If you've ever been walking at night and heard strange footsteps following you, only to turn around, terrified, and find nothing there, you've encountered the yōkai known in Nara Prefecture as Betobeto-san.

It's said that if you stand to the side of the road and say, "Betobeto-san, please go on ahead," that the footsteps will stop and you can continue walking in peace.

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1. Mizuki vol. 3 2003, p. 128.