A small, mischievous supernatural creature from Japanese folklore, similar to a Western imp or goblin. Often depicted as a minor oni.
Imps often appear in old folktales.
That imp was mischievous and troubled the villagers.
Standard kanji spelling for this mythological creature.
Kana spelling is sometimes used, especially in children's contexts or when the kanji is considered difficult.
Compound of 小 (ko, 'small') and 鬼 (oni, 'demon, ogre'). The reading こおに is a straightforward combination of the kun'yomi readings of the two kanji.