Dorotabō

Dorotabō

Dorotabō (泥田坊 – Mudman) is a type of yōkai depicted in the Konjaku Hyakki Shūi.

This creature is described as a dark figure with three fingers (like an Oni) and only one eye who resides in one particular rice paddy.

He is also heard to say the phrase “ta kaese! ta kaese!” (Till my paddy). This phrase is also a homonym for ‘give back my paddy.’

The creatures is said to have appeared following certain events. An old man worked a rice paddy he had bought in the north and he worked the paddy no matter the weather. After passing his family abondoned farming for sake. Whe the plot was sold to someone else this creature appeared.

The inclusion of him having only three fingers is to show its inhumaness but also the ‘3 poisons’ which are considered the root of all suffering in the Buddhist faith, these being jealousy, hatred and delusion.¹

External Links

• View the book online here: Konjaku Hyakki Shūi Online.

Footnotes

1. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.

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