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Bake-Tōrō or Bake-Dōrō (化け灯籠 Bake-Tōrō, lit. Transformed/Monster Stone Lantern) is a stone lantern Yōkai.

Appearance[]

Bake-Tōrō is a tsukumogami, specifically of a stone lantern called the tōrō, and his appearance resembles that ishi-dōrō variety. He has an onion-shaped finial being held by the lotus-like support, an umbrella top with four horns covers the firebox that is cracked sideways, it sits on top of a platform that has slits at the front, representing his mouth, a short post, and the base that also has four horns protruding outwards. Within the firebox is where his eyes appear from each window, each with a red iris and orange sclerae. Two fireballs are always floating near at all times, acting as his hands.[1]

Personality[]

History[]

2007 Anime[]

Bake-Tōrō appears in episode #57 of the fifth anime adaptation, Legendary Yōkai Nue!!.[1]

Powers and Abilities[]

Bake-Toro Lightning 2007

Bake-Toro casting a lightning.

Transformation:

Hypnosis:

Human Control:

Lightning Manipulation: Unlike a normal Bake-Tōrō, he took in lightning power, allowing him to summon bolts of lighting at will. He is also immune to normal lightning attacks.

Legend[]

Bake-Tōrō Illustration

Illustration of Bake-Tōrō by Shigeru Mizuki.

Bake-Tōrō is a tsukumogami of a stone lantern erected at the Futarasan shrine in the Tochigi Prefecture.

Long ago, a man on a pilgrimage to Nikkō got lost and went deep into the mountains, taking a path that divided into two, but when he tried to go back, he could not find his way back. This was said to be the work of the Bake-Tōrō, but if you kept your mind calm, you wouldn't be misdirected.

In another story, there was a Bake-Tōrō enshrined at the Futarasan Shrine, and no matter how many times it was lit, the fire would immediately extinguish itself. The monks at the shrine got suspicious and used a sword to slash at the lantern every night until swordmarks covered the entire lantern, and the fire did not go out. This lantern remains at the shrine to this day, and the swordmarks can still be seen.

Trivia[]

  • Bake-Tōrō's affinity to lightning in the 2007 anime may be a reference to Tochigi Prefecture; Bake-Tōrō's legend originates in Nikkō City, and Tochigi Prefecture is known as the "Lightning Capital" (雷都) of Japan due to the notable amounts of lightnings.[2] Raijū is also associated with Tochigi Prefecture including Nikko City due to the weather condition.[3]

References[]

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