The Bakemono no e (化物之繪 – Illustrations of Bakemono) is a Yōkai picture scroll which dates to the Edo Period, and was likely made in the 17th Century. The creator of this work is not known. These ‘indexes’ of supernatural creators were extremely popular during the Edo Period, listing creatures, their names, and at times short annotations alongside these creatures. This scroll in question has no annotations and is stored in the Bringham Young University in Utah.

The hand painted scroll itself contains depictions of 35 ‘bakemono‘ it is in a remarkable state of preservation, measuring 44x1525cm in size. There is also extensive use of gold pigment throughout within the ‘background mists’ of the scroll. Most of the creatures on the scroll are well known, however some of them, such as the Umibōzu, Umiotoko , Nurikabe , Nakibisu , and the three-eyed Tsuchigumo are seldom seen.

This piece is also listed with the name of Bakemonozukushie (化物尽繪 – Index of Supernatural Creatures), however, in this context it comes in the form of a book and not a picture scroll. Only one copy of it in book form exists and again contains no name for it’s creator.¹

Furaribi	Uwan
Akaguchi	Shokera
Hyosube	Kappa
Nureonna	Gagoze
Nurarihyon	Kasha
Ubume	Nuppeppo
Waira	Otoroshi
Yamabiko	Nuribotoke
Ouni	Yume no Seirei
Yamamba	Inugami
Nukekubi	Yurei
Umibozū	Umiotoko
Nurikabe	Yamawaro
Mehitsubo	Ushioni
Yukionna	Yako
Nekomata	Kamikiri
Nakibisu	Tsuchigumo
Daisō

External Links

You can see the entire scroll online here: Bakemono no e Scroll Online

Footnotes

1. Brigham University Online LIbrary. Accessed 26/09/2019.

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Otoroshi

The Otoroshi (おとろし) is a type of Yōkai mentioned in the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō and Hyakkai Zukan. The name of the creature can find its origins from the Japanese word ‘osoroshii‘ meaning scary and ‘odoro‘ meaning a weedy patch of land. The creature is said to dwell in abandoned and unkempt areas, such as abandoned shrines.¹

Other Depictions

Bakemono no e

External Links

• View the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō online here: Gazu Hyakki Yagyō 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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Gazu Hyakki Yagyō

The Gazu Hyakki Yagyō (画図百鬼夜行), also called the Gazu Hyakki Yakō (The Illustrated Demon Horde’s Night Parade) is a compendium of Yōkai, demons and ghosts compiled by Toriyama Sekien, published in the Autumn of 1776.

The books were inspired by the 10th Century Demon Horde’s Night Parade. These books, alongside the following three books, the Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki, Konjaku Hyakki Shūi and 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 Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki though they weren’t released together. The book was divided into three sections and contains 51 different Yokai.¹

Foreward

The forward of the book reads:

Let us speak of shape-shifting things, like stone-swallows or inkbrush-crickets. The man who created this book, Toriyama Sekien, has enjoyed himself in the field of art for some years. His very brush shape-shifts; in fact, there is nothing in all of creation it cannot evoke. He is already famed for his book Toriyamabiko.

This time, he took the ancient Hyakki Yagyō scrolls as inspiration, to which he added his own inimitable personal touch. A publisher took note and prepared blocks for printing a book. Sekien split his work into six Volumes: Ying, Yang, Wind, Rain, Darkness and Light. These are the first three, entitle, naturally. Gazu Hyakki Yagyō. By and by he asked me to pen a forward. Sekien and I have long been traders of verse, so I could hardly refuse.

But if you’re the sort who follows the conventional wisdom of shying away from talk of spirits and demons, you might find yourself wishing to avert your eyes.

Anei Era, the Year of the Wood-Sheep, Winter.
By the Hermit of the Eastern Capital, Rōsan, master of Shiyo.¹

Part One – Ying – 陰

Kodama	Tengu
Yamabiko	Yamauba
Yamawarawa	Inugami
Shirachigo	Nekomata
Kappa	Kawauso
Akaname	Tanuki
Kamaitachi	Amikiri
Kitsunebi

Part Two – Yang – 陽

Jorogumo	Tenasobi
Sogenbi	Tsurubebi
Furaribi	Ubagabi
Kasha	Yanari
Ubume	Umizato
Noderabo	Takaonna
Tenome	Tesso
Kurozuka	Rokurokubi
Sakabashira	Makurageishi
Yukionna	Ikiryo
Shiryo	Yurei

Part Three – Wind –風

Every Yōkai in this Volume was taken from a corresponding creature in the Hyakkai Zukan.¹

Mikoshi	Shokera
Hyōsube	Waira
Otoroshi	Nuribotoke
Nureonna	Nurarihyon
Gagoze	Ouni
Aobōzu	Akashita
Nuppeppō	Ushioni
Uwan

External Links

• View the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō online here: Gazu Hyakki Yagyō Vol. 1 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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