Dodomeki
Image associated with the exact linked encyclopedia article; consult credited file description for its interpretation.
Overview
Dodomeki is pictured as a woman whose long arms carry numerous eyes. Sekien's account connects the image with stealing money, and contextual scholarship notes wordplay involving coins and bird eyes. The eyes turn a human action into a bodily mark, making the character readable as a visual riddle as well as a monster. The apparent citation of an older book in the caption is not automatically reliable historical provenance.
The claimed Kankan-gaishi source is uncertain and may be part of Sekien's playful learned presentation. Later narratives provide named battles and repentance, but their dates and relationship to the plate require their own support. This entry stays with the eye-covered arms, the female form and the qualified coin association. It does not present a disputed source as a verified ancient manuscript or convert the caption's moral imagery into a biological rule.
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.
- 01
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 Hyakki Shūi
Volume 3; Smithsonian Libraries digitized copy. IIIF canvas index 11 (zero-based); HyakkishuYiV3Tori_0012.jp2
Printed label 百々目鬼; a stooping humanoid covered in small eyes occupies the foreground before trees and a building. 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
A dodomeki (百々目鬼) is a Japanese yōkai that's depicted as a human woman who is cursed with having long arms covered with hundreds of bird eyes due to her habit of stealing money. It is also called the todomeki.
Text from Wikipedia contributors, “Dodomeki”. 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 referenceDodomeki — contextual overview and bibliographyResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Primary illustrated plate / institutional digitizationKonjaku Hyakki Shūi — directly inspected IIIF canvas index 11 (zero-based); HyakkishuYiV3Tori_0012.jp2Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationDodomeki
Image associated with the exact linked encyclopedia article; consult credited file description for its interpretation.
