The Kijo (
Appearance[]
In the 1985 anime, Kijo is an old lady yōkai with red skin and blue claws. She has angry eyes, fangs, a small, upturned nose, a short horn on her forehead, and long, dark gray hair. She wears a white kimono tied wth a yellow collar, and is tied with a black cloth.
Personality[]
History[]
Powers and Abilities[]
Legend[]
Kijo illustration.
Kijo-Momiji illustration.
Kijo are female demons found in many local tales and stories around Japan in both ancient times and contemporary culture. While they use the character for "Oni" and "woman", Kijo aren't necessarily the female counterpart of Oni. While Oni are brutish beings associated with Jigoku, Kijo are more cunning and deceitful yōkai.
There are some traits Kijo do share with Oni. For one, Kijo have monstrous features: sharp horns, long claws, yellow eyes, etc. However, Kijo still retain some more feminine traits like a more slim and less bulky body, and even wear clothes, but these are often very ragged. Another trait Kijo and Oni share are the fact that both can be born out of wicked humans. While only certain wicked men turn into Oni, and more often or not do it when already in Jigoku, most if not all Kijo are born out of evil women still living in the mortal world. For women who turn into Kijo, not only are they born out of wickedness, but also jealousy or grudge that corrupts their souls.
After women turn into Kijo, they flee from their homes and live a secluded life in remote areas like caves, abandoned houses, or along mountain roads where they receive a steady supply of victims. While Oni are stronger than them, a Kijo's strength is still greater than a normal person's, and in place of more strength, Kijo can conjure up magical spells, hexes, poisons, potions, illusions from knowledge gained after many years. While some Kijo have a specific grudge, most keep to themselves, and attack random people. Kijo live solidarity, compared to the more social Oni.
A traveler walking from Shinano Province (now Nagano Prefecture) to Kyoto got lost while passing Kiso Road. He wandered around the mountains for a long time until he saw a house. In the house lived an old woman around her 50's, cooking something on a pot. Seeing someone coming, the woman immediately greeted the traveler and said warmly: "The house is simple and small, if you don't mind, you can stay here."
The aroma of the pot wafted into the traveler's nose, and he begged, "I haven't eaten anything all day, and I'm so hungry, could you give me some food?" The old woman smiled and said nothing. The traveler urged again: "What are you cooking? Give me some, at least a little." The old woman seemed to find him annoying, so she said: "This is not food for humans. My husband will be back soon, and this is for him." The traveler noticed the old woman's face at this moment. Her eyes were piercing and her mouth was wide open, and she overall looked very scary. He looked into the pot and sae that what has boiling was a human head, hands, and feet!
The traveler was so frightened that he broke through the door and ran away without looking back. Finally, the traveler hid in a Buddhist Temple at the intersection, not daring to return. After a while, the Kijo caught up with him and searched everywhere, but she couldn't find the traveler. She later made terrifying noises and cursed non-stop, before disappearing like a gust of wind. The traveler was so lucky to have saved his life, and he didn't dare to stop to Kyoto anymore.
This tale seems to have been the inspiration for Mizuki's illustration of the Kijo, with a demonic old lady and a pot filled with the things described in the story.
Trivia[]
- While not making direct appearances, Kijo-Momiji was among candidates for the 47 Yōkai Warriors of Nagano Prefecture in the 2007 anime adaptation.