Name Meaning
Sodehiki-kozō (袖引小僧) literally means “sleeve-pulling child,” referencing its ghostly habit of grabbing people's sleeves at night.
- Sode (袖) = sleeve
- Hiki (引) = to pull
- Kozō (小僧) = boy or child
Origin
- Appears in Edo-period ghost stories and oral legends.
- Common in narrow streets or temple grounds at night.
- Rarely seen, but often felt through unexpected touches.
Appearance
- Usually invisible, though sometimes depicted as a small boy in old-style robes.
- Seen rarely, and only when it chooses to manifest briefly.
- Leaves no footprints or trace of its presence after disappearing.
Behavior & Myths
- Startles people by tugging at their sleeves suddenly in the dark.
- Vanishing before the victim can see or react to it.
- Often interpreted as a prankster rather than a malicious spirit.
Symbolism
- Embodies the eerie unpredictability of the night.
- Represents childhood mischief carried into the afterlife.
- Sometimes considered a protective spirit warning travelers.
