Kidōmaru

Overview

Kidōmaru is a named supernatural adversary in the stories surrounding Minamoto no Yorimitsu and his companions. The National Diet Library illustrates an episode in which he kills a cow and conceals himself in its body to prepare an ambush. The plot is discovered, and Watanabe no Tsuna defeats him. The scene's significance lies in deception and recognition rather than in a generic inventory of demonic anatomy.

Prints preserve the ambush as a particular narrative moment, and later representations can emphasize different parts of the warrior cycle. This profile therefore does not merge Kidōmaru with every oni attacked by Yorimitsu or assume that a shared cast gives all episodes the same textual history. The hidden body is an artistic and narrative device. It documents the story's circulation without furnishing evidence that an actual supernatural attacker inhabited an animal carcass.

Origins & earliest records

The National Diet Library documents this named narrative episode and its illustrated transmission. The traditional setting is not treated as a verified date of the episode or the beginning of the story.

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.

1. 01

   Illustrated Yorimitsu-cycle episode

   Historical printmakers; selected episode · Edo period; Illustrated Yorimitsu-cycle episode Edo-period print tradition

   National Diet Library's illustrated discussion identifies this specific episode. A full narrative edition is not asserted.

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

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. National-library interpretation of primary illustrationsNational Diet Library: illustrated Kidōmaru episodeResearch access: 2026-10-05
2. Secondary referenceKidōmaru — contextual overview and bibliographyResearch access: 2026-10-05
3. Direct primary illustration / national-library attributionKidōmaru / 鬼童 — direct primary plate identified by NDLResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

Kidōmaru

Image associated with the exact linked encyclopedia article; consult credited file description for its interpretation.