02/12/2025
International Eye Blo Tevel. (Mata bo hipu)
Shirime is a Yokai from Japanese folklore whose entire purpose seems to be startling people rather than harming them. The name literally means butt eye.
The best known account appears in Edo period ghost literature where a samurai traveling alone at night encounters a man on a deserted road. The stranger politely asks the samurai to wait, then removes his clothing, bends forward, and reveals the gleaming eye in his rear.
The light from the eye is described as bright enough to startle or momentarily confuse the viewer. After achieving its prank the spirit quickly disappears, leaving the samurai bewildered.
