An interpretation based on Toriyama Sekien’s image in Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki of a yokai that governs fair weather. Said to be sighted in the mountains during sunny days and absent when it rains. Historical field lore is scant; the figure seems to layer folk weather prayers (teru-teru-bōzu, hiyori-bōzu) and the image of weather-working ascetics or monks onto a yokai form. Identification with Chinese drought deities is a modern scholarly view without direct evidence. Thus its form is told as a simple monk-like silhouette, a symbolic bearer of prayer for clear skies and the act of watching for good weather.
Character Profile
This section is our own creative profile for storytelling. It is not historical fact or scholarship.
Yokai Type - Traditional Yokai
Category - Weather & Calamity Spirits
Rarity - Rare
Personality - calm, taciturn
Compatibility - favors clear skies, prefers dry winds
Abilities - said to invite clear weather, likened to parting the clouds, portentous appearances that foretell fair weather
Weaknesses - said not to appear in rain, weakened by long rains and overcast skies
Habitat - the mountains of Hitachi Province, sunny uplands and fields, temple and shrine precincts (in metaphorical lore)
🔮Yokai Compatibility Test
For more detailed information and diagnosis results about Sekien’s Illustrated Edition: Hiyori-bō, please click here.