Amazake-babaa

Amazake-babaa is a yōkai in the folklore of Miyagi and Aomori Prefectures. This youkai often appears on winter evenings in remote villages in the form of an old, emaciated woman. She goes from house to house, knocking on doors and in a childish voice she ask them for some amazake, a sweet, low-alcohol sake, and if anyone answered they fall ill. It is said that to keep her away, a cedar branch is placed in the doorway. She is also known as the goddess of smallpox during the period when smallpox raged in Japan. Mothers will make offerings to amazake-baba to prevent their children from getting sick.

A variation of amazake babā from Yamanashi province is called amazake banbā. She goes from house to house trying to sell sake and amazake. The consequences of answering her are the same as for amazake babā, but the way of keeping her there is a little different. If you hang a sign on the front door that says “we don't like sake or amazake,” she will leave you alone and go to the next house.

Originally amazake babā was considered the god of disease - namely smallpox. During smallpox outbreaks, there has been a significant increase in sightings of baba on amazake in major urban centers across Japan, not just in the northeast. Rumors of old women wandering the streets at night selling sake and carrying diseases were rampant in major cities such as Edo, Kyōto, Osaka, and Nagoya. The fear of smallpox was a major concern in urban centers, and contributed to the prevalence of the babā amazake rumor.

Since the eradication of smallpox, amazake babā's disease has changed from smallpox to the common cold.

Today, statues of her can be found in cities. Mothers who visit these statues leave sake offerings so their children don't get sick.

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