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Tōfu-kozō
''Tōfu-kozō'' (, literally "tofu boy") is a ''yōkai'' of Japan that takes on the appearance of a child possessing a tray with ''tōfu'' on it. It frequently appears in the ''kusazōshi'', ''kibyōshi'' and ''Kaidan (parapsychology), kaidan'' books from the Edo period, and from the ''Bakumatsu'' to the Meiji period, people have become familiar with them as a character illustrated on toys such as kites, ''sugoroku'', and ''karuta''. They can also be seen in ''senryū'', ''kyōka'', ''e-hon banzuke'' (pamphlets that introduce the contents of a ''shibai''), and ''nishiki-e'', etc. Summary They are generally depicted wearing bamboo and ''kasa (hat), kasa'' on their heads, and possessing a round tray with a ''momiji-dōfu'' on it (a ''tōfu'' with a ''momiji'' (autumn leaf) shape pressed into it). The patterns on the clothing they wear, for the sake of warding off smallpox, include lucky charms such as ''harukoma'' (春駒), daruma doll, ''daruma'' dolls, horned owls, swinging drums, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yōkai
are a class of supernatural entities and Spirit (supernatural entity) , spirits in Japanese folklore. The kanji representation of the word comprises two characters that both mean "suspicious, doubtful", and while the Japanese name is simply the Japanese transliteration or pronunciation of the Chinese term ''yaoguai, yāoguài'' (which designates similarly strange creatures), some Japanese commentators argue that the word ''yōkai'' has taken on many different meanings in Japanese culture, including referring to a large number of uniquely Japanese creatures. are also referred to as , or . However, most Japanese generally think of the two loose classes of spirits as highly different, although some academics and Shinto practitioners acknowledge similarities within the seeming dichotomy between the natures of them and most ''kami'', which are generally regarded as relatively beneficent in comparison, and class the two as ultimately the same type of spirits of nature or of a m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
