Koromodako
The koromodako is a yōkai in the Japanese folklore.
Although in the guise of a small octopus, it is said to expand and envelope boats and people.
The lore is localized in northern Kyoto Prefecture, vaguely described as promontory areas, though also pinpointed to a village at the northern tip of.
Mythology
As the name indicates, is an octopus-like yōkai that appear small at first, but expands widely like a piece of clothing when a boat arrives, and sinks both vessel and humans in the sea.The small octopus can expand to the area of 6 tatami mats, 12 x 12 Japanese feet square, or. Some of them are found concealed inside a shell.
One source identifies the locality of the lore as village, which is on the northern tip of . The localization is given more vaguely as some promontory area in Yosa [District, Kyoto]., and the yōkai is also described as appearing in Wakasa Bay.
An actual marine animal compared to this yōkai is the Common blanket octopus that inhabits the Sea of Japan. It has membranes between the tentacles when outspread can expand its area 10-fold, though the octopus is quite small. This octopus is in fact called koromo-dako locally in some areas of Japan such as Takeno, Hyōgo.。