Uncover the Identity of the Yokai
"Tomokazuki" is believed to be the demonic yokai ghost of a diver who drowned in the sea, a legend passed down by ama (female divers) in Toba and Shima cities in Mie Prefecture. Tomokazuki is said to be an exact copy of oneself. According to ama folklore, if you encounter this monster while fishing underwater, you must cease fishing immediately. Failure to do so may result in the loss of your life. It resembles a doppelganger in Western folklore.
Tomokazuki is scary, but it seems to me that it may be a 'deliriant symptom' resulting from a lack of oxygen to the brain caused by prolonged and strenuous diving labor.
"Hidaru or Daru" is also believed to be the demonic yokai ghost of a person who died in the mountains, a legend passed down by the inhabitants of Naga County in Tokushima Prefecture and the Totsukawa region in Nara Prefecture. Those who are possessed by Hidaru suddenly experience intense hunger, starvation, and fatigue. As they traverse, their limbs grow numb, and they lose their freedom of movement, making it impossible to take another step forward. In severe cases, individuals succumb to death in this immobilized state.In such instances,immediate consumption of food is recommended to counteract the immobilization. To ward off the threat of Hidaru, it is advisable to carry a sufficient supply of food in advance. This tradition has been handed down through generations, emphasizing that when journeying along a mountain path with a packed lunch, it is prudent not to finish the entire meal but to leave a portion for the remainder of the trip.
Hidaru is spooky, but it seems to me that it may be a 'hunger knock,' a condition of extreme hypoglycemia during intense and prolonged physical activities, depleting the body's stores of glycogen (carbohydrate).
People have blamed inexplicable events on yokai ghosts.The legends of Tomokazuki and Hidaru must have been effective in saving the lives of people at that time who lacked medical knowledge.In that sense, the yokai may have lived alongside the people.
