Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Tenaga Baba (手長婆)
Category: River dweller
The Myth
Tenaga Babaa is a yokai known in Aomori Prefecture, northern Chiba Prefecture, and southern Ibaraki Prefecture. In Tago, Sannohe District, Aomori Prefecture, she is associated with legends of beings with long arms and legs. Long ago, she lived on the summit of Mount Kaimorigatake and stretched her arms all the way to the sea at Hachinohe to collect and eat shellfish.
In the Shimōsa region, her name was used to frighten children playing near ponds and wells. She is described as a frightening, white-haired old woman with long arms who lives beneath the water. She reaches out from the water and pulls in children playing at the water’s edge.
Sources
Tyz-Yokai. (n.d.). Tenaga Babaa. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654079.html