Yokai Supplement: Hitotsume Kozou (One-eyed Boy) | Social Studies: Futsuuttenandaro
A small bottle to leave by your door on Tuesdays - that's "Yokai Supplement." This is a series that will raise your sensitivity to yokai by digging into their stories a little at a time. We'll introduce them in a relaxed manner, adding our own unique perspective as a yokai specialist.
[Yokai name] One-eyed boy
Yokai Nutrients: Social: Futsuuttenandaro
What kind of monster?
The one-eyed boy,It appears as a child with a shaved head and one eye in the center of the forehead.--That's the easiest explanation. In many stories, it is described as a "surprise monster" that appears suddenly and surprises people, rather than a strong monster that attacks and eats them.
The important thing here is that "surprise" is not the goal of fear,entranceThis is what is happening.
The moment people discover a difference, they are shocked at first, and then their minds automatically begin to create the next story.
- What's that? It's weird.
- I want to take a look (check)
- I want to be funny (I want to tell someone)
- Sometimes I want to surround myself
This trend is what today's supplements are all about.Social Studies: What is normal?This is where it really comes into play.
Where will it appear? (Appears close to daily life)
Hitotsume Kozo is more interested in the hidden places deep in the mountains,Right next to people's living areasIt is a yokai that is often spoken of in ghost stories. For example, it can be found in "places where the feeling of life still remains," such as inside a house, a room in a mansion, or a hallway at night. In ghost stories, there is a plot where a boy is in a room and when the boy turns around, he sees that he has one eye.
Even more interesting is the superstition that is passed down in the southern Kanto region.It is said that Hitotsume Kozo will come on the night of February 8th and December 8th (Kotohachi), so people place a "basket with many eyes" like a Mekago at their door, and put holly or sardines in it.There are stories from various places that say that they added a "*" (this varies by region) to prevent it from being imported.
Here, as a yokai lover, I read it like this.
Hitotsume Kozo appears at the "doorway = boundary." In other words, he is a monster whose shadow darkens when a community divides itself into "inside" and "outside."
A casual look at Yokaiya (When does "normal" become a trap?)
The one-eyed child is a motif for minorities (those who are not normal). In the rakugo story "Ichigankoku," a peddler from Edo sets out with the hope of making money by capturing a one-eyed child and putting him on display, but instead finds himself surrounded by other one-eyed people who remark, "How strange, he has two eyes," and try to make him a spectacle -- the punchline is a reversal of the majority/minority roles.
This story is funny not just because the bad guy was punished.
“The moment you find something rare, you stand at the door of a kagushi shop.That's why.
- The peace of mind of being around normal people
- The pleasure of forcing the unusual into an easy-to-describe label
- And the danger of prioritizing the entertainment value of the spectacle over the individual's own circumstances.
Hitotsume Kozou shows this with one blow.
People are surprised because he has one eye, but if one eye is the majority, people are more surprised by him because he has two eyes.
In other words, "normal" is not a quality数That's why "normal" can sometimes be a trap.
How to take it (what to do when you are about to fall into a common trap)
This supplement works quietly deep within the heart. It doesn't have any noticeable side effects. But when it works, it changes your behavior.
- Delay what comes after "Gyo!"
The moment you are surprised, your mind automatically jumps to conclusions. First, take a breath. Put aside the idea that "unusual = interesting = okay to talk about." - “Putting the other person before the explanation
It's easy to put a label on something. But labels diminish the person. First, imagine that "that person (that being) has a life." - Before hanging a blindfold over your door, hang one over your heart.
In the past, people placed baskets to protect boundaries. Nowadays, we have a single phrase to protect boundaries. The words "Don't make that a spectacle" lock the door in our hearts.
3-line summary (today's amount)
- Hitotsume Kozou is a yokai that is often depicted as a shaved-headed child with a single eye on his forehead, and often appears as a frightening character.
- There is a superstition that on the eighth day of the month (February 8th and December 8th) people use eye baskets to protect themselves, and it can also be interpreted as a doorway/boundary monster.
- Today's Yokai Nutrients Social:It's a simple matter to prevent people from slipping into othering or spectacle when they find differences.
Next Yokai Supplement Preview
Next time, I'll bring you another yokai that stands on the "border," but with a more practical side. See you on Tuesday at the door.
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