Kanbari nyūdō 加牟波理入道
A perverted ghost-like yōkai that lurks outside of bathrooms on New Year’s Eve.
The kanbari nyūdō is a perverted ghost-like yōkai that lurks outside of bathrooms on New Year’s Eve. Its roughly priest-like appearance includes robes and a tonsured haircut, but its most striking feature is the thick, matted hairs that cover its body. Despite lacking physical abilities to harm its victims, the kanbari’s voyeuristic tendencies and the ominous curse it places upon those it observes can create a sense of dread and discomfort that lingers long after the encounter has ended. It’s no wonder that the kanbari is a figure of fear in Japanese folklore, evoking a primal instinct to protect one’s privacy and personal space.
The kanbari nyūdō is a yōkai that is said to haunt bathrooms and toilets in Japanese folklore. Interestingly, there are many other toilet-haunting beings in Japanese folklore, such as the Kurote, Hanako-san, the Aka Manto, and the filth-licker Akaname.
While it may seem strange and uncomfortable to us, the kanbari nyūdō enjoys peeping on people while they are in the bathroom. This behavior is not unique to the kanbari nyūdō, as many yōkai in Japanese folklore are said to enjoy watching humans engage in their most private moments. It is believed that this behavior may stem from a desire to feed on the negative emotions that humans feel while in vulnerable situations.
According to legend, if the kanbari nyūdō catches you in the act, it will curse you with bad luck for the entire year. The nature of this curse can vary, with some accounts claiming that the kanbari nyūdō will simply cause you to experience minor inconveniences, while others suggest that it can lead to serious misfortune and even death.
The kanbari nyūdō only appears once a year, on New Year’s Eve. However, if you go to a secluded toilet on New Year’s Eve and do not encounter the kanbari, you can chant ganbari nyūdō, and there is a chance you might find a human head in the bottom of the toilet. The legends surrounding this event vary from prefecture to prefecture, but the gist is that if you pick up the head and cover it in some way, you’ll be rewarded with lots of gold.
It’s worth noting that in Japanese folklore, yōkai are not always malevolent, and they often have specific rules or conditions that must be met in order to avoid their curses or gain their blessings. The kanbari nyūdō is no exception.
While it is said to enjoy peeping on people, causing bad luck, and perhaps even offering the opportunity for a bizarre treasure hunt, it is also said that calling upon the yōkai yourself may allow you to avoid any potential problems in the bathroom for the following year.
©Emika Oka
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Source
加牟波理入道 - Wikipedia
加牟波理入道 - 加牟波理入道の概要 - わかりやすく解説 Weblio辞書
加牟波理入道 (かんばりにゅうどう)とは【ピクシブ百科事典】 (pixiv.net)