Public Domain Super Heroes
Nurarihyon

Real Name

Nurarihyon

First Appearance

Japanese Folklore

Created by

Japanese Folklore

Origin[]

Nurarihyon is a Japanese yōkai. It is consider to be like like the hyōtannamazu, a monster that cannot be caught. One can find that it often appears in the yōkai emaki of the Edo Period, but any further details about it are unknown. It has been thought that they are a "supreme commander of yōkai. In folktale legends, they are a member of the Hyakki Yagyō (in the Akita Prefecture), and there is a type of umibōzu in the Okayama prefecture.

The Nurarihyon is usually depicted as an old man with a gourd-shaped head and wearing a kesa. In some depictions he also carries a single sword rather than the standard two to demonstrate his wealth. There is speculation that in Toriyama Sekien’s portrayal of Nurarihyon, he serves as a political cartoon to represent the aristocracy. Others suggest that he is retired from a samurai family due to the sword and his clothing style.

Public Domain Literary Appearances[]

  • Bakemono no e (1700)
  • Gazu Hyakki Yagyō (1776)
  • Hyakkai Zukan (1737)
  • Kōshoku Haidokusan
  • Kiyū Shōran
  • Yuki no Idewaji (1814)

See Also[]