Tenjō-name

Overview

Tenjō-name appears as a tall human-like creature beneath a damaged ceiling. Its elongated tongue reaches upward toward the overhead boards. The large exposed belly, bent limbs and segmented skirt or clothing give it a conspicuously awkward posture. One raised hand approaches its mouth, while the other turns upward near the wall. Broken floorboards and sparse plants reinforce the building’s disrepair.

The printed title 天井嘗 names the ceiling-licking figure. Its bodily action and architectural target are visible in the image, providing firmer evidence than a generalized claim that it inhabits neglected houses. The plate offers a particular domestic grotesque rather than a witnessed animal behavior. This profile records the tongue, posture and damaged interior; assertions about illnesses caused by the creature or methods of expulsion await separately checked sources.

Origins & earliest records

Toriyama Sekien, Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro, first published 1784; volume 1 named plate directly inspected in the Smithsonian digitization. The final colophon states Tenmei 4 (1784) and a Bunka 2 (1805) reprint.

Records & interpretation

Printed label 天井嘗 and composition directly checked against the enlarged plate. This is an illustrated object apparition; an independent local oral tradition is not assumed.

Selected bibliography

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

1. 01

   Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro

   Toriyama Sekien · 1784

   Volume 1; IIIF canvas index 22 (zero-based); HyakkitsurezureV1Tori_0023.jp2. This selected digitized copy includes later reprint information.

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 recordHyakki Tsurezure Bukuro — Smithsonian Libraries volume 1Research access: 2026-10-05
2. Primary illustrated plate / institutional digitizationTenjō-name (天井嘗) — exact inspected illustrationResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

Tenjō-name, named plate by Toriyama Sekien

Printed label 天井嘗 directly inspected with the enlarged composition. A long-tongued, partly clothed being stretches toward a damaged ceiling in Sekien’s Tenjō-name illustration. Exact URL copied from the returned manifest.