The ''ouni'' (苧うに) is a ''

yōkai are a class of supernatural entities and Spirit (supernatural entity) , spirits in Japanese folklore. The kanji representation of the word comprises two characters that both mean "suspicious, doubtful", and while the Japanese name is simply ...

'' depicted in the ''

Gazu Hyakki Yagyō is the first book of Japanese artist Toriyama Sekien's famous ''Gazu Hyakki Yagyō'' e-hon tetralogy, published in 1776. A version of the tetralogy translated and annotated in English was published in 2016. Although the title translates to "The I ...

'' by

Toriyama Sekien 200px, A , specifically a Miage-nyūdō, as portrayed by Toriyama , real name Sano Toyofusa, was a scholar, '' kyōka'' poet, and ''ukiyo-e'' artist of Japanese folklore. Early life Born to a family of high-ranking servants to the Tokugawa sh ...

. It is a ''yōkai'' with a face like that of a demon woman (''kijo'') torn from mouth to ear, and its entire body is covered in hair. There is no explanatory text from Sekien, so it is unclear what kind of yōkai this is. The "''o''" (苧) in "''ouni''" refers to the

ramie Ramie (pronounced: , ; from Malay ), ''Boehmeria nivea'', is a flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae, native to eastern Asia. It is an herbaceous perennial growing to tall;

plant or to bundles of string made from ramie,

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...

, among others, so it is said that Sekien gave it the name "''ouni''" because it conjures up the image of a ''yōkai'' with head and body hair made of layers of this "''o''". In the ''

Hyakkai Zukan is a picture scroll by Edo period Japanese artist Sawaki Suushi. Completed in 1737, this scroll is a supernatural bestiary, a collections of ghosts, spirits and monsters (Yōkai), which Suushi based on Japanese literature, literature, Japanese fo ...

'' (1737, Sawaki Suushi), a ''yōkai'' ''emaki'' from the Edo period, it is given by the name "''wauwau''", and Edo period ''yōkai'' ''emaki'' would usually present it under that name. However, these presentations consisted of pictures, so it is not known what characteristics they had. In another instance, there is a drawing in the '' Hyakki Yagyō Emaki'' (Oda Gōchō, 1832) from after Sekien's era where it is depicted under the title of "''uwan uwan''", and it is thought that likewise the ''ouni'' is a ''yōkai'' that Sekien drew while referring to earlier ''emaki''.

Explanatory text starting in Heisei

There are no folk legends or records that are clearly about the ''ouni'' (or the "''wauwau''" based on Sekien's), so it is presently not clear what kind of ''yōkai'' they were intending to depict, but starting in the

Heisei The was the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of the Emperor Hirohito, when hi ...

period, inferring from how there are many tales that seem highly related to the previous "''o''" and the ''

yamauba , yamamba, and yamanba are variations on the name of a ''yōkai'' found in Japanese folklore. Mostly said to resemble women, yamauba may be depicted as predatory monsters or benevolent beings. Appearance Depending on the text and translator, th ...

'', there have started to be many illustrated references, books, and other publications that suppose that these are ''yamauba'' who assisted in the making of threads and were taken in under the name "''ouni''", which would mean that the ''ouni'' is a type of ''yamauba''. There are many areas with tales about ''yamauba'' who would make threads from ''o'' (苧), but the following example is from Kotaki, Nishikubiki,

Echigo Province was an old provinces of Japan, old province in north-central Japan, on the shores of the Sea of Japan. It bordered on Uzen Province, Uzen, Iwashiro Province, Iwashiro, Kōzuke Province, Kōzuke, Shinano Province, Shinano, and Etchū Province, ...

(now

Itoigawa is a Cities of Japan, city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 38,224 living in 17,028 households, and a population density of 51 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Itoigawa ...

Niigata Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,131,009 (1 July 2023) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...

). There was a gathering of women who were spinning some bundles of strings with hemp, when a ''yamauba'' appeared and said "I'll also spin some" and started to help along. The ''yamauba'' bit the hemp and drew out strings and then spun bundles of string at a speed unbelievable for humans. After finishing the assistance, the ''yamauba'' left the house. The women tried to follow, but the ''yamauba'' abruptly disappeared. Before the proliferation of the idea that ''yamauba'' were related, they were often given the explanation that they would attack and eat people who come for a drink at a mountain stream. 佐藤有文『お化けの図鑑』 KKベストセラーズ 1978年 70頁 This can be said to be due to the picture drawn by Sekien.

Notes

{{Japanese folklore long Yōkai