Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Noderabo
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The Noderabō appears as a silent monk dressed in worn, tattered robes and a weathered kasa hat. It is most often depicted standing alone beside an old temple bell in an abandoned, crumbling temple. Though outwardly resembling an ordinary Buddhist monk, it is an eerie and unnatural figure whose true face and intentions remain unknown.
The Noderabō is one of the more mysterious yōkai depicted by Toriyama Sekien in the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō. Sekien provided no explanation for the creature, leaving later generations to speculate about its nature.
According to later folklore, the Noderabō haunts deserted temples that have fallen into ruin. As evening falls, the lonely sound of a temple bell echoes through the mountains despite no living monk remaining to ring it. The ghostly monk is said to wander the abandoned grounds in silence, appearing only briefly before disappearing once more into the darkness.
Some traditions claim the Noderabō is the restless spirit of a head priest whose temple fell into decay after the villagers ceased making offerings. Unable to abandon the place he once served, he continues to watch over the empty temple and ring its bell forever.
Other interpretations suggest the Noderabō represents corrupt monks who abandoned Buddhist discipline through greed and worldly desires, eventually becoming yōkai after death. In this reading, the silent monk serves as a warning against spiritual corruption and attachment.
Another tradition connects the Noderabō with mysterious bells heard echoing from mountains where no temple exists. Children who heard these unexplained chimes were told that the Noderabō was ringing its lonely bell deep within the wilderness, although others believed the sounds were merely echoes carried by the mountains.
Because Sekien never explained the creature, its true origin remains uncertain. Whether it is the ghost of a forgotten priest, the embodiment of an abandoned temple, or simply an eerie guardian of sacred ruins, the Noderabō remains one of Japan’s most enigmatic yōkai—a solitary monk forever standing beside the bell of a temple that time has long since forgotten.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Noderabō. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 21, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noderab%C5%8D