Tōfu-kozō 豆腐小僧

Tōfu-kozō (豆腐小僧), the “Tofu Boy,” is one of Japan’s most harmless and even pitiful Yokai—a spirit that exists only to offer you a block of tofu on a rainy night.

Meaning and Origin

The name means Tōfu and Kozō (a young monk or errand boy). It translates to “The Tofu Errand-Boy.”

His origin is unique: he is a “Commercial Yokai” born in the urban culture of Edo period Tokyo (around the 18th century). Unlike ancient spirits of nature, Tōfu-kozō was created by writers and artists of the Kibyōshi (yellow-backed picture books) as a playful character. He represents the Urban Mundane—the countless errand boys who darted through the rain-slicked streets of ancient Tokyo delivering food. He is the personification of a quiet, rainy night in the city.

Characteristics

Tōfu-kozō appears as a young boy, often with a slightly large head, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat and a small kimono. He always carries a lacquer tray with a single, fresh block of white tofu on it.

His primary characteristic is his Lack of Threat. He doesn’t bite, curse, or even prank. He simply stands in the shadow of a gate or transitions between alleys, silently offering the tray to passersby. If you ignore him, he follows you at a distance. If you acknowledge him, he says nothing and simply gestures toward the tofu. In some later, more “horror-focused” stories (likely modern additions), it is said that if you eat the tofu, you will grow a deadly mold inside your body, but in his original Edo period form, he was purely a “mood-setter”—a spirit of the quiet, wet atmosphere.

Legends

Because he is so harmless, most “legends” about him are actually Comedies. In Edo period literature, Tōfu-kozō was often the victim of other, meaner Yokai.

One story describes him being bullied by a Rokurokubi (long-necked woman) who kept stealing his tofu. Tōfu-kozō would just cry and go back to the tofu shop to get more, only to be bullied again. This made him a favorite character for the common people of Edo, who saw themselves in the overworked, under-appreciated “delivery boy” spirit. He is a reminder that not every ghost is a monster; some are just quiet souls doing a job they can’t quite finish, even in the afterlife.