Kabukiri-kozo – かぶきり小僧 - [Yokai]

Kabukiri kozo - かぶきり小僧 

• About this yokai:  A Little kid with the iconic Kappa-Bowl Cut and a very Short, striped Kimono - He appears in the Mountains between Chiba & Ibaraki prefecture at Night & repeatedly pesters travellers to “Drink some Water or Tea!”  - it should be noted that despite insisting you drink somthing, he doesn’t actually provide either beverage... If he’s actually concerned for travellers is unknown. – Despite the “kappa: bowl cut, he actually seems to be a friendly "Mujina” in disguise.  – (an older word for Badger/sometimes Tanuki.) he is often described being “pig faced”/“pig-nosed.” - Apparently the area is also famous for Tanuki (& other yokai) transforming into children and playing among them..

when i asked my friends from Chiba about him, they didn’t seem to understand why he offers people water or tea (or where that part of the legend exactly stems from) but it’s a cute bit none the less: It’s kinda nice to think there’s a yokai that wants to remind you to stay hydrated. (I’m constantly forgetting to drink water myself, so I’ll remember to put this sticker somewhere i can see him while i work!) - I suppose it would be a bit unnerving to see an under-dressed child out in the dead of an autumn night....

Of course, Shigeru Mizuki also wrote about him his Yokai Encyclopedia - (The character is also featured in a couple episodes of GegegeNoKitaro.) – in the encyclopedia: Mizuki called back to a supposedly true story from a book called the “Nihon Kaidanshuu”  - it goes a little something like this: - [abridged by me to fit on twitter]

“In the countryside of Kamiso (in Chiba.), there was a time in autumn when the local kids were removing the leaves from straw to make sandals and ropes and other materials to get together to play games.”“A boy named “Chotaro” was playing with his friends, when suddenly one of the other kids came over and pulled up Chotaros kimono up and over his head covering his face!!! The kid then started doing somersaults!? What nerve!! - The others asked who he was, but he kept quiet and didn’t say anything...Getting mad, Chotaros friends tried to do what the stranger just did to Chotaro. They pulled up his kimono, but it was too short to reach over his face!!! – So, instead. they pulled up his sleeves, revealing furry arms which where covered in hair, definitely –Not human!!– Everyone screamed: ‘Eek, its a monster!!”’“The Adults came running, brandishing sticks and weapons. The mysterious kid ran into the woods, throwing off his kimono and revealing himself to be a big badger!! he vanished as quickly as he appeared.” – The End.”

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!