Ichihara-noいちはらの

Centered on Kokon Chomonjū, this version frames Kidōmaru as an oni confronting Minamoto no Yorimitsu (Raikō) and Watanabe no Tsuna. After escaping capture, he shadows his targets and, anticipating them on the road to Kurama, lies in wait at Ichiharano by hiding inside the body of a cow—an audacious ruse seen through by Raikō’s caution. When Tsuna’s arrow breaks the concealment, Kidōmaru reveals his oni form and charges, only to be felled by a single stroke from Raikō. Iconography was fixed by Toriyama Sekien as a figure draped in cowhide in the snow, and early modern warrior prints often depict him as a rival in contests of sorcery. His lineage is unsettled: in the Unbara tradition he is the child of Shuten Dōji, while in war tales he is a novice from Mount Hiei. In all strands he is understood as a being who hides in wilds, watching for opportunity through brute strength, transformation, and stealth. Avoiding later embellishments, this reconstruction centers on his core behaviors of concealment, transformation, and ambush.