Azuki arai
Azuki arai, meaning "bean washer," is a mysterious yokai from Japanese folklore that inhabits mountainous regions across the country. Known also as azuki togi ("bean grinder"), this peculiar spirit spends its time near remote forest streams obsessively washing red azuki beans while singing an eerie, dreadful song. The azuki arai is more often heard than seen, and its presence is announced by the distinctive "shoki shoki" sound of beans being rhythmically washed in a bamboo basket. The yokai's song poses a sinister question to any who hear it: "Azuki araou ka? Hito totte kuou ka?" ("Shall I was