Aka Manto (赤マント, Red Cloak),[1] also known as Red Cape,[2] Red Vest,[1] Akai-Kami-Aoi-Kami (赤い紙青い紙, Red Paper, Blue Paper),[3] or occasionally Aoi Manto (青マント, Blue Cloak),[3] is a Japanese urban legend about a masked spirit who wears a red cloak, and who appears to people using toilets in public or school bathrooms.[3] Accounts of the legend vary, but one consistent element of the story is that the spirit will ask the occupant of a toilet a question. In some versions, he will ask if they want red paper or blue paper, though other versions identify the choices as a red cloak or a blue cloak, or as a red cape or a blue cape. Choosing either option will result in the individual being killed, so the individual must ignore the spirit, or reject both options and flee, in order to survive.
- ^ a b Meyer, Matthew (31 October 2016). "Aka manto". Yokai.com. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ "Japanese Scary Stories: Aka Manto". Japan Info. Japan Info Co., Ltd. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ a b c Grundhauser, Eric (2 October 2017). "Get to Know Your Japanese Bathroom Ghosts". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 12 July 2019.