DodomekiSekien Iconography Standard

Following Toriyama Sekien’s note, this version centers on a moralizing motif warning against theft. The many eyes along the arm relate to a pun likening the holes of copper coins to birds’ eyes, externalizing the habit of hands reaching to steal. The source Sekien cites, “Kankangai-shi,” is of uncertain reality; his wordplay on Hakone as a boundary and his own remark calling it a curious book suggest the citation itself is part of the artistic conceit. The Dodomeki’s image concentrates on a female form, yet no concrete personal names, family lines, or local legends are preserved, pointing to an urban allegory where image and wordplay outweigh regional lore. Postwar explanations vary in reading and interpretation, but the archetype is traced to Sekien’s original.

This yokai is included in the following collections:

Yokai of Edo

A showcase of Edo-period yokai—Ao Andon, Dodo-Meki, Tenjōname, and more—revealing humor, satire, and everyday life in Edo.

注目

江戸の妖怪江戸時代

Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki | Toriyama Sekien’s Yokai of Rain, Darkness, and Dawn

Explore Toriyama Sekien’s 1779 Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki, its Rain, Darkness, and Dawn volumes, and the yokai pictured in the original order.

カスタム

今昔画図続百鬼鳥山石燕

Displaying the Maya calendar KINs that Dodomeki (Sekien Iconography Standard) protects.

Yokai with similar personality and characteristics to Sekien Iconography Standard

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91%

Compatibility

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Heaven-Descending Maiden

Lore-Faithful Version

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Yokai with opposite personality and characteristics to Sekien Iconography Standard

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