Keukegen

[Posted： 2025/04/23]

Keukegen is a hairy yokai featured in Toriyama Sekien's illustrated collection Konjaku Hyakki Shūi.

In the commentary for the collection, the name is also written using the kanji 「希有希見」?meaning “rarely seen.”

In yokai-related literature published in the Showa and Heisei eras, Keukegen is described as dwelling in damp areas such as beneath floorboards or around the perimeter of houses, where it is said to bring illness to the household.

In that sense, it could be considered a kind of plague spirit. However, given its hairy appearance, some speculate that it might actually originate from sightings of dust clumps covered in mold.

After all, inhaling mold spores can certainly cause allergic reactions and other negative health effects.

Toriyama Sekien's original notes describe Keukegen only as “hairy” and “rarely seen”?there is no direct mention of it causing illness.

In fact, the version of Keukegen appearing in ONN News does little more than float up and down while spinning its eyes around.

It doesn't seem to cause disease at all.

So perhaps it's more akin to a kesaran pasaran?a mysterious fluffball said to bring good fortune?or maybe it was simply mistaken for another yokai, such as Sunekosuri.