Hitotsume-kozo

Charter obake karuta of the Edo Period showing a hitotsume-kozō

The Hitotsume-kozō is a one-eyed yokai from Japanese folklore. They appear as children of about ten years of age, or similar to a Buddhist monk. However, its most striking and distinctive feature is a single gigantic eye in the center of its face.

Behavior

They are relatively benign creatures, often content to run around scaring humans or telling noisy people to be quiet (they enjoy silence). Despite this, many people consider an encounter with a one-eyed goblin to be a bad omen. For this reason, the superstitious sometimes leave bamboo baskets in front of their houses, as this is supposed to scare them away.

Fonts

• Addis, Stephen, ed. Japanese Ghosts and Demons: Art of the Supernatural. George Braziller, 2001.
• Kiej'e, Nikolas. Japanese Grotesqueries. C. E. Tuttle Co., 1973.
• abbr. KYDD: Kaii-Yōkai Denshō Database. Online bibliographical database of supernatural folklore published by the International Research Center for Japanese Studies.
• Mizuki, Shigeru. Mizuki Shigeru No Nihon Yōkai Meguri. JTB, 2001.
• Mizuki, Shigeru. Aizōban Yōkai Gadan. Iwanami Shoten, 2002.
• Mizuki, Shigeru. Mujara 1: Kantō, Hokkaidō, Okinawa-hen. Soft Garage, 2003.
• Mizuki, Shigeru. Mujara 2: Chūbu-hen. Soft Garage, 2003.
• Mizuki, Shigeru. Mujara 3: Kinki-hen. Soft Garage, 2003.
• Mizuki, Shigeru. Mujara 4: Chūgoku, Shikoku-hen. Soft Garage, 2004.
• Mizuki, Shigeru. Mujara 5: Tōhoku, Kyūshū-hen. Soft Garage, 2004.
• Mizuki, Shigeru. Mujara 6: Sekai, Tokubetsu-hen. Soft Garage, 2004.
• Takehara, Shunsen. Tōsanjin Yawa - Ehon Hyaku Monogatari. Kadokawa Shoten, 2006. ISBN 4043830017.
• Toriyama, Sekien. Gazu Hyakki Yakō Zenga Shū. Kadokawa Shoten, 2005. ISBN 4044051011.
• Yanagita, Kunio. Yōkai Dangi. Kōdansha, 1977. ISBN 406158135X.