46) Japan - 22. Azukiarai

Its name literally translates to 'bean washer,' and it's a yokai that makes wave-like sounds late at night by rivers or under bridges while washing beans in a sieve. It's usually depicted as a bald old man with only hair on the sides, wearing ragged clothes, bent over and washing beans in a sieve, but sometimes it's also described as a child or a monkey. There are tales that if you approach it upon hearing the sound of beans being washed, the sound suddenly stops. Others say that people are mesmerized by the sound and fall into the river, or that they stumble and fall into the river while trying to see where the sound is coming from. The folklore from Gunma Prefecture is particularly unique. It's said to sing a song while washing beans, "Shall I wash beans or eat people?" Hearing this song supposedly clouds one's mind, causing them to fall into the water, or they might flee in surprise only to find their underwear missing when they return home. In the Edo-period ghost story collection 'Ehon Hyaku Monogatari,' it's depicted as a child with an obsessive personality, able to correctly guess the number of beans from one 'go' to one 'sho' without error.