Gazu Hyakki Yagyō

Gazu Hyakki Yagyō (画図百鬼夜行, "The Illustrated Night Parade of a Hundred Demons") is the first book of Japanese artist Toriyama Sekien's famous Gazu Hyakki Yagyō e-hon series, published 1776. These books are supernatural bestiaries, collections of ghosts, spirits, spooks and monsters, many of which Toriyama based on literature, folklore, other artwork. These works have had a profound influence on subsequent yōkai imagery in Japan. (Also see: Hyakki Yagyō). The various creatures are described, below, using images to illustrate many of them.

First Volume - 陰

The first volume of Gazu Hyakki Yagyō includes the following demonic creatures.

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  Kodama (木魅) : Sekien's comments: A spirit (kami) said to appear in one hundred year-old trees. (百年の樹には神ありてかたちをあらはすといふ。)

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  Tengu (天狗) is a popular bird-like demon in Japanese folklore.

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  Yamabiko (幽谷響) means "echo", so Sekien likely meant to imply that this creature is a spirit that mimics sounds in the mountains.

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  Yamawarawa (山童), usually called yamawaro, is a mountain-dwelling creature from Kyūshū, sometimes considered to be the form taken on by the kappa in winter.

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  Yamauba (山姥) the mountain hag is a staple of Japanese folktales.

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  Inugami (犬神) is a dog-spirit said to do the bidding of certain families on Shikoku. Sekien depicted it in anthropomorphic form, wearing an eboshi hat. It is accompanied by a smaller creature called Shirachigo (白児) which may be an invention of Sekien's.

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  Nekomata (猫股) is a cat whose forked tail is a clue that it has become a dangerous supernatural creature.

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  Kappa (河童) is a famous water imp. Sekien's comments: It is also called kawatarō. (川太郎ともいふ。)

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  Kawauso (獺) is a river otter, seen here attempting to appear as a human.

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  Akaname (垢嘗) is a creature which Sekien illustrated lurking in an old-fashioned bathroom. Its name means "filth-licker", so the function of its protruding tongue isn't hard to imagine.

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  Tanuki (狸) is a raccoon dog which appears frequently in Japanese folkore.

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  Kamaitachi (鎌鼬) is a slicing wind spirit. Sekien was the first to imagine it as a weasel-like creature, as an illustration of a pun.

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  Amikiri (網剪) is illustrated by Sekien as a small snake-like creature with a bird-like head and lobster-like claws. Its name means "net cutter".

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  Kitsunebi (狐火) is ghostly fire created by foxes.

Second Volume - 陽

The second volume of Gazu Hyakki Yagyō includes the following creatures.

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  Jorōgumo (絡新) means "prostitute spider", but the name is written with characters that mean "entwining bride".

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  Ten, martens which form a column which emits a mysterious flame.

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  Sōgenbi Sekien's comments: It can be found in the west of Saiin outside the capital, near Mibudera temple. As slang it is called Sōgenbi of Suzaku. (、。。) This is based on a real legend from Kyoto, concerning the ghost of a monk who stole lamp oil. [1] [2]

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  Tsurubebi is a fireball dropping out of a tree. It may be related to the tsurube-otoshi.

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  Furaribi means "aimless flame".

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  Ubagabi. Sekien's comments: It is said to appear in Kawachi Province. (。) This image shares its name with a real legend from Kyoto. [3]

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  Kasha is a cat-like monster which steals corpses during a funeral.

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  Yanari means the rattling sounds of an old house, which these small demons presumably make.

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  Ubume is the ghost of a pregnant woman who appears holding her child near bodies of water.

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  Umizatō is a blind man walking on the surface of the sea.

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  Noderabō is a strange creature standing near a temple bell.

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  Takaonna (, tall woman) is a female monster stretching itself to peer into the second story of a house.

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  Tenome is a creature with its eyes on its hands.

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  Tesso. Sekien's comments: Raigō became a spirit-rat, and went into the world. (、也。) Raigō Anjari was a priest of Mii-dera, who was snubbed by the emperor in favor of Enryaku-ji, and according to legend became a swarm of rats which laid waste to the rival temple.

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  Kurozuka (ja:黒塚) is the infamous, cannibalistic hag of Adachigahara. [4] [5] [6]

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  Rokurokubi (飛頭蛮) is a woman who suffers from a supernatural illness, causing her head to float away from her body at night while her neck stretches indefinitely. [7] [8]

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  Sakabashira (ja:逆柱) is a pillar that has been installed upside down, which causes the house to become haunted. [9] [10]

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  Makuragaeshi (反枕) is a spirit that takes your pillow out from under your head while you sleep and places it by your feet instead. [11] [12]

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  Yukionna is a pale female spirit who appears in the snow, who sometimes causes people to freeze to death. [13] [14]

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  Ikiryō is a "living ghost", a spirit which appears outside of its body while its owner is still alive. It often belongs to a woman motivated by jealousy. [15] [16]

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  Shiryō (ja:死霊) is the spirit of a dead person. [17]

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  Yūrei is a ghost. [18]

Third Volume - 風

The third volume of Gazu Hyakki Yagyō includes the following creatures.

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  Mikoshi, or Mikoshi-nyūdō (見越, ja:見越し入道) is a long-necked creature whose height increases as fast as you can look up at it. [19] [20]

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  Shōkera (ja:しょうけら) is a creature which peeks in through the skylight of an old house. [21] [22]

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  Hyōsube (ja:ひょうすべ) is a monkey-like creature which is kin to the kappa. [23] [24]

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  Waira (ja:わいら) is a large beast that lurks in the mountains, about which little is known. [25] [26]

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  Otoroshi (ja:おとろし) is a hairy creature sitting on top of a torii gate, thought to be a guardian of the shrine. [27] [28]

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  Nuribotoke (ja:塗仏)

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  Nureonna (ja:濡れ女)

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  Nurarihyon (ぬらりひょん)

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  Gagoze (元興寺)

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  Ōni (ja:苧うに)

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  Aobōzu (青坊主)

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  Akashita (赤舌)

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  Nuppeppō (ぬっぺっぽう, ぬっぺふほふ)

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  Ushioni (牛鬼)

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  Uwan (うわん)

References

• Toriyama, Sekien (July 2005) (in Japanese). Toriyama Sekien Gazu Hyakki Yagyō Zen Gashū. Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd.. pp. 10–65. ISBN 4-0440-5101-1. 
• "Hyakki Zufu Obake Iroha Sakuin" (HTML). CSK Pavilion: Hyakki Yagyō. http://park.org/Japan/CSK/hyakki/etc/obake_index-iroha.html. Retrieved 2007-04-22. 

See also

• Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki
• Konjaku Hyakki Shūi
• Gazu Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro