Karakasakozo

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Karakasakozo ClosedOpen Alternate names Karakasa, Karakasa Kozou, Ipponashi no Kasa, BakekasaTGYW Species Umbrella yokai Allies Other yokai, CoonjoG!KU Enemies DaimonYMSW, UragiraG!KU, NyudoG!KU, Kotaro UshiwakaG!KU Played by Toshiro Ishii (voice)G!KU First appearance Latest appearance Yokai Monsters: One Hundred Monsters The Great Yokai War: Guardians

Karakasakozo (から傘 (かさ)小 (こ)僧 (ぞう),   Karakasakozō, lit. paper umbrella boy) is a kind of yokai in Japanese folklore. They appear in the 1968 Daiei films Yokai Monsters: One Hundred Monsters and Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare, the latter's 2005 remake The Great Yokai War and its 2021 sequel The Great Yokai War: Guardians, and episode 95 of the 1974 Toho series Go! Kotaro Ushiwaka, titled "Karakasakozo."

Name

These yokai are called numerous names in Japanese folklore; however, the most common is Karakasakozo, derived from the Japanese words karakasa (から傘 (かさ))—referring to a paper umbrella—and kozō (小 (こ)僧 (ぞう)), meaning "boy" or "young monk." The poster for Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters labels its Karakasakozo as Ipponashi no Kasa (一 (いっ)本 (ぽん)足 (あし)の傘 (かさ), lit. one-legged umbrella), while the film's trailer simply calls him Karakasa (からかさ, lit. paper umbrella). The poster for Spook Warfare refers to him by the Karakasakozo name, which is also used in Go! Kotaro Ushiwaka and The Great Yokai War: Guardians. The creature from The Great Yokai War is instead called Bakekasa (化 (ば)け傘 (かさ), lit. haunted umbrella). The Gamera, Gappa, Guilala: Special Effects Encyclopedia trading card series refers to the Karakasa from 100 Monsters as "Ipponashi no Kasa," while the one from Spook Warfare is labeled either "Karakasa Kozou" or "Karakasa."

Design

Karakasakozo generally resemble an umbrella with one eye in the center of their face, a long tongue and one to two long legs, typically wearing sandals.

History

Showa era

Yokai Monsters: One Hundred Monsters

A Karakasakozo was first seen when it came to life from a man's drawings. It danced and played with the man, before vanishing.

Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare

In this film, the Karakasakozo has an important role, and is one of the protagonists. It is the second yokai seen in the film. It helped in the first battle with Daimon, but it to was defeated. It also helped organize the spirit army for the final battle with Daimon. As the yokai of Japan fought against Daimon and his many clones, Aburasumashi struggled to find the true Daimon. After finding it, Aburasumashi asked a Karasutengu for help, and the two were sent skyward by a gust of wind. Along with two other yokai, Aburasumashi stabbed Daimon in the eye. With the threat of the Babylonian demon gone, the Karakasakozo joined its fellow yokai in celebration.

Go! Kotaro Ushiwaka

"Karakasakozo"

To be added.

Bakekasa being held by Aburasumashi in
The Great Yokai War

Heisei era

The Great Yokai War

The Karakasakozo, called Bakekasa here, makes a cameo when all of the various other yokai begin formulating a plan to take action against their mindless machine counterparts. It complained that it already partook in one war and that was enough. It later was summoned to the giant festival mistakenly being held on the antagonist's base, carrying Aburasumashi as it did during the war against Daimon.

Reiwa era

The Great Yokai War: Guardians

To be added.

Abilities

Sword

The Karakasakozo in Go! Kotaro Ushiwaka wielded a short sword with a cross-shaped blade.

Selected filmography

• Yokai Monsters: One Hundred Monsters (1968)
• Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare (1969)
• Go! Kotaro Ushiwaka (TV 1974-1975) [episode 95]
• The Great Yokai War (2005)
• The Great Yokai War: Guardians (2021)

Gallery

Main article: Karakasakozo/Gallery.

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