Image of Aonyobo

Aonyobo

The Aonyōbō is a blue-skinned ogre-like spirit of poverty and misfortune who takes the appearance of an ancient court noblewoman. Covered in many kimono of older eras, that are now tattered and moth-ridden, she wears the white face of ancient courtiers who have high-painted eyebrows and black teeth. Legend has it that they are court ladies who serve noble families until they are married off to a worthy suitor. The Aonyōbō inhabit abandoned houses, formerly occupied by fallen nobles and ruined families, where they are constantly applying their makeup, fixing their hair, and adjusting their image for the arrival of possible guests who never show up like a lover who lost their interest or a husband who abandoned his wife. If any trespassers arrive, the Aonyōbō will devour them and vainly wait until the next person shows up.
Alias Aonyōbō (青女房)
Real Names/Alt Names Alt: Ao-nyōbō, Ao nyōbō
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 The Aonyōbō is a blue-skinned ogre-like spirit of poverty and misfortune who takes the appearance of an ancient court noblewoman. Covered in many kimono of older eras, that are now tattered and moth-ridden, she wears the white face of ancient courtiers who have high-painted eyebrows and black teeth. Legend has it that they are court ladies who serve noble families until they are married off to a worthy suitor. The Aonyōbō inhabit abandoned houses, formerly occupied by fallen nobles and ruined families, where they are constantly applying their makeup, fixing their hair, and adjusting their image for the arrival of possible guests who never show up like a lover who lost their interest or a husband who abandoned his wife. If any trespassers arrive, the Aonyōbō will devour them and vainly wait until the next person shows up.
Source Aonyobo – Wikipedia
Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki Vol. 2 'Dark' (1779) | Toriyama Sekien
Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki Vol. 2 ‘Dark’ (1779) | Toriyama Sekien