The Uwan is a yokai of uncertain identity found in Edo-period yokai art. In works like Sawaki Suushi’s Hyakkai Zukan and Toriyama Sekien’s Gazu Hyakki Yagyō, it appears as a humanlike figure with blackened teeth, both hands raised, startling people with its voice. With no attached notes, its origins are unknown, but backgrounds of estate walls or ruined houses suggest it haunts residences. Some point to its three-fingered hands as hinting at demonic nature, though this is not established.
Folklore & Legends
One theory links the name to Kyushu dialect, where monsters are called “wan” or “wan-wan.” The imagery often shows old houses and walls, leading some to class it among house-haunting yokai. Stories in Tohoku and tales claiming it flees if you call its name back circulate, but many are considered modern inventions without primary sources. Historically, it appears mainly in pictorial materials, and no detailed traditional accounts of its traits survive.
A reconstruction based on Edo-period yokai picture scrolls. Depicted with a humanlike face marked by iron-blackened teeth, raising a three-fingered hand, appearing from behind fences or in ruined houses and shouting “uwan.” No early sources clearly state direct harm to people; its main behavior is appearing and intimidating. Because of similar regional names and frequent mansion backdrops, it is sometimes taken as a house-dwelling entity, but this is unproven and the portrayals are spare. Later creative tales—such as being driven off by a retort or killing victims—should be treated separately from the core record.
Character Profile
This section is our own creative profile for storytelling. It is not historical fact or scholarship.
The diagram below is a diagnostic evaluation chart for Emaki Manifestation Type (Mansion Apparition). The higher the value of each item, the stronger that characteristic is expressed.
Love Yokai Type Test
The diagram below is a diagnostic evaluation chart for Emaki Manifestation Type (Mansion Apparition). The higher the value of each item, the stronger that characteristic is expressed.
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