In Japanese folklore, the household spirit said to bring fortune to families living in a home is the zashiki-warashi.
Zashiki-warashi are usually described as childlike spirits associated especially with traditional houses in northern Japan, particularly Iwate Prefecture. Their name combines zashiki, a traditional tatami room, with warashi, a regional word for child. Stories often describe residents hearing footsteps, laughter, or games despite seeing no child.
These spirits are generally treated as beneficial. A household that hosts one may enjoy prosperity, while the spirit’s departure is considered a warning of misfortune or decline. Accounts vary in appearance, but red-faced or kimono-wearing children are common motifs.
Zashiki-warashi are folklore spirits, not the same as kami enshrined at a Shinto shrine. They are also distinct from yūrei, the more general Japanese term for ghosts of the dead. The tradition became widely known beyond northeastern Japan through folklore collections and modern literature.