Chinchirori

Chinchirori is a yokai in the shape of a young priest, tied to Doso Pass in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi. It follows a night traveler from behind, calling their name and repeating "Chinchirori," echoing back whatever retort is thrown at it all the way to the traveler's gate. It is said to be the origin of the local Iwakuni expression "the real Chinchirori is you," testing a bold opponent and vanishing with a laugh once it approves of them.

It appears on the night road over Doso Pass on the way back to Iwakuni from Nishiuji. Once night has fully fallen and all is pitch dark, the traveler realizes someone is behind them, calling out "So-and-so is a Chinchirori." If answered back, it repeats the same words over and over, following all the way to the gate of the house.

The tale appears in the Iwakuni ghost-story record Ganyu Kaidanroku, told as the personal account of a man named Kato of Bushu Iwakuni, who was addressed as "Chinchirori" by something unseen while crossing Doso Pass on his way home, and who kept retorting in kind the whole way.

It appears only on night roads, behind a traveler, calling their name and parroting back the same words. It never lays a hand on anyone, following only as long as the traveler keeps answering back without flinching, all the way to the gate. It sometimes reveals itself standing on the gate roof, and on recognizing a bold opponent, it laughs, says "you're a tough one indeed," and vanishes.