Bakemono no e

***Bakemono no e*** (化物之繪, "Illustrations of Supernatural Creatures"), also known by its alternate title *Bakemonozukushie* (化物尽繪, "Illustrated Index of Supernatural Creatures"), is a Japanese handscroll of the Edo period depicting 35 bakemono from Japanese folklore. The figures are hand-painted on paper in vivid pigments with accents in gold pigment. Each bakemono is labeled with its name in hand-brushed ink. There is no other writing on the scroll, no colophon, and no artist's signature or seal.

## Scholarly interest

The scroll came to the attention of Japanese scholars and the famous manga artist Shigeru Mizuki (1922–2015) in 2007 when digital images of the scroll were shared with Kōichi Yumoto (ja:湯本豪一), then curator at the Kawasaki City Museum (ja:川崎市市民ミュージアム). Yumoto was surprised to find an image of a three-eyed bakemono clearly labeled "Nurikabe" in the BYU scroll that matched an unlabeled illustration of the same figure in a scroll Yumoto owns. The Nurikabe image later became the topic of scholarly debate in Japan.

## Bakemono list

The following is a list of bakemono featured in *Bakemono no e*, along with their backgrounds.

Nukekubi Nukekubi (ぬけくび) are female yōkai whose heads detach from their bodies at night to hunt and prey on human blood. Their heads can either detach completely or remain attached by a string-like neck.[56] They are a variation of the Rokurokubi (轆轤首) yōkai.[56] Nukekubi are ordinary women by day but bloodthirsty hunters at night, all without their knowledge. Their methods of hunting include sucking their victims' blood or biting them.[57] The curse of Nukekubi is often spread from mothers to daughters, and there is no certain cure.[57] Stories of the Nukekubi appear as early as the Heian period.[58][56]Ushi-oni Ushi-oni (うし鬼) is a yōkai in traditional Japanese folklore, and its name is translated as "ox demon". The ushi-oni mostly resides near bodies of water, and it is known for attacking and terrorizing people.[74] The appearance of the ushi-oni may vary depending on legend or region of habitat,[75] but it most commonly has the head of an ox with some oni-like attributes, sharp horns curving upward, and sharp fangs. The body is most commonly depicted as spider-like with six legs, each ending with long singular claws. Though tales of the ushi-oni's terrors vary, it is commonly characterized by tenacity, ferocity, and a carnivorous diet which includes humans. The Ushi-oni also cooperates with Nure-onna (ぬれ女) or Iso-onna (磯女) to secure its prey.[74][76]Tsuchigumo (土ぐも) means "ground spider." It is also commonly referred to as yatsukahagi or ōgumo (giant spider). Its habitat is rural areas, mountains, forests, and caves, but they are found to live everywhere. Tsuchigumo make homes out of silk tubes from which they attack their prey. The diet of tsuchigumo includes humans, animals, and anything that it can trap.[87] Some tsuchigumo are depicted as spiders with the face of a demon and the body of a tiger.[88] Historically, "tsuchigumo" was used as a derogatory word in Japanese for renegade local clans. In ancient Japan, aborigines who defied central authority were referred to as "tsuchigumo." They are commonly identified as people with different customs, manners, and physiological features from the general population. Therefore, using this definition, they are one of the most ancient types of oni (demon).[89]