あやかし

Japanese

Noun

あやかし • (ayakashi) 

1. a yokai that appears above seawater during shipwrecks
2. a mystery; an unexplained phenomenon
3. Synonym of 妖怪 (yōkai)
   • 2020 September 19, Mafumafu (lyrics and music), “百鬼夜行 [Night Parade of A Hundred Demons]”:

     何万年　妖(あやかし)たちは
     踊る　夜宴の夢

     Nanmannen ayakashi-tachi wa
     Odoru yaen no yume

     For myriads of years, the yokai
     Have been dancing, our soiree dreams

4. Synonym of 馬鹿 (baka, “idiot; fool”)
5. Synonym of コバンザメ (kobanzame, “live sharksucker”)
6. a type of Noh mask representing ghosts or spirits