Nurikabe (folklore)

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A statue depicting the nurikabe from GeGeGe no Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki on the road bearing his name.

The nurikabe (ぬりかべ) is a yōkai, or spirit, from Japanese folklore. It manifests as a wall that impedes or misdirects walking travelers at night. Trying to go around is futile as it extends itself forever. Knocking on the lower part of the wall makes it disappear.

[edit] Nurikabe in popular culture

Nurikabe, like other yōkai, often appear in manga and anime. For example, the anime and manga GeGeGe no Kitaro features a nurikabe as the hero's ally, as does the more recent Petopeto-san. the manga-ka kojima akira draws a nurikabe as his self-portrait.

Nurikabe, or characters based on it, have appeared in the video games Ōkami (as "Blockhead") and Super Mario 64 (as Whomp). It was also referenced in episode 16 of Azumanga Daioh.

Nurikabe is also a popular type of Japanese logic puzzle.

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