Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Azuki-tori Tanuki, Bean-Washing Tanuki
Category: Marten
The Myth
Azuki-tori no Tanuki is a mysterious tanuki associated with an old storehouse near the waterfront in Tsuchido, Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture. In the past, the area had a stone-paved landing place, with large storehouses lining the coast to the west. Every night, a strange, sharp shari, shari sound could be heard near the buildings. It resembled neither the scurrying of mice nor the noise of weasels, and the locals found it deeply unsettling.
One night, a young man passing by heard the familiar sound and realized it seemed to come from inside a storehouse. Determined to discover its source despite his fear, he shouted loudly toward the building. The sound immediately stopped, and a round creature burst out of the storehouse. Moving quickly on its short legs, it ran toward Mount Senkoji. The young man watched it closely enough to recognize it as a tanuki.
After this encounter, people came to believe that the strange scraping noise was made by the tanuki sneaking into the storehouse to steal azuki beans. Even after its identity became known, the sound continued to frighten the locals. Whenever the sharp shari, shari noise echoed through the darkness, children hurried home.
Sources
“Azuki-tanuki.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010655099.html