Bakezouri
Encyclopedia
is a creature from Japanese folklore
. It is a straw zōri
sandal which has been transformed into a tsukumogami
, a yōkai
(spirit creature) which was once an ordinary household item. It runs through the house and chants "kararin, kororin, kankororin!"
In a house where footwear is treated improperly, this old zōri sandal comes to life at night and emerges from the storeroom where it has been discarded. As it runs through the house, it can be heard chanting, "kararin, kororin, kankororin! Eyes three, Eyes three and teeth two!" Perhaps it says this in honor of its kin the geta sandal
, which does indeed make such sounds and does have three eyes (the holes drilled for its straps) and two teeth (the wooden platforms on its base).
Japanese folklore
The folklore of Japan is heavily influenced by both Shinto and Buddhism, the two primary religions in the country. It often involves humorous or bizarre characters and situations and also includes an assortment of supernatural beings, such as bodhisattva, kami , yōkai , yūrei ,...
. It is a straw zōri
Zori
are flat and thonged Japanese sandals made of rice straw or other plant fibers, cloth, lacquered wood, leather, rubber, or—increasingly—synthetic materials...
sandal which has been transformed into a tsukumogami
Tsukumogami
Understood by many Western scholars as a type of Japanese yōkai, the Tsukumogami was a concept popular in Japanese folklore as far back as the tenth century, used in the spread of Shingon Buddhism...
, a yōkai
Yōkai
are a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. The word yōkai is made up of the kanji for "otherworldly" and "weird". Yōkai range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them...
(spirit creature) which was once an ordinary household item. It runs through the house and chants "kararin, kororin, kankororin!"
In a house where footwear is treated improperly, this old zōri sandal comes to life at night and emerges from the storeroom where it has been discarded. As it runs through the house, it can be heard chanting, "kararin, kororin, kankororin! Eyes three, Eyes three and teeth two!" Perhaps it says this in honor of its kin the geta sandal
Geta (footwear)
Geta are a form of traditional Japanese footwear that resemble both clogs and flip-flops. They are a kind of sandal with an elevated wooden base held onto the foot with a fabric thong to keep the foot well above the ground. They are worn with traditional Japanese clothing such as kimono or yukata,...
, which does indeed make such sounds and does have three eyes (the holes drilled for its straps) and two teeth (the wooden platforms on its base).