striped furry body of a tiger and frilled bat wings under its arms.

Another peculiar detail about the ox demon is that there have always been rumors that this brutal beast is actually the spirit of a camellia root. (Remember, the temple in the story’s name actually means “fragrant camellia root.”) Camellia is called tsubaki in Japanese, and it is considered an important and holy flower that contains a great spirit. For some reason, they are often found in places where an ushioni appears.

The following legend explains the possible connection between tsubaki and ushioni. One night a long time ago, an old fisherman went out to sea to fish. While on the dark water, he saw an ushioni and bravely attacked it. He then dragged the body all the way back to his home, where he left it in front of his house and fell promptly asleep from exhaustion.

The next day, he called all the villagers to brag about his accomplishment. No one had ever beaten an ushioni before. Everyone gathered around to see this loathsome beast he’d killed with his bare hands. After a few minutes, one of the villagers went over and struck it with a stick. He then announced that the old man must be half-blind. It wasn’t an ushioni, but just a large old tsubaki root.

In Modern Stories

The ushioni is no stranger to modern times. Going by its other name, gyūki, it shows up in the manga and anime Naruto, but instead of appearing as a spider, it’s half-octopus. It’s also featured in the game Nioh 2 as the giant spider beast.

NOW YOU KNOW

Despite their reputation as human-flesh-rending monsters, there’s at least one tale that shows ushioni in a kinder light. Long ago, a young man in Wakayama Prefecture named Ueda shared some of his food with a hungry woman he met by the Mio River. Two months later, while he was walking by the same area, a sudden flash flood swept him away. Drowning, he looked toward the shore and saw the woman he’d shared food with. She quickly transformed into an ushioni, swam out, and saved his life. Sadly, though, when an ushioni saves a human, their body melts away and they disappear.