Ōkubi

In Japanese folklore, Ōkubi (大首) are giant heads of either men or women. An Ōkubi appearing in the sky is a sign of impending disaster, which may be a typhoon, earthquake, tsunami, or fire. Ōkubi are otherwise harmless and will disappear soon after the first sighting. They are thought to be sky spirits who protect the sky's or people who died during a natural disaster. They are said to protect people from the natural disasters and protect the sky from demonic sky spirits. Them, Their selves are said cause these disasters. It is said if one does not pay respect for the Ōkubi, she will turn those into sky spirits and their face will appear in the sky mediately. It is said that those who do pay respect are said to get good fortune and gifts.

The ōkubi as illustrated by Toriyama Sekien.

Appearance: Usaully it is just their face as a woman's or man's face.

Stories: There are stories from certain provinces and prefectures. Sometimes these stories are passed down from elders to children. There is a certain Story from Iwake prefecture about a face of Ōkubi appearing in the sky when a tsunami was going to hit a small town. "It was stormy day in a small Japanese town". A tsunami was about hit while everybody had to stay in. But before then, A face of a beautiful woman appeared. One man shouted "It's An Ōkubi!. That ment the tsunami was about hit. It washed everything away and knocked over trees but nobody was hurt. Everyone paid respects to the Ōkubi for protecting them.

There is another story about How a man married a Ōkubi. It was a Misty Windy blistering day, When a man was working in the mountains. He encountered a beautiful woman that walked up to him and said "Can I come and stay in your place"? The man accepted the woman's pleasing words. Later then they got married, they had a child, But one-day the woman said "I must return to the skies now".