Kyōkotsu

Overview

Kyōkotsu's illustration centers on a bare skeleton rising from a dark circular well opening. The skull turns sideways, with teeth and empty eye sockets clearly exposed. Broad, curling strokes extend around the lower ribs and the rim of the well, while plants partly obscure its base. Rain falls diagonally across the page and bends the branches of a nearby tree. The skeletal form is distinct from a fully clothed woman whose face alone appears bony.

The label 狂骨 identifies the plate. This distinction matters when matching illustrations of different bone-associated yōkai. The scene supports a skeletal apparition emerging at a well in rain. It does not by itself establish a murdered victim, a historical location, or a completed revenge narrative.

Origins & earliest records

Toriyama Sekien includes the named illustration in Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki, first published 1779. The inspected Smithsonian copy is a later historical edition; the first book appearance is not a claim of the earliest oral tradition.

Records & interpretation

Directly inspected historical illustration and printed name. Pictorial observations are distinguished from narrative claims that would require a separate checked text.

Selected bibliography

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

1. 01

   Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki

   Toriyama Sekien · 1779; later digitized edition

   Volume 3, IIIF canvas index 14 (zero-based); printed title 狂骨 directly inspected.

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: 狂骨Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

Kyōkotsu, named plate by Toriyama Sekien

Printed title狂骨 and actual illustration inspected. Description records visible composition, not an unchecked translation of cursive text.