Note: Japanese Curse – Ushi no Koku Mairi

This time, let us talk about “curses” in Japan.

Just like in many other parts of the world, Japan also has traditions of cursing.
In Japan, there is even a proverb that says, “When you curse someone, dig two graves.” One grave is for the cursed, the other for the one who casts the curse.

In other words, even if a curse succeeds, the one who casts it will also face retribution.

The most famous Japanese curse is the Ushi no Koku Mairi (“Hour of the Ox Ritual”).
Its origin can be traced back to the late Heian period (8th–12th century), when people practiced Ushi no Koku Mōde—midnight visits to shrines or temples. These were originally prayers for love or recovery from illness, but by the medieval era (12th–16th century) the practice gradually took on connotations of resentment and malediction.

During the Edo period (17th–19th century), the ritual became a popular theme in kabuki, jōruri plays, and ukiyo-e prints. It was through these forms of entertainment that the now well-known image was fixed: a figure in white burial robes, wearing an inverted iron trivet on the head with candles burning on top, nailing a straw doll to a sacred tree at a shrine with long nails.

The straw doll would contain parts of the target’s body, such as hair or fingernails.
The ritual was performed during the “Hour of the Ox” (around 1–3 a.m.), and to be effective, it had to be repeated over several nights. It was also said that the practitioner must not be seen; if discovered, the curse would either rebound or lose its power. In some regional traditions, it was even claimed that the practitioner must kill anyone who witnessed the act.

The number of nights required, and the consequences of being seen, vary depending on the tradition.

Even today, traces of such acts are occasionally reported, but in reality, performing them would constitute crimes such as trespassing or property damage, and therefore must not be attempted.

Interestingly, so-called “cursing straw dolls” are sometimes sold online. In most cases these are novelty or decorative items rather than genuine ritual tools. If purchased, they should be treated only as curiosities or references—not as instruments of actual curses.