Ninmenju

Ninmenju (人面樹 – Human-faced tree) is a type of yōkai depicted in the Konjaku Hyakki Shūi.

This creature is said to live in valleys and take the form of human heads growing on a tree. They do not speak but laugh constantly, their laughter causing them to fall from the tree.

The Wakan Sansai Zue relates that this creature exists in the Arab World, which could be a cross cultural reference to the Waq Waq tree from One Thousand and One Nights.

Similar creatures can be found in Journey To The West mentioning the Ginseng-fruit which looks like a human infant and that grows every 9000 years. Eating this fruit causes your life to be extended by 100’s or 1000’s of years.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.

List of Supernatural Creatures

Abura akago * Aka Manto * Akaname * Akashita * Amanozako * Amefuri Kozo * Ameonna * Amikiri * Aoandō * Aōbozu * Aonyobo * Aosagi no hi * Ayakashi * Buruburu * Chochin bi * Dōjōji no kane * Dōmeki * Dorotabō * Enenra * Funa Yurei * Furaribi * Fūri * Furutsubaki no rei * Gaikotsu * Ganbari Nyudo * Gagoze * Gangikozō * Gensuke * Haka no hi * Hangonkō * Hannya * Hashi-Hime * Hatahiro * Hiderigami * Hikeshi baba * Himamushi-nyūdō * Hinode * Hitodama * Hitotsume Kozō * Hiyoribo * Hōkō * Hone Onna * Hyōsube * Ikiryō * Inugami * Jakotsubaba * Jatai * Jorōgumo * Kamaitachi * Kamikiri * Kanedama * Kageonna * Kappa * Kasha * Katawa Guruma * Kawa Akago * Kawauso * Kazenbō * Kidōmaru * Kitsunebi * Kejoro * Kerakeraonna * Kodama * Kokuribaba * Kosamebō * Kosode no te * Kosenjo no hi * Kurozuka * Makurageishi * Mikoshi * Minobi * Momiji-gari * Momonjii * Morinji no Kama * Nekomata * Ningyo * Ninmenju * Noderabō * Nopperabo * Nuppeppō * Nurarihyon * Nureonna * Nuribotoke * Nyūnai Suzume * Obariyon * Oboro-guruma * Ōkaburo * Ōkubi * Okiku * Ōmagatoki * Oni * Onihitokuchi * Onmoraki * Osakabe * Oshiroibaba * Otoroshi * Ouni * Ōzatō * Rokurokubi * Sakabashira * Samebito * Sansei * Sarakozoe * Satori * Sesshō-seki * Seta * Shinkirō * Shirachigo * Shiranui * Shōkera * Shokuin * Shuten-dōji * Sōgenbi * Suiko * Takaonna * Tamamo-no-mae * Tanuki * Tenasobi * Tenjō-Kudari * Tengu * Tengu Tsubute * Tenome * Teratsutsuki * Tesso * Tōdaiki * Tōfu Kozō * Tsurubebi * Ubagabi * Ubume * Umibozū * Umizatō * Ushinotoki-mairi * Ushioni * Uwan * Waira * Wani * Wanyudo * Yamabiko * Yamauba * Yamawarawa * Yanari * Yukionna * Zenki and Goki

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Konjaku Hyakki Shūi

Konjaku Hyakki Shūi (今昔百鬼拾遺 – More of the Demon Horde from Past and Present) is a compendium of Yōkai, demons and ghosts compiled by Toriyama Sekien, published in 1780/81.

The books were inspired by the 10th Century Demon Horde’s Night Parade. These books, alongside the previous book, the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō, Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki and the following book, the Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro are different to earlier depictions of Yōkai as they place the Yōkai in a time and a place instead of just depicting them on a blank background.

This book was created as a set with the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō though they weren’t released together. The book was divided into three sections and contains 50 different Yōkai.¹

Introduction

The introduction of the book reads:

Let us consider the kindly hermit, the artist Sekien. He’s a gentle and refined sort, a successful gardener who dug deep to find a spring to feed his pond. He listens for the warblers in spring and savors cool river-waters in the summer, watching the flower petals drift in the fall and the birds flock in winter. Whatever the season, he immerses himself in pleasures, seemingly unaware of old age setting in. When he encounters one of similar tastes he delightedly puts on tea and throws himself into a discussion of art. And when he starts drawing, he’ll quickly turn out more than a hundred in a sitting.¹

Part One – Cloud – 雲

Shinkirō	Shokuin
Ninmenju	Ningyo
Hangonkō	Hōkō
Tengutsubute	Dōjōji-no-kane
Tōdaiki	Dorotabō
Kokuribaba	Oshiroibaba
Jakotsubaba	Kageonna
Kerakeraonna	Enenra

Part 2 – Mist – 霧

Momiji-gari	Oboro-guruma
Kazenbōl	Minobi
Aoandō	Ameonna
Kosamebō	Gangikozō
Ayakashi	Kidōmaru
Onihitokuchi	Jatai
Kosode no te	Hatahiro
Ōzatō	Himamushi-nyūdō
Sesshō-seki	Fūri
Morinji no Kama

Part 3 – Rain – 雨

Rashōmon no oni	Yonaki no ishi
Bashō no sei	Suzuri no tamashii
Byōbunozoki	Keukegen
Mokumokuren	Kyōkotsu
Mekurabe	Ushirogami
Iyaya	Hōsōshi
Takirei-ō	Hakutaku
Kakurezato

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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Wakan Sansai Zue

The Wakan Sansai Zue (和漢三才図会 – Illustrated Sino-Japanese Encyclopedia of the Three Realms) was published around 1712, and created by Terajima Ryōan.

Toriyama Sekien was greatly inspired by this book for his Yōkai.¹

Yōkai mentioned in the book include:

• • Amanozako – Describes her appearance as a mix of human and animal characteristics. A human body with the head of a beast, a long nose and long ears.¹
  • Fūri – Talks about its size and it being nocturnal.¹
  • Mikoshi – This books describes the creature as 6 meters tall, with red eyes, yellow hair and a dark complexion.¹
  • Mōryō – Described in the book as a water kami the size of a three year old boy. They have crimson skin, red eyes, long ears as well as glossy hair. The food they like to eat is the livers of corpses.¹
  • Ninmenju – Gives the origins of this creature as from the Arab World.¹
  • Sansei
  • Suiko
  • Tōdaiki – Gives the tale of his creation and attempted return to Japan with the help of his son.¹
  • Yamawaro

Footnotes

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

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