Kamikiri (Hair Cutter Yōkai)

The creature, depicted as a dark, mottled grey figure with a prominent, sharp beak and wide, staring eyes, is crouched in a squatting position. It possesses avian characteristics, including feathered tufts on its head, and its hands are elongated into sharp, scissor-like pincers. It is wearing a simple white loincloth. To the left, a long, flowing lock of hair floats in the air, seemingly freshly severed by the creature.

The kamikiri is a Japanese yōkai known in folklore for appearing in the night to sneak into homes and surreptitiously cut the hair of sleeping people. This image aligns with the 'bakemono-e' (monster picture) tradition of the Edo period, which cataloged and visualized the myriad spirits and demons of Japanese mythology.