The illustration shows a traveling monk from Nagano prefecture who would bathe in hot springs without removing his leggings. If anyone asked him why he did not fully undress before entering the water; he would show them the holes in his shins which contained snakes. The man was born with snakes living in his legs as punishment for misdeeds in a previous life.

The Kaikidan Ekotoba is a mid-19th century handscroll that profiles 33 legendary monsters and human oddities; mostly from the Kyushu region of Japan; but with several from other countries; including China; Russia and Korea. The document; whose author is unknown; is in the possession of the Fukuoka City Museum.