Aobōzu is a Japanese yōkai (spirit) found in a number of Japanese legends. Stories about aobōzu, in particular the exact details of the spirit, vary widely. As well as appearing in Japanese folklore, the aobōzu has also been depicted numerous times in traditional Japanese art; examples include one depiction of aobōzu found in Toriyama Sekien’s e-hon tetralogy Gazu Hyakki Yagyō. Though the exact details of the aobōzu vary throughout legends, with differences often split along regional lines, the aobōzu is typically depicted as a large humanoid figure resembling a bōzu (priest). The exact nature of the aobōzu’s actions, or the nature of its haunting, also vary; though the aobōzu is simply said to appear in Minabe, Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture, in contrast, appearances of the aobōzu in Kaneyama, Ōnuma District, Fukushima Prefecture are said to be a weasel disguised as an aobōzu. In Gifu Prefecture and Hiroshima Prefecture, appearances of the aobōzu are said to be a tanuki disguised as an aobōzu.
Appearance List Gazu Hyakki Yagyō (画図百鬼夜行, “The Illustrated Night Parade of a Hundred Demons”, 1776) Vol. 3
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Description Aobōzu is a Japanese yōkai (spirit) found in a number of Japanese legends. Stories about aobōzu, in particular the exact details of the spirit, vary widely. As well as appearing in Japanese folklore, the aobōzu has also been depicted numerous times in traditional Japanese art; examples include one depiction of aobōzu found in Toriyama Sekien’s e-hon tetralogy Gazu Hyakki Yagyō. Though the exact details of the aobōzu vary throughout legends, with differences often split along regional lines, the aobōzu is typically depicted as a large humanoid figure resembling a bōzu (priest). The exact nature of the aobōzu’s actions, or the nature of its haunting, also vary; though the aobōzu is simply said to appear in Minabe, Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture, in contrast, appearances of the aobōzu in Kaneyama, Ōnuma District, Fukushima Prefecture are said to be a weasel disguised as an aobōzu. In Gifu Prefecture and Hiroshima Prefecture, appearances of the aobōzu are said to be a tanuki disguised as an aobōzu.
