Haradashi - 腹出し - [Yokai]

• About this yokai •

Haradashi - 腹出し

a friendly yokai who loves to drink and cheer lonely people up, with a face painted on its belly, it feels like they belong at the Hokkai-heso-matsuri!! - This yokai is often said "to bring joy to lonely drunkards with her silly belly face"  Being quite tall, she's fairly intimidating to behold, but she's actually a harmless or even friendly yokai that will dance for drinks and turn tears into joy. –"Usually appearing to lonely drunkards in their homes, its said she will protect travellers who are lost in the mountains giving them a meal and a warm place to stay." - its said that she can change shape, but the belly face will always remain. 

(nothing to do with the yokai in question, but "Haradashi" is also the title given for certain villians that have their their bellys out in kabuki theatre!)

•Early appearances and history•

Haradashi along with Gotaimen & Biro~n where favourites of Arifumi Sato (1939-1999), who illustrated & produced yokai books & stories in the 1970's & 1980's (of somewhat dubious historical accuracy) - [For example; in one book they said that the famous painting of "Kronos eating his child" was actually picture of a 'Portuguese cannibal god' the picture in question is actually said to be neither! ] Never the less, their books where beautifully illustrated and are now quite hard to find. (Look them up sometime!) 

The yokai's design and actual earliest appearance dates back to in 1809 "Ukibotan Zenden" 浮牡丹全伝) [last pic] where she appears to be wielding an axe, menacing some temple-invaders (note the arrows in her sheild.) along side a few other nameless yokai.

Hokkai-heso-matsuri – (aka the Navel/Belly Button festival!) – A festival which [normally] takes place in July in the centre of Furano City, Hokkaido Prefecture: Everyone paints a face on their belly, dances a silly dance with their shirts over their heads &/or kimonos tied around their legs in a silly sort of dance called "hara-odori" - The festival is meant to strengthen social bonds and bring people closer through their belly buttons!!! – Though it seems to be entirely unrelated to the yokai mentioned here.  - The festival came about more recently (in 1969) – (several decades after these guys where first drawn but it began only a couple years before Arifumi Sato would have started to publish their books. (perhaps they gave gotaimen/haradashi her personality, inspired from the festival??? we may never know for sure!!!)... Regardless, I cant shake the feeling that this yokai would be happy there as well.

Sticker Art by @Samkalensky (yo thats me!) - Part of my Night parade of 100 Demons - Yokai & Japanese folklore sticker collection, weather-resistant 4" Glossy sticker. Check my shop & follow @samkalensky for many more! - the 4th pics bg is "yokai storytime," by the @mononoke_museum.