Want to contact a trickster spirit while on the go? Now you can, thanks to Village Vanguard!
Mr. Kokkuri, or Kokkuri-san, is a game played in Japan in a similar way to an ouija board; by writing up a board on a piece of paper including the Japanese syllabary, the words ‘yes’ and ‘no’ and a red torii gate, you can converse with the titular Mr. Kokkuri. He’s said to be a kitsune spirit, which are in Shintoism for their penchant for trickery, lying and general tomfoolery – so keep in mind that if he does show up, you still might not necessarily get the most truthful answer.
The problem is, though, that making the Mr. Kokkuri board takes time and effort…and after all that, the ritual states specifically that you have to find a partner to summon him with. What a pain!
Well, cooky retail outlet Village Vanguard has come up with a novel solution (or, alternately, just a cool design for a bag).
Their “Kokkuri Saddlebag”, which retails at 2,160 yen (US$19.93), sports a complete Kokkuri board and even comes with the customary 10 yen coin to move across the letters!
▼ Note: The 10 yen coin is, in fact, a pin.
Made of a soft grey cotton, this bag is designed to be worn across the body so that the design is always vivid and clear. You could even have your friend/colleague/sales clerk move the 10 yen across the board as you wore it, provided your relationship was amicable enough.
At about 1.8 inches by 0.9 inches (4.5 centimetres by 2.3 centimetres), the pouch is small enough to look classy and cute but roomy enough to store some notebooks, just in case you wanted to jot down Mr. Kokkuri’s answers when he comes calling.
The strap is adjustable, too, and the pouch closes with a snap button! What more could you ask for?!
Unfortunately the bag is sold out online, so you’ll have to scout out one of Village Vanguard’s physical locations to snap up one of these spiritual satchels (maybe you can pick up some similarly odd trinkets while you’re there). Those eager to try out the Mr. Kokkuri ritual should take heed, though…according to the rules of the ritual, once Mr. Kokkuri has left your summoning session you must cut or tear the board into pieces and spend the 10 yen you used to spell out his answers.
Loathe as you might be to cut up your 2,160 yen purse, you’ll probably have an even harder time paying for something, even something that costs just 10 yen, with a pin badge.
Source: Village Vanguard via Japaaan Magazine
Images: Village Vanguard
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