Title:

いざり入道 (izari nyūdō)
Izari nyūdō

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This top depicts an obake (monster) named Izari nyūdō. When this top is spun, the monster appears to walk menacingly toward you. The word izaru いざる, from which the name of the top comes, means “to shuffle/crawl.” Nyūdō 入道 is a term often used for monks. In folklore, a large number of supernatural creatures appear to be monks before they transform into their monster selves, leading to this term often being used for various types of obake.

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Hiroi Michiaki: Umm, this is actually an obake (monster). It’s called Izari nyūdō. This one has an interesting way of moving. If you spin it, it goes like this and this and this, like it’s walking, and the monster seems to come at you.