Drypoint etching, 100×150, October 2020
Series: Japanese phantoms
In the Edo period, this yokai appeared at Tenpaizan mountain in Chikuzen Province (now Fukuoka Prefecture). It claimed to be a beast of the twelve signs of the zodiac that had been honoured since the age of the gods, and called on people to draw its figure and make devotions to it because it would protect them from misfortune. Its figure combines characteristics of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. Actually, I found similar pictures that were drawn by some Ukiyoe artists in the Edo period as good luck pictures, so it might not be unique to the Chikuzen area.
