TV-Series
Description
Sunakake Baba, known as Sand Throwing Hag or Sand Witch, appears as an elderly woman possessing large eyes and long hair marked by a distinctive lock between her eyes. Her skin resembles sandpaper, typically covered in visible sand specks and described by others as rough to the touch. She usually wears a kimono, sometimes depicted specifically in a light-blue kimono with a checkered black and yellow obi.
Her signature ability involves throwing sand, often enhanced with special ingredients to induce effects like blinding or confusion. She also demonstrates expertise in yōkai medicine, alchemy, and soothsaying. Additional capabilities include receiving telepathic messages by extending her hair like an antenna and delivering a notably powerful slap as a physical attack.
Originating in Japanese folklore, particularly the Nara and Hyogo regions, she was portrayed as a guardian or malevolent spirit hiding near Shinto shrines to throw sand at passersby. Some accounts, like one from Kyoto, describe her as having no visible form, with sand mysteriously emerging from bushes or stones.
Within the narrative, she made a 1961 manga cameo in "A Walk to Hell" before her official debut in "The Great Yōkai War" storyline. Her first anime appearance occurred in 1968. During "The Great Yōkai War," she died fighting Western yōkai—killed by Dracula in the anime—but later reappeared without explanation. Subsequently, she became a recurring ally to the Kitarō family, serving as an adviser and acting guardian alongside Medama-Oyaji.
Her stated age varies, cited as 2800 years in most sources but specified as 1200 years in one episode. She claims involvement in historical events like Empress Jingū's 3rd-century invasion of Korea. Sunakake Baba manages the Yōkai Apartments, housing various yōkai including main cast members and displaced individuals. Strictly enforcing rent due to frugality, she negotiates payment plans involving rare materials or labor instead of money and shows leniency to low-income tenants. Later adaptations show her running an apartment on Yōkai Yokochō.
Her personality blends grouchiness and a quick temper with underlying kindness and a strong sense of justice. She frequently criticizes humans as greedy and dangerous yet displays tenderness toward human children. She shares close bonds with elderly yōkai like Medama-Oyaji and Konaki-Jijii, often seen together; their dynamic includes performing as a comedy duo during a pop culture boom, fueling fan speculation about a romantic or marital relationship.
Distant relatives include the Central Asian sand yōkai Ekiseru and the German Sandman, both appearing as antagonists in spin-offs like "Kitarō's World Obake Tour" and "Saishinban GeGeGe no Kitarō," though she did not feature in the latter’s storyline. Her favorite foods include bat liver, bamboo leaves, and bamboo shoots. Design inspiration came from a mask at the Ueno Tenjin Festival in Iga City. In the 2007 anime, she was the second chosen of the 47 Yōkai Warriors, representing Nara Prefecture.
Her signature ability involves throwing sand, often enhanced with special ingredients to induce effects like blinding or confusion. She also demonstrates expertise in yōkai medicine, alchemy, and soothsaying. Additional capabilities include receiving telepathic messages by extending her hair like an antenna and delivering a notably powerful slap as a physical attack.
Originating in Japanese folklore, particularly the Nara and Hyogo regions, she was portrayed as a guardian or malevolent spirit hiding near Shinto shrines to throw sand at passersby. Some accounts, like one from Kyoto, describe her as having no visible form, with sand mysteriously emerging from bushes or stones.
Within the narrative, she made a 1961 manga cameo in "A Walk to Hell" before her official debut in "The Great Yōkai War" storyline. Her first anime appearance occurred in 1968. During "The Great Yōkai War," she died fighting Western yōkai—killed by Dracula in the anime—but later reappeared without explanation. Subsequently, she became a recurring ally to the Kitarō family, serving as an adviser and acting guardian alongside Medama-Oyaji.
Her stated age varies, cited as 2800 years in most sources but specified as 1200 years in one episode. She claims involvement in historical events like Empress Jingū's 3rd-century invasion of Korea. Sunakake Baba manages the Yōkai Apartments, housing various yōkai including main cast members and displaced individuals. Strictly enforcing rent due to frugality, she negotiates payment plans involving rare materials or labor instead of money and shows leniency to low-income tenants. Later adaptations show her running an apartment on Yōkai Yokochō.
Her personality blends grouchiness and a quick temper with underlying kindness and a strong sense of justice. She frequently criticizes humans as greedy and dangerous yet displays tenderness toward human children. She shares close bonds with elderly yōkai like Medama-Oyaji and Konaki-Jijii, often seen together; their dynamic includes performing as a comedy duo during a pop culture boom, fueling fan speculation about a romantic or marital relationship.
Distant relatives include the Central Asian sand yōkai Ekiseru and the German Sandman, both appearing as antagonists in spin-offs like "Kitarō's World Obake Tour" and "Saishinban GeGeGe no Kitarō," though she did not feature in the latter’s storyline. Her favorite foods include bat liver, bamboo leaves, and bamboo shoots. Design inspiration came from a mask at the Ueno Tenjin Festival in Iga City. In the 2007 anime, she was the second chosen of the 47 Yōkai Warriors, representing Nara Prefecture.