Mokumokuren

[Posted： 2025/05/16]

[Update：2025/08/18]

Mokumokuren,Known as a Youkai

A youkai composed of countless eyes that appear on the paper sliding doors (shoji) of abandoned houses.

It appears in Sekien Toriyama's illustrated collection Konjaku Hyakki Shūi, and some believe it to be a creature of Toriyama's own invention.

There is also a legend suggesting that the eyes don't exist from the beginning, but rather multiply?each eye giving birth to another eye.

New eyes generate even more eyes, and through repetition, the entire surrounding area becomes filled with countless eyes.

Eventually, it is said, those who gaze upon this scene lose their own eyes.

While terrifying stories like these exist, there are also more mundane interpretations?some legends claim Mokumokuren is nothing more than disembodied eyes.

In one such tale, a merchant who encountered Mokumokuren took one of the eyeballs and sold it to an eye doctor.

Mokumokuren in the Hundred Demons Escape Journey

The Mokumokuren featured in this Hundred Demons Escape Journey represents fear in a form different from traditional folklore.

Even without being a youkai,people naturally fear unseen presences.

In this case,the unseen presence refers to the human mind itself.

The anxiety of wondering how others perceive you?or whether they secretly dislike you?is undeniably a form of fear.

Especially in today's society,where social media is the norm,people are constantly aware of how they are viewed by others.

This Mokumokuren could be seen as the embodiment of that fear.

The protagonist spent their time alone in a room,but deep down,they were haunted by the invisible gazes and voices of others echoing in their mind.

Of course,that fear was nothing more than an illusion born of their own thoughts.

But precisely because it was created by their own heart,it was difficult to deny.

No matter how much you try to reject it,you can't stop your own mind from feeling afraid.

However,for the same reason?because it's something born from within?you are also the only one who can reject it.

In this story,the protagonist,triggered by a cherished memory,came to realize that reality isn't always as dark as the illusions created by their own fears.

The images in your mind and reality are not the same.

Sometimes that difference can be negative?but it can also be something positive.

Featured Works

「百鬼脱出行」Mokumokuren is watching.