Oyotsu – long neck yokai
Price range: $29 through $139
yokai/ rokurokubi/ long neck/ bijinga
Rokurokubi is a form of Yokai with roots in Japanese folklore and old, local stories. Several types of Rokurobi appears in these old stories, sometimes with the head detaching from the persons body, or as in the case with Oyotsu, the neck extends so that the head can move around. Usually, the person afflicted by this phenomena will have no idea of what is happening to them. You can read more about this type of yokai here.
From Wikipedia;
In the late Edo period yomihon (illustrated novel), Rekkoku Kaidan Kikigaki Zōshi (列国怪談聞書帖) by Jippensha Ikku the author suggests the elongated necks of rokurokubi originate in the spiritual principle, karma.
In Ikku’s work, Kaishin, a monk from Enshū and a woman called Oyotsu elope together. However, when Oyotsu collapsed from an illness, they ran out of money, so he killed her. When Kaishin eventually returned to secular life, he slept with a girl he met at an inn. When they sleep together, the girl’s neck stretched and her face becomes that of Oyotsu, who then told him about her resentment. Kaishin felt regretful of his actions and proceeded to tell Oyotsu’s father everything. The girl’s father then told Kaishin that he has also killed a woman before. He stole her money and with it, he opened his inn. He had a daughter soon after who, due to karma, became a rokurokubi. Kaishin then reentered the priesthood. He built a grave for Oyotsu, said to be the Rokurokubi no Tsuka (Rokurokubi Mound), which told the story to future generations
This is a beautiful limited edition of 50 copies in each size is printed on 230 gsm high-quality matte paper. Each numbered print is signed by the artist and stamped on the back with the artist’s red seal (hanko). A hanko is hand carved and unique and therefore assures the authenticity of the print. To see another print from the same series, go here.
