Ōkubi, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Ōkubi appears under the heading 大首 in Sekien’s Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki. Its face occupies most of the plate, surrounded by broad flowing masses of dark hair or shadow. The creature looks sideways and exposes teeth through an open grin, with its tongue protruding. Small patterned objects at the lower edge give a visual comparison for the extraordinary size of the head. Caption label checked at enlarged resolution.
Overview
Ōkubi appears under the heading 大首 in Sekien’s Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki. Its face occupies most of the plate, surrounded by broad flowing masses of dark hair or shadow. The creature looks sideways and exposes teeth through an open grin, with its tongue protruding. Small patterned objects at the lower edge give a visual comparison for the extraordinary size of the head.
The picture differs substantially from the adjacent Ōgao plate: here the head is isolated within a sweeping dark field rather than rising behind a lamp and folding screens. Those contrasts are evidence of Sekien’s design choices, not a complete taxonomy of giant-headed spirits. No visible action demonstrates biting, breathing poison, or predicting a particular disaster. The profile consequently retains the direct traits of the printed apparition while leaving later narrative explanations to separately identified sources.
Origins & earliest records
Japan; Toriyama Sekien’s illustrated collection
Records & interpretation
Directly inspected labelled primary woodblock plate; descriptive claims limited to this witness.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
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Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki
Inspected Smithsonian digitization; image canvas index 17 (zero-based, not printed page number).
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
Konjakuzokuhyak3Tori. Label 大首; IIIF canvas index 17; zero-based scan locator, not printed pagination
Ōkubi appears under the heading 大首 in Sekien’s Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki. Its face occupies most of the plate, surrounded by broad flowing masses of dark hair or shadow. The creature looks sideways and exposes teeth through an open grin, with its tongue protruding. Small patterned objects at the lower edge give a visual comparison for the extraordinary size of the head. Caption label checked at enlarged resolution.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary illustrated sourceKonjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki digitized primary plate 大首Research access: 2026-10-05
- Institutional catalogSmithsonian Libraries digitized volumeResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationŌkubi, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Ōkubi appears under the heading 大首 in Sekien’s Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki. Its face occupies most of the plate, surrounded by broad flowing masses of dark hair or shadow. The creature looks sideways and exposes teeth through an open grin, with its tongue protruding. Small patterned objects at the lower edge give a visual comparison for the extraordinary size of the head. Caption label checked at enlarged resolution.
