Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 白鼠の番頭, White Rat Head Clerk
Category: Rat
The Myth
Shiro Nezumi no Bantō, or the White Rat Head Clerk, is a folkloric figure based on the traditional belief that white mice are messengers of Daikokuten, a deity associated with wealth and prosperity. A white mouse living in a household was considered an auspicious sign that fortune would come to its inhabitants. The term shiro nezumi consequently became a metaphor for a loyal and capable head clerk or employee whose service helped a merchant’s business prosper. By contrast, dishonest servants who stole from or harmed their masters were called kuro nezumi, or black rats.
In Kotowaza Heso no Yadogae, the White Rat Head Clerk is depicted literally as a white rat, working with an abacus while admonishing the retired head of a merchant family. He asks where the young master has been since the previous day, noting that rumours about his behaviour are spreading and criticising the elder for being too lenient with his son.
The retired merchant, portrayed with extraordinarily long eyes that extend beyond his face, brushes aside the clerk’s concerns and reassures him that his vigilance is appreciated. Nevertheless, he appears unwilling to discipline his son’s extravagant lifestyle. The scene uses humour and visual exaggeration to contrast the diligent, responsible employee with a wealthy patriarch who continues to indulge his wayward heir.
Sources
“Shironezumi.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1077096672.html