Azuki Arai – 小豆洗い – [Yokai]

Description

AzukiArai – (小豆洗い) aka Azukitogi (小豆とぎ) “The Red Bean Grinder” – [yokai]

•About this yokai: This strange bug eyed Yokai is rarely seen, more often he is heard and often used to explain the Mysterious audio phenomena where someone can hear beans being washed or ground up near a river. – Azuki arai are often met in the wilderness sitting by a creek washing his Azuki beans, and singing:

“Azuki togou ka, hito totte kuou ka? shoki shoki.” (“Will I grind my azuki beans, or will I get a person to eat? shoki shoki.” – [the ‘shoki shoki’ is onomatopia for the sound of scrubbing.]

…He’s a coward by nature and he never follows through with his threat, but enjoys watching people fall into the water in shock. – if you approach him he will run away screaming. –

Though… There are actually 3 other Youkai that spend their days washing Azuki beans in a river, so maybe hes not that strange as far as Yokai go. – Despite how odd he is, spotting him is very lucky. – Rarely its said that a tanuki or badger is washing beans instead.

• History & Early Appearances: The most well known/earliest picture scroll where in he appears in is “Ehon Hyaku Monogatari.” – 絵本百物語 – [Takehara Shunsen 1841]– the included story goes a little like so: 

“A young monk at a mountain temple went to the stream to wash red beans. A fellow monk staying at the same temple, out of spite, pushed him into the stream, where he struck headfirst into a rock and died. Since then, the young monk’s spirit has occasionally appeared, washing the adzuki beans while weeping and laughing.”

See also: Azuki Baba, Azuki hakari, Mamedanuki, Yokai Zine 1, Audio Phenomena

Sticker Art by @Samkalensky (yo thats me!) – Part of my Night parade of 100 Demons – Yokai & Japanese folklore sticker collection, weather resistant 4″ Glossy sticker. Check my shop & follow @samkalensky for many more!