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by Yuka Morii
Clay sculpture
Gentle, straw-hatted night child of Edo carrying a tray of fresh bean curd down quiet alleyways.
A yokai that appeared in kibyōshi—illustrated comic storybooks popular during the Edo period. It does nothing more than appear on dark roads at night carrying a block of tofu. Taking the form of a child wearing a traditional straw hat, it is kind-hearted and timid. In some stories, it is even bullied by other yokai. It is said to appear all across Japan.
A yokai that appeared in kibyōshi—illustrated comic storybooks popular during the Edo period. It does nothing more than appear on dark roads at night carrying a block of tofu. Taking the form of a child wearing a traditional straw hat, it is kind-hearted and timid. In some stories, it is even bullied by other yokai. It is said to appear all across Japan.