Ouni, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Printed name 苧うに and complete composition individually inspected at enlarged resolution. Actual URL copied from the IIIF manifest.
Overview
Ouni crouches among rocks beside running water. Long, flowing hair covers nearly the entire body, leaving a sharply featured face exposed. The eyes are wide, the mouth is open and several teeth project from the grin. Dense lines in the hair echo the strokes used for the cascade below. Shrubs and a tree surround the figure, while the rocks form a ledge that partly conceals its lower body.
The title 苧うに, with its reading, identifies the creature. This illustration makes abundant hair and a rocky waterside setting its most conspicuous features. It supplies neither a spinning implement nor a human companion, so stories involving household work cannot be inferred from this composition. The profile preserves the mountain appearance that is actually visible in this historical witness.
Origins & earliest records
Toriyama Sekien includes the named illustration in Gazu Hyakki Yagyō, first published in 1776. The inspected Smithsonian Libraries copy is the 1805 edition; publication is distinguished from the age of an oral tradition.
Records & interpretation
Printed title and composition individually inspected at enlarged resolution in the institutional digitization. Observations describe the historical image rather than an uncited encounter story.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Gazu Hyakki Yagyō
Volume 3; IIIF canvas index 15 (zero-based); printed name 苧うに.
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
Gazu Hyakki Yagyō
Volume 3; Smithsonian Libraries 1805 edition. IIIF canvas index 15 (zero-based)
Printed name 苧うに and complete composition individually inspected at enlarged resolution. Actual URL copied from the IIIF manifest.
Encyclopedia background
An additional attributed reference, separate from the editorial profile above.
Read the open encyclopedia overview
The ouni (苧うに) is a yōkai depicted in the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō by Toriyama Sekien.
It is a yōkai with a face like that of a demon woman (kijo) torn from mouth to ear, and its entire body is covered in hair. There is no explanatory text from Sekien, so it is unclear what kind of yōkai this is. The "o" (苧) in "ouni" refers to the ramie plant or to bundles of string made from ramie, hemp, among others, so it is said that Sekien gave it the name "ouni" because it conjures up the image of a yōkai with head and body hair made of layers of this "o".
In the Hyakkai Zukan (1737, Sawaki Suushi), a yōkai emaki from the Edo period, it is given by the name "wauwau", and Edo period yōkai emaki would usually present it under that name. However, these presentations consisted of pictures, so it is not known what characteristics they had. In another instance, there is a drawing in the Hyakki Yagyō Emaki (Oda Gōchō, 1832) from after Sekien's era where it is depicted under the title of "uwan uwan", and it is thought that likewise the ouni is a yōkai that Sekien drew while referring to earlier emaki.
Text from Wikipedia contributors, “Ouni”. 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.
- Institutional primary-book recordSmithsonian Libraries — historical illustrated volumeResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Direct primary illustrationNamed primary plate: 苧うにResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationOuni, named plate by Toriyama Sekien
Printed name 苧うに and complete composition individually inspected at enlarged resolution. Actual URL copied from the IIIF manifest.
