Betobeto-san

Betobeto-san (べとべとさん) is a kind of Japanese yokai said to follow people walking at night.[1] In Uda-gun, Nara, it is better to meet on a dark night road.[2] In Shizuoka, it is said that one will encounter Betobeto-san when descending from a small mountain.[3]

Overview

Although it is said that Betobeto-san does not cause harm to people,[4] if one hears footsteps, they should stop by one side of the road and say "Go ahead, Betobeto-san"[2] (Nara Prefecture). If one says "coming"[3] (Shizuoka Prefecture), "Please go ahead"[4] (the same prefecture), that person will be away from the people who follow them. Manga artist Shigeru Mizuki said that he has encountered something that seems to be akin to this yokai.[5] The local name of Mizuki, the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) Sakai Line, Yonago Airport Station is nicknamed "Betobeto-san Station."

Analogy

"Bishakutsu", which is transmitted to Sakai-gun, Fukui Prefecture (currently Sakai City), is a place where invisible objects can be seen after a human walking on a dark night road during the winter sleet.[6] A mystery of making a walking sound is heard, and it is regarded as a monster of the same kind as the sticky person.[7]

"Teketeke", which is known in recent years, is almost the same as a footsteps monster.[8]

References
  1. 茂木徳郎 (1987). "妖怪変化". In 渡辺波光・岩間初郎編 (ed.). 宮城県史. Vol. 21. ぎょうせい. p. 444. NCID BN01968323.
  2. 大藤他 1955, pp. 1303–1390
  3. 千葉 1995, p. 129
  4. 多田 1990, pp. 221–222
  5. 水木しげる (1994). 図説 日本妖怪大全. 講談社+α文庫. 講談社. p. 425. ISBN 978-4-06-256049-8.
  6. "ロードの"人気もん"は誰? 妖怪ブロンズ像 撮影ランキング". furusato.sanin.jp. April 2008. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
  7. "第2回 妖怪人気投票結果発表!!". さかなと鬼太郎のまち 境港市観光ガイド. 2009. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
  8. 京極夏彦他 (2009). 兵庫県立歴史博物館・京都国際マンガミュージアム編 (ed.). 図説 妖怪画の系譜. ふくろうの本. 河出書房新社. pp. 134–137. ISBN 978-4-309-76125-1.

Sources
  • 大藤時彦他 (1955). 民俗学研究所 (ed.). 綜合日本民俗語彙. Vol. 第3巻. 柳田國男監修. 平凡社. NCID BN05729787.
  • 千葉幹夫 (1995). 全国妖怪事典. 小学館ライブラリー. 小学館. ISBN 978-4-09-460074-2.
  • 多田克己 (1990). 幻想世界の住人たち. Truth In Fantasy. Vol. IV. 新紀元社. ISBN 978-4-915146-44-2.
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