The Kokkuri demon is believed to be the spirit that responds to the Kokkuri game, a popular game and form of divination during the Meiji period of Japan. The people playing the game would arrance three bamboo rods into a tripod which would hold a pot covered with a cloth, after which they would ask a question to the Kokkuri. Its response was determined by whether or not the pot moved or stayed still. Despite being denounced as a mere superstition by Japanese folklorist Inoue Enryou, the game remained popular among Japanese citizens.
