Abstract

The practice of Ushi no Koku Mairi is a form of execration loosely associated with the premodern rituals of Onmyôdô, which is a form of esoteric cosmology incorporating Shinto, Buddhism and Taoism. Today, Ushi no Koku Mairi is a syncretic product of Japanese folklore, quasi-religious practice, and popular culture, whereby clients pay for a cursing kit equipped with several items and a manual designed to guide the client through the curse-casting ritual. In this article I examine various artifacts of these cursing kits and draw on their historical, religious, and pop cultural development in an interpretation of their origins, as well as how they were constructed for modern use. I also survey the ways these artifacts are used in a socio-cultural context where interaction with and among them cultivates a transcendent experience.

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