Hanatare-kozo-sama (Fukuoka)

Hanatare-kozo-sama ("the runny-nosed boy lord") is a child-form visitor in folktales of northern Kyushu, centered on Fukuoka. He appears as a shabby, runny-nosed boy from the sea; when taken into a poor home and treated with care, he reveals the power to produce whatever the household wants, enriching the family. In the representative tale a poor man receives the boy from the Dragon Palace, brings him home, serves him his favorite shrimp tempura, and is granted everything he asks for; when later treated carelessly, the boy departs and the home returns to poverty. The story is a key example of a marebito (visiting deity) rewarding kindness. Yanagita Kunio's Nihon Mukashibanashi Meii, Seki Keigo's Nihon Mukashibanashi Taisei, Murakami Kenji's Nihon Yokai Daijiten (Kadokawa, 2005), and the International Research Center for Japanese Studies Yokai Folklore Database organize the tradition.