Name Meaning
Azukibabaa (小豆婆々) translates to “Old Bean-Grinding Woman.” A twisted counterpart to the Azukiarai, this yōkai is more malicious, lurking in remote regions and luring the unsuspecting with grinding sounds before devouring them.
- Azuki (小豆) = Red bean
- Babaa (婆々) = Old woman or hag → “Bean-Hag”
Origin
- Stories originate from Niigata and mountainous regions of Honshu.
- Often told to scare children into staying close to home after dark.
Appearance
- Described as a wrinkled old hag with sharp claws, hunched back, and wild hair.
- Sometimes seen grinding beans in a stone mortar or crouched over a pot in the woods.
- Eyes glow faintly in the dark, and her voice is raspy and wet.
Behavior
- Draws travelers by mimicking the sound of beans being ground.
- When they investigate, she ambushes and devours them.
- Her victims are never seen again — some say she grinds their bones in her mortar.
Symbolism
- Represents the darker side of rural superstition.
- A cautionary tale about curiosity and wandering alone.
- Also viewed as a spirit of revenge or hunger born of solitude.
