Drypoint etching, 100×150, August 2022
Series: Japanese phantoms
This three-legged Yokai appeared in the mountains in Amakusa, Higo Province (now Kumamoto Prefecture) in 1843. It seems it was derived from the Amabie, and it said to a samurai named Shibata that one could escape misfortune and have a long life by looking at its picture. Two years after my Amabie picture, I realized that the Yamawaro has almost the same era, location, and appearance. It’s also said that the Three-Legged Prophetic Beast of Higo has a beard, a hairy body, and tough looks.
