Kokuribaba

Overview

Kokuribaba crouches inside a room, with a thin face, staring eyes and a long drooping mouth or tongue-like form. Her patterned robe exposes part of the bony shoulders and arms. She grips fabric or a cord between her hands. Behind her are sliding panels, a low preparation surface with a knife and vegetable, and a tall vessel holding a branch. A cat lies beside a container on the floor.

The name 古庫裏婆 identifies the elderly apparition. The kitchen-like utensils and domestic animal make the surroundings unusually concrete. Rather than reducing the plate to an anonymous old woman, the profile preserves those contextual objects. A prose passage appears above the scene, but the source has not been fully transcribed here. The image verifies this interior portrayal without establishing a complete story about its habits or victims.

Origins & earliest records

Named illustration in Toriyama Sekien’s Konjaku Hyakki Shūi, first published in 1781. The historical Smithsonian Libraries copy is the inspected witness; book publication is not a claim about the earliest oral tradition.

Records & interpretation

Printed name and complete composition individually inspected in an enlarged historical scan. Explanatory prose is not presented as a fully checked transcription.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Konjaku Hyakki Shūi

   Toriyama Sekien · 1781; historical digitized edition

   Volume 1; IIIF canvas index 20 (zero-based); printed name 古庫裏婆.

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. Institutional primary-book recordSmithsonian Libraries — historical illustrated volumeResearch access: 2026-10-05
2. Direct primary illustrationNamed primary plate: 古庫裏婆Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

Kokuribaba, named plate by Toriyama Sekien

Printed name 古庫裏婆 and composition individually inspected at enlarged resolution. Actual image URL taken from the IIIF manifest.