Image of Hikeshi baba

Hikeshi baba

Hikeshi baba takes the form of a white-haired, grotesque-looking, old woman. She wanders from house to house blowing out lanterns. Hikeshi baba is not a dangerous yōkai herself, although her actions can indirectly harm people. Her purpose is to make the world a gloomier place by extinguishing the cheerful, beautiful paper lanterns that decorate Japanese homes. Yōkai, by nature, are not accustomed to bright lights or cheery atmospheres. Her work is intended to make conditions more suitable for other yōkai to come out and do their own misdeeds.
Alias Hikeshi baba (火消婆)
Real Names/Alt Names “Fire extinguishing old woman”
Characteristics Yōkai, Enlightenment and Neoclassicism, Japanese
Creators/Key Contributors Toriyama Sekien, ○
First Appearance Japanese folklore
First Publisher
Appearance List Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki (今昔画図続百鬼, “The Illustrated One Hundred Demons from the Present and the Past”, 1779) Vol. 2
Sample Read Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki Vol. 2 “Dark” (1779) [Smithsonian]
Description Hikeshi baba takes the form of a white-haired, grotesque-looking, old woman. She wanders from house to house blowing out lanterns. Hikeshi baba is not a dangerous yōkai herself, although her actions can indirectly harm people. Her purpose is to make the world a gloomier place by extinguishing the cheerful, beautiful paper lanterns that decorate Japanese homes. Yōkai, by nature, are not accustomed to bright lights or cheery atmospheres. Her work is intended to make conditions more suitable for other yōkai to come out and do their own misdeeds.
Source Hikeshi baba – Yokai.com
Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki Vol. 2 'Dark' (1779) | Toriyama Sekien
Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki Vol. 2 ‘Dark’ (1779) | Toriyama Sekien