Azuki Arai (The Japanese Bean Washer)

I

n deep water of waterfall in Japanese mountains, in the middle of the rush of water, you may hear a faint voice “shoki shoki”, like the sound of people washing azuki red bean. At a glance maybe it’s normal. But if you hear longer, that sound is like a creepy song. reputedly, this song believed as a voice from Azuki Arai, the azuki bean washer youkai. 

 

Azuki Arai figure illustrated like an old man with a small body about 150 cm. His head was bald with thin hairs on left and right side his head. His body humped, and always bring a bamboo jar that contains azuki bean. This youkai actually just focus on azuki that he bring. But when he was washing, he always singing “Azuki togo ka, hito totte kuo ka, shoki shoki” [“wash this bean? or I take someone to eat? Shoki-shoki!”]

            The legend about Azuki Arai started from the assumption that said sound  of gurgling water on side river sometimes make auditory disorientation. Sometimes sound of water which faintly from a far heard like someone was singing. That’s why sound of azuki bean when washed which sounded “shoki-shoki” considered like there’s  Azuki Arai was singing.

            Many peoples who heard Azuki Arai been singing would be curious and want to find out from where’s the sound came. Be careful, because this is the real trap of Azuki Arai. The singing voice of Azuki Arai sometimes come from every place randomly and make people who heard it confused and feel disorientated. When tired or unguarded, he or she will take a wrong path till lost and got an accident.

            Altough his singing sounded creepy, actually Azuki Arai was a shy youkai and happy to isolate themselves. This youkai very rare show themselves  much less harm  a human physically. They prefer to make fun and watch frightened expression when human heard they singing. apparently not dangerous, but for you who can’t swim best to avoid this youkai, because they can make you panic and run without watch your step till you fall in to river and swept by river flow.

            If you coincidence can see this youkai, you maybe lucky. But if you faintly start to heard Azuki Arai singing, it’s better for you to avoid before this youkai more happy to spook you.

            Until now, there’s still many Japanese people who believe Azuki Arai existence and live behind grove of mountains forest. Some mountaineer confess that they have heard Azuki Arai singing even not too clear, it’s like that youkai want to show his existence.

Azuki Arai in Modern Culture

Azui Arai ever showed in anime GeGeGe no Kitaro and movie Youkai Daisensou directed by Takashi Miike and starring by Takashi Okamura [as Azuki Arai], Chiaki Kuriyama, Mai Takahashi and many more. 

 Azuki Arai figure

Why Azuki bean?

            For many centuries, azuki bean has been  a very popular healthy food. The reddish color usually use as raw material for cooking and also for luck symbol. Sometimes this bean boiled with sugar then pounded to be anko, such a sweet pasta wich usually use to fill cakes. This bean can be boiled with rice too to make sekihan [red rice]. But before use for that all, this bean is must be washed first, and this proses that usually done by youkai Azuki Arai. The sound of water and the sound of azuki bean grains in bamboo jar when washing proses at a glance indeed resemble with the sound of water on side of river which this youkai lived.

Data

Meaning of the name: The Azuki Bean Washer

Other name : Azuki-toge [Iwate], Azuki-togi [Nagano, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi], Azuki-koshi [Tottori]

Gender : Male

Height: 5 feet [about 150 cm]

Weight : Unknown

movement : moving from place to place

Characteristic : Short body, thin hair, always bring a jar contain red bean

Favourite food : Red bean and human

Speciality : Ability to camouflage themselves from human, sing a song

Habitation : riverside