Yamawaro

Yamawaro (山童, or yamawarau) is a yōkai (spirit) said to appear in mountains in Western Japan, starting in the Kyūshū region.

It appears as a child about 10 years in age, has long perssimon and navy colored hair on its head, and has intricate fur all over its body.

The Wakan Sansai Zue states that yamawaro has a short torso, walks upright on two long legs, and speaks in human language.

The same book (the version published by Kyōrindō) states that there are yamawaro in the Chikuzen Province (now Fukuoka Prefecture) and on the Gotō Islands, and they have a human-like appearance with a round head, long red hair that reaches their eyes, pointy ears like that of a dog, one eye above their nose, and they eat crabs, tokoro (some types of dioscorea), and kōzo (a hybrid of two broussonetia species) roots.

[3] Also, in legends in Omine, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture, calling them "yamawaro" is thought to anger them so "seko" would be used instead as a more polite alternative.

[1] In the yōkai emaki of the Edo period (such as the Hyakkai Zukan) and the Jikkai Sugoroku (十界双六) among others, yamawaro are written about under the name of yamawarawa (山童, also yamawarau) and they are often depicted with tree branch arms and one eye.

According to the Edo-period Kiyū Shōran (嬉遊笑覧), it can be seen that one of the yōkai that it notes is depicted in the Bakemono E (化物絵) drawn by Kōhōgen Motonobu is one by the name of "yama-warawa" (山わらは).