Amefurikozō
Image associated with the exact linked encyclopedia article; consult credited file description for its interpretation.
Overview
Amefurikozō is a childlike rain-associated yōkai pictured by Sekien with an umbrella worn as a hat and a paper lantern. His caption links the figure with an attendant of a rain master, bringing a supernatural weather office into the form of an everyday servant. Contemporary popular books also used the character, so the creature belongs to playful printed culture as well as to the broader archive of yōkai images.
The relationship between rain and a servant child can involve verbal play, and later illustrations alter details such as the face or hat. The historical witness therefore supports a set of motifs rather than a weather-producing species with a fixed anatomy. This profile follows the umbrella, lantern and attendant role. It leaves claims about making storms, controlling every rainfall or inhabiting a particular universal landscape unsupported unless attached to another source.
Origins & earliest records
Selected historical witness: Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki (1779) by Toriyama Sekien. The linked library record identifies a surviving printed edition; it does not establish when the belief first arose.
Records & interpretation
The historical illustration and individual contextual reference support this profile. Named motifs, local narratives and later explanations are distinguished; image-to-plate matching still needs review.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
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Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki
Selected historical witness; individual illustration now checked in the separately linked primary scan. This edition is not a claim of the earliest oral attestation.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki
Volume 3; Smithsonian Libraries digitized copy. IIIF canvas index 12 (zero-based); Konjakuzokuhyak3Tori_0013.jp2
Printed label 雨ふり小僧; a small clothed figure stands by water with a broad hat and a small lantern. Illustration directly inspected; no complete transcription of cursive explanatory text is claimed.
Encyclopedia background
An additional attributed reference, separate from the editorial profile above.
Read the open encyclopedia overview
Amefurikozō (雨降小僧, 雨降り小僧) is a type of Japanese yōkai. There is a depiction of this yōkai in Sekien Toriyama's collection of yōkai drawing the Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki, and they can also be seen in the kibyōshi among other publications of the same era.
Text from Wikipedia contributors, “Amefurikozō”. CC BY-SA 4.0. Extracted introduction; formatting changed. Retrieved 5 October 2026. The source article may have changed since retrieval.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary illustration / library recordKonjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki — historical library editionResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Secondary referenceAmefurikozō — contextual overview and bibliographyResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Primary illustrated plate / institutional digitizationKonjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki — directly inspected IIIF canvas index 12 (zero-based); Konjakuzokuhyak3Tori_0013.jp2Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationAmefurikozō
Image associated with the exact linked encyclopedia article; consult credited file description for its interpretation.
