Priest Boy Yokai!

My computer has been down for a few days, so I have some catching up to do.

What is it with Yokai resembling Priest Boys? We previously had Sendai's very own Priest Boy, Chouchin Kouzou, a lad who just stares you down. Today, we have 一つ目小僧 (ひとつめこぞう) or Hitotsume Kouzou who is another Priest Boy, though Cyclopean in appearance.

Other than the One Eye and long tongue, they're fairly harmless, merely choosing to startle people and occasionally lick them.

"In an account from Fukushima Prefecture, a young lady was walking the street at night. A little boy approached her from behind and asked “Ma’am, would you like some money.” She laughed and sweetly replied yes, and turned to face the boy. He was a hitotsume kozō. Instead of bearing riches and he was grinning, staring so intensely at her with his single eye that she fainted in shock on the spot."
 

The next Kouzou (Priest Boy) is 豆腐小僧 (とうふこぞう), little Tofu Boy. 

"Tōfu kozō are timid and weak yokai, and are not known to be aggressive towards humans. On rare occasions, a tōfu kozō may follow a human home on a rainy night, but for the most part they shy away from any confrontation."

雨降小僧 (あめふりこぞう) Rainfall Priest Boy. Unsurprisingly, he appears when it's raining. Despite their childish appearance, amefuri kozō are charged with the very important task of causing rainfall. Wherever they go, they cause clouds to form and rain to come down. In ancient China, amefuri kozō were thought to be the servants of the god of rainfall, who is known as Ushi in Japanese.

"Amefuri kozō are shy and rarely interact directly with people. However, they enjoy stealing people’s umbrellas and wearing them as hats. They then cause rain showers to fall upon their victims." 

 岸涯小僧 (がんぎこぞう) Riverbank Priest Boys are a little creepier than the above. "Gangi kozō are hairy, monkey-like water spirits which inhabit rivers. They live along the riverbanks, where they hunt fish. Their bodies are covered in hair, and the hair on their head resembles the the bobbed okappa hair style once popular among children in Japan. Their most notable features are their webbed hands and toes, and their long teeth which are sharp and jagged like files. They are close relatives of the much more well-known kappa." "Gangi kozō normally stay away from people, but occasionally encounter fishermen along the rivers they inhabit. When meeting a gangi kozō, fishermen often leave their largest, cheapest fish on the riverside as an offering."

Perhaps the most famous and silly-looking one is 唐傘小僧 (からかさこぞう), Karakasa Kouzou. Paper Umbrella Priest Boy, doesn't really resemble a boy, rather a worn out umbrella.

 Appearance: These silly looking yōkai are transformations of Chinese-style oiled-paper umbrellas. They have a single large eye, a long, protruding tongue, and either one or two legs upon which they hop around wildly.

Behavior: Karakasa kozō are not particularly fearsome as far as yōkai go. Their favorite method of surprising humans is to sneak up on them and deliver a large, oily lick with their enormous tongues—which may be traumatic even though it isn’t dangerous. Caution is advised, however. There are other umbrella tsukumogami which are dangerous to humans, and care should be taken not to confuse them with this more playful spirit.

I didn't bother linking to them all, click the top link and use the Yokai Finder yourself.

I'm going to return to Junji Ito's collection of Horror, #10, Unendurable Labyrinth. It has to do with Monks, being stared at (Chouchin Kouzou and Hitotsume Kouzou), and bullies (Tofu Kouzou). Here is a preview where the author talks about the tale. I learned a new word: Scopophobia, the fear of being stared at.

 

Speaking of kids (albeit, really old kids), I'm going to share some pics of Spudkins, Sweet Potatoes that my students carved. I'm quite pleased with the result and no one sliced open their hand nor burned the place down.

There's a few more pics, but my temperamental PC is not showing me them right now. 

I only have one of the above Gatcha, though I think it's the best one.

 The Forever People are a Jack Kirby creation, and since I don't have any of the Newsboy Legion on hand, these are the closest to kids I'm gonna get.

You may be able to find some kiddie crafts at The Paper Layer.

I'm still working out the bugs in my new computer so please be patient with me.