Hitotsume-Kozō (一つ目小僧 Hitotsumekozō, lit. One-Eyed Boy) is a one-eyed yōkai. In the manga chapter Binbō-Gekigaka, a painting of Hitotsume-Kozō with a painting of Yama-Jijii materialized when they were drew with a special pen which has been treasured by Kitarō and Medama-Oyaji's ancestors and they inherited.
Appearance[]
Personality[]
History[]
1985 Anime[]
Hitotsume-Kozō briefly appeared in the film GeGeGe no Kitarō: Gekitotsu!! Ijigen Yōkai no Dai-Hanran as a mob, but was immediately knocked out by Nezumi-Otoko.
2007 Anime[]
He appears in episode #91 of the fifth anime adaptation, Yōkai Teacher of Brush Writing! Hitotsume-Kozō.[1]
He also appears in GeGeGe no Kitarō: Nippon Bakuretsu!! He is one of the chosen 47 Yōkai Warriors and represents Tokyo. His mark is located on the back of his right hand.[2] Due to the fifth anime adaptation's sudden cancellation at 100 episodes, he is among the 23 Yōkai Warriors whose marks were not revealed aside from the movie.
2018 Anime[]
He is killed by Momon-Jii disguised as Kitarō, as a basis to put Kitarō on trial.[3]
The Great Yōkai War[]
Powers and Abilities[]
Target and Elemental Realization
Power of the 47 Yōkai Warriors
Legend[]
Hitotsume-Kozō are child-like yōkai best known for their single eye. They enjoy pulling pranks by surprising humans with their one eye but are usually harmless. But on the days of Kotoyōka, it becomes highly dangerous, as it wanders through towns, sometimes accompanied by Mikari-Baba, to report misbehaving families to the gods and bring misfortune and disease to them. To ward it off, hang colanders or baskets to have them leave you alone.
In the Edo period, a quail peddler named Kiemon stayed in a samurai estate in Azabu, where he spotted a child entering the room and repeatedly rolled up and rolled down the hanging scroll in the tokonoma. When Kiemon scolded the boy for his mischief, the boy turned around and revealed that he had only one eye, and told Kiemon to "Be quiet!", to which Kiemon soon fainted from shock. When Kiemon regained his composure, he told his story to the other residents of the estate, who told him that this occurrence happens in the estate four or five times per year.
In ancient times, a child would be prepared to be sacrificed to the gods with one of their eyes smashed out and one of their legs broken. Sometimes these children would escape with one of their eyes still blinded and go into hiding deep in the mountains.
Hitotsume-Kozō was likely created in the Edo period based on legends of Tofu-Kozō and Kappa.