Bake-zōri 化け草履

Bake-zōri (化け草履), the “Ghost Sanda,” is a mischievous and noisy spirit born from traditional straw sandals that have been mistreated, neglected, or left in the dark for too long.

Meaning and Origin

The name means Bake (Transform/Ghost) and Zōri (Traditional straw sandals).

Its origin is the classic Japanese belief in Tsukumogami—that any object reaching 100 years of age becomes sentient. Specifically, Bake-zōri is the spirit of the zōri, sandals made from woven rice straw. They are born from the resentment of being stepped on, worn out, and then casually tossed into a corner instead of being properly retired or burned in a temple ritual. They represent the Guilt of Wastefulness (Mottainai) and the idea that even the lowliest items under our feet have a soul.

Characteristics

A Bake-zōri looks like a regular straw sandal, but it has sprouted two thin arms, two spindly legs, and a single, large eyeball in its center. From the gap in its weave, it sticks out a long, mocking tongue.

Its primary characteristic is its Noisy Mischief. Bake-zōri are famous for running through the hallways of traditional Japanese houses at night, making a distinctive “Kararin! Kororin!” sound that mimics the clacking of wooden clogs. They are rarely dangerous, but they love to cause chaos by tripping people, hiding the other half of a pair of shoes, or singing their famous rhythmic chant: “Kararin, kororin, kankororin! Eyes three and teeth two!"—a nonsense song that mocks their more “noble” cousins, the wooden Geta.

Legends

One humorous legend tells of a household where the shoes would never stay in the entryway. Every morning, the servant would find the sandals scattered across the garden or stuck in the rafters of the porch.

The master of the house hid in the shadows one night and saw his old, tattered straw sandals “wake up.” They began to hop and dance, leading a parade of other household items—a torn umbrella and a cracked pot—out into the street for a miniature Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. The master, realizing he had been too wasteful, gathered all his old items and took them to the local temple for a proper “Object Funeral” (Kuyō). The hauntings stopped immediately. Bake-zōri is a reminder that in the world of Yokai, nothing is too small to have a voice—and if you don’t listen to that voice, you’ll hear it clattering through your halls at midnight.