Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Tokyo Eye-Eating Demon of Inari Kio

Eye-Eating Demon of Inari Kio

Only recently added to the shrine, this googly-eyed snail demon of unknown origin is said to have eye-healing powers.

Tokyo, Japan

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Eye-Eating Demon of Inari Kio.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Gankyu Shokuki, the Eye-Eating Demon of Inari Kio.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Eye-Eating Demon of Inari Kio   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
“He cleanses, heals, and saves one’s eyes.”   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The cochleiform demon with a caterpillar track.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
The demon of Inari Kio Shrine.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Located in the heart of the Shinjuku-Kabukicho district, Inari-Kio Shrine appears to be a wooded oasis detached from the sleepless nightlife that surrounds it. Originally founded in 1653, it is a peculiar shrine dedicated to the elusive Demon King, alongside the popular fox god Inari and Ebisu, the fisher-god of fortune.

As visitors enter the shrine from its back entrance, there is a strange sculpture to the left, a recent addition to Inari-Kio's unique pantheon. Presumed to be named Gankyū Shokuki, or the Eye-Eating Demon, it takes the form of a snail with Muppet-like googly eyes and a caterpillar track for some unclear reason. Its face resembles that of the Hannya, a demonic mask used in traditional noh plays, but with comical googly eyes in its sockets.

The plaque in front of the sculpture reads “He cleanses, heals, and saves one’s eyes,” suggesting that the demon does not really eat human eyes. Or does he? No one seems to know. Actually, there is little to no record or even hearsay about the creature, which suddenly appeared in the early 2020s, and there is no folkloristic background about it.

The information on the demon is so scarce, in fact, that there is no fixed transliteration of its name. While the given kanji likely should read Gankyū Shokuki, there is a possibility that it is supposed to read Medama Shokuki, or Shokki. There are so many mysteries about it, yet so few visitors have even noticed that it is there.

Related Tags

Snails Demons Shrines
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Edited By

Collector of Experiences

  • Collector of Experiences

Published

March 22, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Eye-Eating Demon of Inari Kio
Shinjuku City
Tokyo, 160-0021
Japan
35.697774, 139.705365
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Gunkan Higashi Shinjuku

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Samurai Museum

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Godzilla Head

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tokyo

Tokyo

Japan

Places 220
Stories 13

Nearby Places

Gunkan Higashi Shinjuku

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Samurai Museum

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Godzilla Head

Tokyo, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tokyo

Tokyo

Japan

Places 220
Stories 13

Related Stories and Lists

13 Places to Find Little Legends and Compact Cryptids

List

By Jonathan Carey

23 Peculiar Places of 2023

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • The Demon Oak Tree.

    Hirosaki, Japan

    Demon Oak Tree of Onizawa

    A mountain demon once helped a local villager construct a canal, after which he sat on this oak tree to rest.

  • The “three rocks” tell the legend of a demon.

    Morioka, Japan

    Demon’s Hand Prints in the Rocks

    According to local folklore, a demon left his handprints on these boulders, which became the prefecture’s namesake.

  • Kamakura, Japan

    Hansobo Shrine

    A mountaintop shrine-temple guarded by a horde of half-demon priests.

  • Pune, India

    Baloba Munja Mandir

    This temple, in the oldest area of Pune, may date back to the second century.

  • The shrine is a small, tranquil location.

    Taipei, Taiwan

    Yuanshan Water Shrine

    A Japanese-era Shinto shrine next to Taipei's most famous night market.

  • Gunung Kemekus Entrance

    Kabupaten Sragen, Indonesia

    Gunung Kemukus

    This hilltop shrine is colloquially known as "Sex Mountain" for the ritual practices once conducted there.

  • Muxima, Angola

    Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Muxima

    One of Africa’s most important Marian shrines was once a slave trading port.

  • A nighttime view of the Kanda Myojin Shrine.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Kanda Myojin Shrine

    You can receive a blessing for your electronics at this Shinto shrine near Akihabara.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.