Azuki-arai 小豆洗い

Azuki-arai (小豆洗い), the “Bean Washer,” is a shy and elusive spirit often heard but rarely seen, known for the rhythmic, scratching sound of beans being cleaned in a stream.

Meaning and Origin

The name means Azuki (the small red beans used in Japanese sweets) and Arai (Washer). It translates to “The Red Bean Washer.”

Its origin is found in the folklore of almost every mountainous region in Japan, from Yamanashi to Sado Island. He is an Auditory Yokai, representing the natural sounds of water rushing over pebbles or the rustling of dry leaves by a riverbank. He is often associated with the boundaries between human villages and the deep, sacred mountains. While the sound of his work is common, he is considered a guardian of the “wild water,” representing the Cycles of Nature that continue regardless of whether humans are watching.

Characteristics

When he is seen (which is rare), Azuki-arai is depicted as a short, squat old man with a large, balding head, bulging yellow eyes, and three-fingered hands. He wears ragged clothes and is always hunched over a wooden pail by the water’s edge.

His primary characteristic is his Song. As he washes his beans with a “shoki-shoki” sound, he sings a creepy, rhythmic chant: “Azuki togou ka, hito totte kuou ka? Shoki-shoki!” (Shall I wash my beans, or shall I catch a human to eat? Shoki-shoki!). Despite this terrifying lyric, Azuki-arai is Not Malevolent. He is incredibly shy; if a human tries to approach him, he will splash into the water and vanish instantly. He is more of a “ghostly prankster” who enjoys startling the curious rather than actually hunting them.

Legends

Many legends tell of travelers who heard the “shoki-shoki” sound and thought a peasant was working late. When they investigated, they found only a bucket of perfectly clean beans sitting on a rock, with no one in sight.

One story from Shizuoka tells of a greedy man who heard the song and thought, “If I catch him, I can have his beans!” He lunged for the spirit, but his feet slipped on the mossy rocks, and he fell face-first into the freezing stream. As he climbed out, soaking wet, he heard a high-pitched, mocking laugh echoing from the trees. This is the “Attack of the Azuki-arai”—he doesn’t eat you; he just makes you look like a fool. He is a reminder that some things in nature are meant to be heard and respected, but never caught.