onigokko onibarai

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. Onipedia - 鬼ペディア　- Oni Demons - ABC-List - .
- for tsuina, see below -
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onigokko, oni-gokko 鬼ごっこ game of tag
onigoto 鬼ごと

Tag is a playground game that involves two or more players chasing other players in an attempt to "tag" or touch them, usually with their hands.
This game was already popular in the Edo period, in a version called :
ko o toro ko toro 子をとろ子とろ / 子を捕ろ子捕ろ "get hold of a child, get it!"


守貞漫稿 Morisada Manko

One player is the Oni, one is the parent and all the others are children. The children try to hide behind the parent. The Oni tries to grab the last child in line. The parent spreads out his arms and tries to ward off the Oni.
As they run, the row of children begins to sway like a serpent or a whirlpool.


source : Waseda University Library

幼童遊び子をとろ子とろ osana asobi ko o toro ko toro
歌川広重 Utagawa Hiroshige

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This game has a long history, all the way to Hell,
where 地蔵菩薩　Jizo Bosatsu is trying to lead the poor souls out of hell, past the Oni guardian.



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During the Heian period, there was a ritual at the court called
onibarai no gishiki 鬼払いの儀式 "driving out the demons"
oniyarai 鬼遣らい
which is seen as the beginning of Onigokko.
This ritual was performed as a prayer for 五穀豊穣 gokoku hojo, the fertility of the five grains and thus a good harvest.
It was a ritual do drive out eki oni, eki ki 疫鬼（えきき）〔エキオニ〕 Oni bringing disease.

There was also a chasing game called
hifukume　ひふくめ　－ ヒ＋フ＋クメ : One Two and Three
久米（来目）とは「三（みつ）.hi fu kume

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In the beginning of the Heian period, Hososhi who appears and runs around at new year eve’s court function “Oni-yarai” in the greater palace is considered the origin of any stories about “Oni”, which stands for a devil. His manner reminds us of the familiar “Onigokko” that the “Oni” chases children, while “Oni” is emphasized with objection, it is overlapped as one of the old “Onigokko” named “Kakure-Oni” (Hidden Oni).

By contrast, in the Edo period, there was “Hifukume” who appears in Kottoshu, Santokyo-den (an old literature).

In the middle of Heian period, when a Buddhist monk called Eshin Sozu Genshin preaches people, he used a format that Jizo Bosatsu protects against “Oni” who chases children.
Whether or no, these three elements of “Parent”, “Children”, “Oni” hold an important fact in the game, and it is easy to imagine that the game was spread around for the children naturally.

And now, “Hifukume” comes down to “Kotoro kotoro” more than it was expected.


Here is a picture of a swallow playing “Kotorokotoro”, drawn by Hiroshige Ando, from late Edo period when Ukiyoe (Japanese woodblock prints) established one culture. It is a surprising fact that Ukiyoe artist Hiroshige drew it, but fresh looking swallow’s faces are attractive.

There is almost no children who know about “Kotorokotoro” as a game nowadays. I have a sense of crisis about the situation that “Onigokko” which came down from the Heian period and in which parents protect children, or “Onigokko” that is a tool to know community and the way of contacting people to people is disappearing even though it is a most well-known one.


- Internatinal Onigokko Association - Onigotter Japan -
- reference source : onigokko.or.jp - 鬼ごっこ協会公式へようこそ

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. Genshin　源信　Eshin Soozu 恵心僧都 Eshin Sozu (942-1017).


. Oni yarai 秩父神社の鬼やらい Driving out the Demons at Chichibu Shrine .
oniyarai, oni-yarai 鬼やらい

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tsuina 追儺 "demon exorcism"
Devil-Expelling Ceremony


source : takara.city.matsumoto.nagano.jp
Tsuina mask from Matsumoto, Nagano
from the temple 牛伏寺


tsuina rituals were performed by the Emperor and the royal princes since the early Heian period at the court and important Shrines on 大晦日（旧暦12月30日 the last day of the Old Year, the 30th day of the 12th lunar month.
They were also called
onibarai no gishiki 鬼払いの儀式, 「oniyarai, oni yarai 鬼やらい」（鬼遣らい、鬼儺などとも表記）
「nayarai, na yarai 儺（な）やらい」

Setsubun has its origins in tsuina (追儺), a Chinese custom introduced to Japan in the eighth century.
. Setsubun rituals 節分、February 03　 .

hoosooshi, hōsōshi 方相氏（ほうそうし）Hososhi, demon exorcist
ootoneri 大舎人（おおとねり））
shinshi 侲子（しんし） helping the Hososhi

The Hososhi wears a special robe called hoo 袍（ほう) and a mask with four eyes.


source : popeye.sakura.ne.jp/kyoto
mask amulet from Shrine 吉田神社 Yoshida Jinja
The Hososhi with the original golden mask with four red eyes was not only driving out the demons, but also the 疫神 Deity who brought illness.
In his right hand he held 矛 a three-pronged lancet, in the left hand 楯 a shield.
The demons were followed by men with bows and arrows to drive them out.

In the beginning the Hososhi was expelling the demons, but since the 9th century, things begun to change and he was seen as the Oni to be driven out.

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吉田神社追儺 Yoshida Jinja no Tsuina

- quote -
Eliminating Demons, Praying for Happiness
"Tsuina-shiki" at Yoshida Jinja Shrine in Kyoto
"Tsuina-shiki" or a traditional ceremony for warding off evil was held the evening of February 2, the eve of "Setsubun," or the day before spring begins, at Yoshida Jinja Shrine, in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto. Watching violent demons being exorcized in the bitter chill, visitors prayed for happiness this year.

Tsuina-shiki
has its roots in the ceremony originally performed in the Imperial Court during the Heian Period. Also called "Oni Yarai," it is observed in many temples and shrines around the day of "Setsubun."
Shortly after 6:00 p.m.,
three demons, which symbolize anger, sorrow and agony, appeared in front of the main shrine. As they roared and brandished iron clubs, young children's cries rang from among the visitors. "Hososhi," or a person who is believed to possess the power to discern evil demons with his four eyes, hunted the demons down. Finally, visitors cheered excitedly as court nobles drove them off by shooting arrows.
- source : e.kyoto-np.jp/news... -



onna setsubun 女節分Setsubun for women

. Yoshida Jinja 吉田神社 - Kyoto .

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- - - - - Oni
... According to Zeami's Fushikaden, oni appearing in Noh drama are either vengeful spirits (onryō) who possess human beings, or demons of hell. As the visible forms of oni were represented as misshapen and weird beings, popular iconography of oni was influenced by graphic portrayals of hell demons and "hungry ghosts," as well as by the four-eyed Chinese zhuīnuó (Jp. tsuina) masks worn by the demon exorcists called fangxiàng (Jp. hōsōshi).
Such rites of "demon exorcism" or tsuina were incorporated into the Buddhist rites of Shushōe and Shunie (Omizutori) held early in the New Year; these rites featured exorcisms of demons using the power of Buddhist tutelaries such as Bishamon and heavenly bodhisattvas (hiten).
These rites became popular observances on the last day of winter (setsubun), and resulted in the formation of stereotypical demon images such as Shutendōji.
- source : Kawamura Kunimitsu, Kokugakuin 2005 -

During the tsuina rituals, people call out three times
oni yaroo 「鬼やろう」 (Demons get out!)
Especially in the Shrines of Kyoto, and the Heian Jingu .


source : discoverkyoto.com/event-calendar/february

... At 14:00, people representing warriors, onmyōji diviners, and the demon quelling oni Hōsōshi participate in the Daina no Gi, an exorcism once performed at the Imperial Palace in the Heian period. Men wearing fearsome ogre masks burst into the shrine and "terrorize" the assembled people from the courtyard, making their way to the main hall veranda where the oni leader does a victorious dance. However, shrine parishioners appear to banish the oni with lucky beans in a tradition called mamemaki (bean throwing), chasing them back out the shrine gates shouting "oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi" ("bad luck out, good luck in").
The Daina-no-Gi is a re-creating the Tsuina ceremony.

祭文が読み上げられると方相氏が前に進み、矛と盾を打ち、「鬼やろう」と３度繰り返します。
- reference and photos : milky.geocities.jp/kyotonosato/setubun -



方相氏（平安神宮） Hososhi from Heian Jingu


. Heian Jinguu 平安神宮 Shrine Heian Jingu - Kyoto .


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- quote -
The Ritual Firing of Arrows at the beginning of the year
..... The Azusa Yumi (catalpa wood bow) was an essential tool in Japanese Shamanism for excorcizing evil, and shooting ritual arrows was an important part of the Imperial Court`s New Year`s Eve Purification Rituals during the Heian Period- The Tsuina ( which was introduced from China).
- source : blog.alientimes.org... yabusame -

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Tsuinashiki 追儺式　/　ついなしき
2 Hachiman-cho, Naka-ku, Hamamatsushi, Shizuoka
At Hachimangu Shrine in Naka Ward, Hamamatsu City, the Tsuinashiki is held on February 2nd every year. This ceremony, in which an embodiment of the gods called the housoushi drives out evil spirits that bring misfortune, was adopted from China, and as a reproduction of the ritual performed imperial court in the Heian Period, it is the basis of the modern day Setsubun.
... The Tsuinashiki begins with a Shinto ritual, following which red, blue, and yellow oni appear, rampaging through the grounds swinging around metal clubs.
... The housoushi (Hososhi) and the children supporting him, played by local children, chase the oni around the shrine grounds and drive them away. The housoushi is armed with a trident and shield, and wears a four-eyed mask and a red costume.

Finally,
a character representing an Imperial messenger fires an arrow called the tsuina from the top of the shrine into the grounds. This arrow drives away evil spirits, so the spectators bustle about the grounds trying to find it and pick it up.
- source : inhamamatsu.com/culture/cat627/2/tsuinashiki... -

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. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

................................................................................. Saga 佐賀県
藤津郡 Fujitsu district 太良町 Tara

In the town district 竹崎地区 Takezaki there is a special Demon ritual on the 5th and 6th day of the New Year.
Shusei-E Oni Matsuri 修正会鬼祭 / Hadaka matsuri 裸祭 "Naked Festival"
Young men not yet married gather in a meeting place called Oni no imiya 鬼之忌屋.
Men already married gather at the 宿老宿.
Among the young men four are selected as 鬼副（オンゼイ) Onizei.
They perform a Tsuina ritual, 鬼追い Onioi and special dances.



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Local legend has it that a force from the south once tried to invade Tara. The villagers wore demon masks to scare the intruders, and won the skirmish.
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First Saturday and Sunday in January
Takezaki Avalokitesvara revision meeting oni festival (竹崎観世音修正会鬼祭 takezaki kanzeon shūseikai oni matsuri):
A hadaka matsuri at Takezaki Kanzeon temple wherein men dressed in loincloths try to stop a man dressed as an oni, who carries a box. The men then pull at the oni and shred the red kimono the oni wears. There is also a dance by boys in costumes.
- source : wikipedia -

- reference source : 竹崎観世音寺修正会鬼祭 -
Takezaki Kanzeon-Ji Shusho-E Oni Matsuri

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- reference : Nichibun Yokai Database -

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. eki oni 〔エキオニ〕// eki ki, eki-ki 疫鬼（えきき） Oni bringing disease .
Yakubyoogami 疫病神 Yakubyogami, Deity of Diseases // ekijin, yakujin 疫神


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source : ameblo.jp/onigokko-kyoukai/entry


. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

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千葉県 Chiba

During the Setsubun ritual of Onibabari 鬼払い driving out the demons,
there are three Oni, ao-oni 青鬼 Blue Demon, aka-oni 赤鬼 Red Demon and kuro-oni 黒鬼 Black demon.
People who take over the part of these three Oni will not experience and evil or bad influence, will not be called to the military and will not be the target of shooting. So there are many young men who want to become Oni during the Setsubun rituals.



. kuro-oni, kurooni 黒鬼伝説 black Oni demon Legends .


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新潟県 Niigata 　笹神村 Sasakamimura 　

Once upon a time
the girls were playing tag. One of the girls felt a strange pain in her shin and when she looked, the flesh had split and she was almost bleeding. She tried to be brave and walked all the way to the bridge. At the bridge blood was suddenly flowinig out of her leg.
It must have been a kamaitachi かまいたち "sickle weasel".

. kamaitachi 鎌鼬 cut of the skin by a cold sucking wind .
- kigo for winter
and also a strange Yokai monster.


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- reference : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -
- reference - 鬼ごっこ　-

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. Onipedia - 鬼ペディア　- Oni Demons - ABC-List - .

. Tengu 天狗と伝説 Tengu legends "Long-nosed Goblin" .

. - yookai, yōkai 妖怪 Yokai monsters - .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

. Mingei 民芸　Regional Folk Art from Japan .

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- #onigokko #hideandseek #onibarai #oniyarai #tsuina -
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Shuten Doji Yokai

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- KAPPAPEDIA - Yokai Monsters -
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Shuten Dooji 酒呑童子 Shuten Doji "Sake Child" Demon
Shuten Dōji 酒顛童子, 酒天童子, 朱点童子 Saka Doji

There is a lot of material about this popular Sake Drinker Yokai Monster,
from the hanga of old to the manga of new.

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妖怪 Saka Doji, Shuten Doji 酒呑童子 a Sake Yokai Monster


source : 妖怪博士の日記

This monster lives at the border of Kyoto and Tamba (Tanba) (京都と丹波国の国境) on big branches or in caves (鬼の岩屋 oni no iwaya) and is the boss of the local monster clan.
It's face is slightly red and the hair short and red. It can grow up to 6 meters high and has five horns. It also has 15 eyes.
Others say it looks like a beautiful boy of the "other world".
It is related to the famous monsters of Oeyama 大江山.
He often had virgins brought to his camp and used to "eat" them . . . most probably by using them as "comfort women" for himself and his men.

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Shuten-dōji 酒呑童子, also sometimes spelled 酒顛童子, 酒天童子, or 朱点童子
is a mythical oni leader who lived in Mt. Ooe (大江山) of Tamba Province or Mt. Ooe (大枝) on the boundary between Kyoto and Tamba. He was based in a palace somewhat like a Ryūgū-jō on Mt. Ooe, and he had many oni subordinates.
- snip
He, who was born in Echigo in the Heian era (8th century) when Dengyō Daishi and Kōbō-Daishi were active, became a page of the Kokojou-ji (国上寺) (in Tsubame, Niigata) (at the base of Mt. Kugami, there is a Chigo-dou where he is said to have passed through).
- snip
one of the “three great evil yokai.”
Shuten-doji, who came to Kyoto, had many subordinates with Ibaraki-doji as his first, and based on Mt. Ooe, appeared in Kyoto from time to time, kidnapped the daughters of noble families, cut them with swords, and ate them raw.
- snip

CLICK for more photos !
“Ooe-yama Shuten-doji Emaki” scoll (大江山酒天童子絵巻)
- details in the WIKIPEDIA -

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models of festival floats from the Karatsu kunchi festival 唐津くんち in Saga, Kyushu
Festival float Nr. 11 番曳山 is about "the drunken ogre and the helmet of Minamoto Yorimitsu"
酒呑童子と源頼光の兜.


source :　nino-art.at.webry
clay bell 土鈴



source :　karatsu-otsuka

酒呑童子と源頼光の兜 the helmet of Raiko

hariko papermachee doll　張子　


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- quote -
Shuten Dōji Will Drink Your Blood and Eat Your Flesh



A new exhibit, at the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery opens Saturday, March 21 and runs through September 20. It features hanging scrolls, folding screens and printed books telling the Shuten Dōji legend:One thousand years ago, the ogre giant Shuten Dōji lounged in his mountain castle

The Shuten Dōji legend:
One thousand years ago, the ogre giant Shuten Dōji lounged in his mountain castle, sipping wine and snacking on samurai meat. As he dined with his demonic companions, with a gaggle of captive young noblewomen to serve them, perhaps he wondered how sweet life had turned out for him. A life of debauchery rewarded day after day with earthly pleasures.

Nearby by in Kyoto, the capital of medieval Japan, the emperor grew concerned. Each day, he was forced to stand by and watch, as Shuten Dōji kidnapped one woman after another. The emperor called for the legendary samurai Minamoto "Raiko" Yorimitsu 源頼光 and his five retainers to conquer the ogre giant. The handsome and morally righteous Riako accepted the challenge, and after a brief stop to pray, he and his band set off toward Shuten Dōji’s castle on Mount Oe.

Disguised as Buddhist monks to avoid suspicion, with armor hidden in their wooden backpacks, the good guys traveled deep into the mountains. Along the way, the disguised samurai met three gods in human form, who shared their strong dislike for the ways of the wicked Shuten Dōji. Raiko is given a magical helmet, as well as a special sleep-inducing sake (rice wine), and the gods guide him to the castle.

When the samurai arrive, they are welcomed and entertained by Shuten Dōji, who is fooled by their monk costumes. After they enter the giant’s home, they watch as horned demons slice off human thigh and shoulder meat before eating it like sushi. Dōji settles down on his favorite decorative rug as the captured noblewomen enter through hand-painted doors to serve the guests wine. It’s then when Raiko gives Shuten Dōji the special sake, and the giant quickly becomes drunk and sleepy.

What Raiko doesn't know, is that whenever someone serves Shuten Dōji wine, the ogre giant transforms into a hairy, red, demon. But Raiko, nevertheless, ambushes and beheads the monster. The hero can’t declare victory, however, because when Raiko least expects it, Shuten Dōji’s head jumps back to life and attempts to kill the samurai. Protected by his magic helmet, Raiko deflects the attacks, conquers the monster and his demon henchmen, and marches victoriously back to Kyoto hauling Shuten Doji’s head in an ox-cart.
Good vanquishes evil once again.

- source : www.smithsonianmag.com - Joseph Caputo


Raiko fighting Shuten Doji (Katsushika Hokusai)

Minamoto no Yorimitsu 源頼光 (948 – August 29, 1021),
also known as Minamoto no Raikō
Raiko is usually accompanied by his four legendary retainers, known as the Shiten'ō (The Four Guardian Kings).
They were Watanabe no Tsuna, Sakata no Kintoki, Urabe no Suetake, and Usui Sadamitsu.
The Karatsu Kunchi festival in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, features a large float inspired by the helmet of Minamoto, being partially devoured by the oni Shuten Douji . . .
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Ooeyama. Ōeyama 大江山 Mt. Ōe. Mount Oeyama

Some legends say this mountain was a refuge for pirates from Korea 朝鮮人の海賊.


CLICK for more photos !

Near the place where the remains of the mansion of Shuten Doji are supposed to be there is a huge boulder. There is also a place where the river flows upstream when the demons wash the bloody robes; this is where the villagers later they build the 不動堂 Fudo Hall below the waterfall 千丈ヶ滝下 Senjogataki.
Even further up in the mountain, where Shuten Doji was defeated by Raiko Yorimitsu there is now the shrine 鬼獄神社 Onitake Jinja.

. 鬼嶽稲荷神社 Onitake Inari Jinja / 鬼獄神社 Onitake Jinja .
Oni-take Inari Jinja 京都府福知山市大江町北原 Fukuchiyama, Kyoto

At the forest 童子ケ森 Dojigamori in Fukuchiyama there is the head of Shuten Doji burried in the ground. It had flown there all by its own.


- quote -
Mt. Ōe (大江山)
Mention Mt. Ōe to any Japanese person, and they’ll likely start indulging you in the legends of the many oni (demons) that roam the ridges of the hallowed peak.
Oni’s cave (鬼の洞窟)
Senjogatake (千丈ヶ嶽) / Senjogataki 千丈ヶ滝 Waterfall
Oni-take Inari Jinja (鬼岳稲荷神社)
- source - japanhike.wordpress.com -


After Minamoto Raiko had killed the yokai Shuten Doji, all the girls he had kidnapped ("eaten") were set free to go home. But one had gone so out of her mind, she did not remember where she was from. She was pregnant and eventually gave birth to a baby with all teeth already there. This "Demon Child" 鬼童 Kido grew up and went to Kyoto, trying to kill the brother of Raiko. But he did not succeed and got caught himself.
He is the subject of legends of its own.

Kidoomaru 鬼童丸、鬼同丸（きどうまる）Kidomaru


Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳『鬼童丸』

- 鬼童丸 Kidomaru Demon -

. kidoo 鬼童 "child demon" .


. 大江山鬼伝説 Demon Legend of Oeyama Mountain .




大江山酒呑童子祭り Oeyama Shuten Doji Festival



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Shutendoji Oeyama Onigawara Craft Center
Oeyama Onigawara (roof tiles with the figure of a demon) Craft Center
is located in Shutendoji-no-sato, which is in the grand nature of the Oeyama mountain ranges (designated as Tango Amanohashidate Oeyama Quasi-national Park) or has inherited a demon legends and other folk tales.
There is Japanese demons museum nearby too.
(Oe-Yama-no-Ie) 912-1Butsushoji Oe-cho Fukuchiyama City
. source - kyoto-kankou.or.jp .



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source :　youkai-heim.jp

酒呑童子先生 Shuten Doji, Saka Doji, our teacher - More Local Legends

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.................................................... Hyogo 兵庫県

In 姫路 Himeji at a large shrine there is a Demon Boulder 鬼岩 about 1 meter high related to Shuten Doji. If someone sits on this boulder, he will be cursed 祟り.


.................................................... Ibaraki 茨城県

The deity Takemikatsuchi no Mikoto 鹿島の武甕槌命 from Kashima drove Ibaraki Doji out of the region.
This area where he fled is now called 鬼越山　Onigoeyama.


source : facebook
Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900)

The demon Ibaraki grips her severed arm in her teeth.


.................................................... Kyoto　京都

Kubizuka Daimyojin Shrine　首塚大明神
京都府京都市右京区 - Kyoto

- quote
... near Oinosaka Pass on Rte 9, is a popular tourist attraction as well as a major haunted spot in Kyoto. It is believed that Shuten-doji, a leader of mysticism and magic, was killed by Minamoto Yorimitsu and his head was buried here in the Heian period.

The shrine has a gloomy and sinister feel even in daytime. You feel your body become heavy on a sudden even if you are not spiritually sensitive. Photographs taken here will get innumerable orbs floating all over. Rumor has it that people get cursed once passing through the torii gate, or that a lady with downcast eyes always stands at a bus stop in the midnight.
- source : guides-japan.com




. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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. Shuten-dōji 酒呑童子 Shuten Doji .
and the Rashomon Gate 羅城門の鬼、羅生門の鬼

The story is also told in the Noh play by Kanze Nobumitsu.
The hero Watanabe no Tsuna 渡辺綱 fights against a demon (Ibaraki doji).


- quote -
Watanabe no Tsuna (渡辺 綱) (953-1025)
was a Japanese samurai, a retainer of Minamoto no Yorimitsu (also known as Raikō), one of the earliest samurai to be famed for his military exploits.


- Watanabe Tsuna fighting with Ibaragi Oni at the Rashomon

- In legend
Watanabe features in many of Yorimitsu's legendary adventures, and aids him in fighting many monsters, beasts and demons.

In one such tale, Tsuna accompanies Raikō to the hut of Yamamba, a man-eating hag. There they find a boy known as Kaidomaru, who had been brought up among animals and endowed with superhuman strength. The boy requests that Raikō allow him to become one of his retainers, and Raikō accepts, giving the boy the name Sakata no Kintoki, often shortened to Kintoki.

Some of Watanabe no Tsuna's other comrades in legend are Urabe no Suetake and Usui Sadamitsu. Together, the four are collectively known as the Four Guardian Kings, an allusion to the Buddhist Shitennō.

Watanabe is also said to have assisted Raikō in slaying a tsuchigumo. His most famous feat is most likely the defeat of the demon Ibaraki-doji, the principal follower of Shuten-doji. He fought Ibaraki-doji single-handedly at the Rashomon gate at the southern end of Suzaku-oji, the central North-South street in the old capital Heian-kyo (now Kyoto).

At the end of the intense battle Watanabe no Tsuna cut off the demon's arm before it fled over the gables. Tsuna put the demon's arm away in a Chinese case (唐櫃 karabitsu). The demon later returned to claim the lost arm, and tricked Tsuna to release the arm. This legend is continued in a Japanese tale known as Ooeyama.

- Tsuna and the Ibaraki-doji
- Tsuna's Meitō, the Demon Slayer
- In popular culture


. . . . . carver Otoman, circa 1830, ivory, height 72 mm
- In netsuke
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !


. 高野山 Koyasan　弘法寺 Kobo-Ji　龍生院 Ryusho-In . - Tokyo
The temple was revitalized in 1890 by 渡邊貞浄法尼 the Honorable Nun Watanabe.
Legend knows that in the compound is an old well used for water of the first bath of the Heian-period hero,
渡邊綱 Watanabe no Tsuna,

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source :　kurand.jp/blog

京丹波町
The town of Tanba is proud to be the place where Minamoto Raiko gave it a lot of sake to drink and then get rid of Shuten Doji. The sake is called
鬼殺し Onikoroshi " killing the demon"
from Shuchi 須知 (a town in the Tanba district)

鬼を殺すほど辛い酒 a sake as hot-spicy (karai) as to kill a demon




.................................................... Miyagi 宮城県

In the town of Igu 伊具郡 there lives a family called Watanabe, dating itself back to Watanabe no Tsuna. They never built a gable 破風 on their house, because Watanabe no Tsuna cut off the arm of Shuten Doji and escaped over the gable .



.................................................... Nara 奈良県

Byakugooji 白毫寺 Byakugo-Ji
奈良県奈良市白毫寺町392


- source and more photos : 東風庵

- - - Yamato province birth legend
Shuten Doji was a page acolyte at the temple Byakugō-ji in the Yamato province (presently, Nara Province), but found a corpse at a nearby mountain, and due to curiosity, brought that meat back to the temple, and made his priest teacher eat it without telling him that it was human meat. Afterwards, the page frequently brought back meat, not only from the flesh of corpses, but also by murdering live humans and returning with their flesh. The priest, who thought that it was suspicious, followed after the page, discovered the truth, harshly criticized the page, and abandoned him in a mountain. The page later became Shuten-doji, and it has been said that the place where he was abandoned was thus called “Chigo-saka” (稚児坂　page-hill).



According to another theory,
he was a child of the chief priest of Byakugō-ji, but as he matured, he grew fangs and a horn, and later became a child as rough as a beast. The priest was embarrassed by this child, so the child was abandoned, but the child later came to Mt. Ooe, and became Shuten-doji.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !


. Byakugo-Ji and Haiku .


.................................................... Niigata 新潟県 - Echigo　越後

Kokujooji 国上寺 Kokujo-Ji / 運高山国上寺
新潟県燕市国上１４０７ - Tsubame, Kugami

- Homepage of the temple (one of the oldest in Echigo
- source : kokujouji.com

国上 can be read as Kokujo or Kugami.


CLICK for more photos of the temple !

酒呑童子 / 茨羅鬼童子/ 茨城童子 / 茨木童子 Shuten Doji and Ibaraki Doji
(Ibaragi Dōji)

In the village Kugami Mura 国上村 near mount 国上山 Kugami there lived a man called Sado Hayato 佐渡隼人. He had no children and therefore went to Mount Togakushiyama to pray for a son. When a son was born he called him
外道丸 Gedomaru . Gedomaru lived as an acolyte at the temple Kokujo-Ji from the age of 7, because he was quite a wild boy and beyond his parent's control. When he was 17 he had become a very handsome yong man. The local ladies began to look at this beautiful boy when he came down from the mountain to have a drink of sake at the lokal inn.
He loved only sake, so the local folks called him 酒呑童子 "Saka Doji" "the child of sake".
But he never gave a look at the ladies or cared for their love letters. When he burned the love letters he received from all the females, due to one of the lady who was not able to acquire her love, when the love letters burned, the smoke that came out enveloped him, turning him into an oni　鬼 monster.
Because of this, it was said that he, who had now became an oni, was moving from mountain to mountain in Honshu.

Gedomaru later flew to Mount Togakushi in Shinshu and begun to eat the local people there with crunching sounds.
So they prayed to Togakushi Daigongen 戸隠大権現 and Gedomaru went off.
Other legends locate him at 弥彦山 Yabikoyama in Niigata, but finally he settled at 大江山 Oeyama.
Other legends locate him at 高野山 Mount Koyasan, but 弘法大師 Kobo Daishi threw him out.
Other legends locate him at 比叡山 Mount Hieizan, but 伝教法師 Dengyo Daishi threw him out.
He lived a while at the food of Mount Ibukiyama 伊吹山の麓 as 伊吹童子 Ibuki Doji and then moved on to Oeyama.


- - - - - Echigo birth legend
He, who was born in Echigo in the Heian era (8th century) when Dengyō Daishi and Kōbō-Daishi were active, became a page of the Kokujou-ji (国上寺) (in Tsubame, Niigata) (at the base of Mt. Kugami, there is a Chigo-dou where he is said to have passed through).
While he was 12 years of age, he was a “pretty boy,” and refused all of the females who loved him, and all of the females who approached him died from being so love-stricken. When he burned the love letters he received from all the females, due to one of the females who was not able to acquire her love, when the love letters burned, the smoke that came out enveloped him, turning him into an oni. Because of this, it was said that he, who became an oni, after moving from mountain to mountain centered on Honshu, eventually settled on Mt. Ooe.
One story is
that he was the son of a blacksmith in Echigo, that he was in his mother’s womb for 16 months, and that he had teeth and hair when he was born, was immediately able to walk, was able to talk on the level of a 5-6 year old, had the wisdom and physical strength of a 16 year old, and had a rough temperament, and due to this unusually ready wit, was shunned as an “oni child.” According to Zentaiheiki, afterwards, when he was 6 years of age, he was abandoned by his mother, wandered from place to place, and then walked the path towards being an oni.
There is also a legend that since he was scorned as an oni child, he was put into custody of a temple, but the chief priest of that temple was a user of unorthodox practices, and the child became an oni through learning those unorthodox practices, that he exhausted the limits of evil.
In the town of Wano 和納　(Wanoo, Niigata),
it is said that when a pregnant woman eats a fish called “tochi,” that child will become a robber if it is a boy, and a prostitute if it is a girl. It is also said that a woman who ate the fish, gave birth to a child after it stayed 16 months in her womb, and that child was Shuten-doji.
In Wanoo, there are place names like the Doji estate and the Doji field.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !


- Relation to Ibaraki-doji -
Shuten-doji rampaged together in Kyoto along with Ibaraki-doji, but there are actually several theories about their relation. One of those theories is that Ibaraki-doji was not a male oni, but a female oni, and that Ibaraki-doji was a lover of his son, or Shuten-doji himself. Therefore, it has been said that Shuten-doji and Ibaraki-doji knew of each other’s existence, and aimed for the capital together.

Ibaraki dōji, Ibaraki Dooji 茨木童子 / 茨城童子 "Ibaraki child"
He is said to be the child of the fierce warrior 平将門 Taira no Masakado (?903 - 940).
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !





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西蒲原郡 分水町 Bunsui machi


source :　wiki

katame no gyoshin 片目の魚神 fish god with one eye
He became a a deity to protect the fish who get wounded or loose one eye in dirty rivers.

The village claims a canal where a baby (later to become Shuten) was washed after birth. In this canal there lived a fish with one eye 片目の魚.
Maybe one miracle induced the next . . .

Once a child had gone lost and when folks came to think of it they thought Shuten Doji had kidnapped the boy and eaten him (or maybe made him his male servant).

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栃尾市 Tochio town

In the 軽井沢地区 Karuizawa district there are only 50 families, and 34 of them have the name 茨木性 Ibaraki. There is a place named 茨木清水 Ibaraki Kiyomizu where Shuten Doji and Ibaraki Doji had a sumo wrestling match. After that, Ibaraki Doji stayed in the area and founded this village. His descendants live live in simple farm houses and if they try to build a stronger roof and gate, the family will be punished with bad luck - or so they say.

At the district 一之貝地区 Ichinokai a tale is told at Setsubun.
On the Setsubun Day (now February 3) Watanabe no Tsuna had cut off the arm of Shuten Doji. So the villagers with the name 渡辺 Watanabe are not afraid of this yokai.
Together with the villagers named Ibaraki these families do not have to throw beans for driving away the oni.


. Setsubun 節分 the "Seasonal Divide" .
Throwing beans to drive out the oni.

fuku wa uchi 福は内（ふくはうち）"Good luck, come in!"
oni wa soto 鬼は外（おにはそと）"Demons, go out! "


.................................................... Okayama 岡山県

In the village 下熊谷 Shimokumatani in Niimi 新見市 there lived a woodcutter who went to the forest with his many helpers. One of the helpers found a red and white auspicious mochi in a very lonely place in the woods 紅白餅. It looked so very delicious, he could not help but eat it. All of a sudden his face changed and became very wild, like a mask and he jumped around quite wild. He was like a demon who had lost its way in the woods. Finally his friends tried to bring him back, but he said
"I have become a demon all right, so please do not touch me." and eat the last man who had touched him. The helpers ran to their master and told him the story.
When they all went back to the spot, they found the demon.
"Now I will go back to Oeyama in Tanba!" he shouted, jumped into the sky and disappeared.
They finally realized is must have been Shuten Doji.


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酒呑童子 / 酒典童子 reference
- source : www.nichibun.ac.jp

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. . . CLICK here for Photos !

- reference 酒呑童子 -


ukiyo-e about Shuten Doji
- source : ukiyo-e.org -



.
Ricewine, rice wine (酒 sake, saké, saki) .
- Introduction -

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. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 - (1715-1783) . .



雲の峰に 肘する酒呑童子かな
kumo no mine ni hiji suru Shuuten Dooji kana

Shuten Doji
rests his elbows
on billowing clouds . . .


妖怪ぞろぞろ俳句の本 - - - by 古舘 綾子 (著), 山口 マオ (イラスト)
. Haiku about Yokai and Demons .


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Kaidomaru 坂田怪童丸 Sakata Kaidomaru



A triptych showing the great sumo wrestling match between Momotaro and Kaidomaru, the two youths of prodigious strength. Momotaro, on the right, is identified by the peaches on his garment. (He was known as “The Peach Boy.”)
A pheasant is umpiring the match (a reference to the companions Momotaro makes early in his career: a monkey, dog and pheasant).
While a bear officiates on Kaidomaru’s side (also a reference to the animals he befriends in the forest).
- source : japaneseprints-london -

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. - - - Join my Kappa friends on facebook ! - - - .

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source :　mikosi-jiten

Head of Shuten Doji - Kanda Matsuri Festival Float - 附け祭り Tsuke Matsuri

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. karakuri ningyoo からくり人形 mechanical dolls .


Dolls of 酒呑童子 Shuten Doji (tba)
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

. Mingei 民芸　Regional Folk　Art from Japan .

- #kappashutendoji #shutendoji -
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. Kappa densetsu　河童伝説, Kappa minwa 河童民話 - Legends - Introduction .

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]

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Demon legends Shiga

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Onipedia - 鬼ペディア　- Oni Demons - ABC-List - .
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Shiga 滋賀県の鬼伝説　Oni Demon Legends

Have a drink with Oni beer while you read this!



「青鬼ピルスナー」Blue Demon and 「赤鬼レッドエール」Red Demon

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The most well known story is about Shuten Doji and the Demons of Oeyama.

. Shuten Dooji 酒呑童子 Shuten Doji "Sake Child" Demon
Shuten Dōji 酒顛童子, 酒天童子, 朱点童子 Saka Doji / "Demon Child" 鬼童 Kido .
Kidoomaru 鬼童丸、鬼同丸（きどうまる）Kidomaru
It is related to the famous demons of Oeyama 大江山.
And
Minamoto no Yorimitsu 源頼光 (948 – August 29, 1021), also known as Minamoto no Raikō
Oni no dookutsu 鬼の洞窟 Oni’s cave
Oni-take Inari Jinja (鬼岳稲荷神社)
Oni-iwa 鬼岩 Demon boulder - Hyogo
鬼越山　Onigoeyama - Ibaraki
Watanabe no Tsuna 渡辺綱 (953-1025) fights against a demon (Ibaraki doji)
鬼殺し Onikoroshi " killing the demon" - Sake
The demon 外道丸 Gedomaru lived a while at the foot of Mount Ibukiyama 伊吹山の麓 as 伊吹童子 Ibuki Doji and then moved on to Oeyama.

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dooji kirimaru 童子切丸 Doji Killer Blade
Name of the sword from Minamoto Raiko, used to kill 伊吹童子 Ibuki Doji.
(Below, there are other famous swords called Kirimaru.)



最上家伝来の宝刀「鬼切丸」/ Onimaru 鬼丸 - - Oni Kirimaru - "Demon cutter" of the Mogami clan
源氏重代の宝刀の一つ鬼切
- reference source : samidare.jp/yoshiaki -


The elder brother of Raiko, 美女丸 Bijomaru,
took the sword and became quite wild. His father 源光仲 Mitsunaka ordered 藤原仲光 Fujiwara no Nakamitsu to kill Bijomaru, but Nakamitsu killed his own son instead and presented it to Bijomaru. Bijomaru finally changed his wild ways and became a monk at 比叡山 Hieizan.

- quote -
美女丸　Bijomaru and 幸寿丸　Kojumaru (小童寺　Shodoji Temple)
There is a tragic tale told of Shodoji Temple located in Nishiuneno.
Minamoto-no-Mitsunaka, who was the Lord of Settsu and the person who built Tada-In （Tada Shrine） in the 10th century, sent his son, Bijomaru, to Nakayamadera Temple （Takarazuka City, to receive training to become a Buddhist priest. Bijomaru, however, spent all his time playing martial arts, and was not serious at all in his training to become a priest.
One day, when Bijomaru became 15 years old, his father, Mitsunaka asked him how much progress he made in his training. When Mitsunaka realized that Bijomaru could not read Buddhist scriptures, nor compose a tanka （a 31-syllable Japanese poem） nor play music, he became furious and ordered his chief vassal, Nakamitsu Fujiwara, to kill Bijomaru by cutting his head.
Nakamitsu was in big difficulties, since he could not take the life of a son of his lord.
As Kojumaru, one of the sons of Nakamitsu, knew the plight of his father, he told his father to kill him instead. Nakamitsu found Kojumaru join his hands in prayer, and close his eyes. Holding back his tears, Nakamitsu slew his son, and let Bijomaru secretly go off to Mount Hiei （Shiga Prefecture）.
Bijomaru later found out what had happened, and devoted himself to ascetic practices to become a priest. He became a high-ranking priest, called Genken-sozu, and built Shodoji Temple to enshrine the spirit of Kojumaru.
The temple of this legend is highlighted by ever-changing scenery of the seasons, from cherry blossoms in spring to vibrant yellows and reds in autumn.
- source : city.kawanishi.hyogo.jp -



source : MUROMACHI Nakayo
美女丸と幸寿丸


- A friend remarked:
... about Minamoto no Yorimitsu (raiko) and his father Mitsunaka ...
... until 1068 this family was 摂関　Sekkan (Sesshō+Kampaku), after it was Go-Sanjō-tennō (71th) and they took back the dictature until 1185
- anyway it means they were the highest level in the hierarchy
and the Minamoto-shi was Chinjufu-shōgun (so kokushi) meaning vassal of all the people of Fujiwara-shi.
So as the nippon-no-rekishi is very complex, this story is tricky, as a Fujiwara cannot be in the service of a Minamoto.
Any answers to this?


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hebi kirimaru 蛇切丸 serpent cutter sword

Niigata, 松之山町 Matsunoyama
The serpent wanted the princess of the pond 蒲生池 / 蒲生の池 Kamo-no-ike as his bride. But the Nakodo was refused. In his anger he killed all the members of the family.
He borrowed the famous serpent-cutting sword Hebikirimaru 蛇切丸 and fought with the enemy.

. nakōdo 仲人 Nakodo, legends about matchmakers .




宝剣蛇切丸 宇佐神社 Usa Jinja, Kagawa, Sanuki town



歌川芳艶　Utagawa Yoshitsuya (1822 - 1866)


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kumo kirimaru 蜘蛛切丸 spider cutter, spider-killing sword

The sword Kimaru, Onimaru 鬼丸 used to kill the Tsuchigumo monster 土蜘蛛退治.
This sword is also called Hizamaru (膝丸)

- quote -
There are various theories to the story of the tsuchigumo, and in the Heike Monogatari, there is as following (they were written as 山蜘蛛).
When Yorimitsu suffered from malaria, and lay on a bed, a strange monk who was 7 shaku (about 2.1 meters) tall appeared, released some rope, and tried to capture him. Yorimitsu, despite his sickness, cut him with his famous sword, the Hizamaru (膝丸), causing the monk to flee. The next day, Yorimitsu led his Four Guardian Kings to chase after the blood trail of the monk, and arrived at a mound behind shrine Kitano jinja where there was a large spider that was 4 shaku wide (about 1.2 meters). Yorimitsu and the others caught it, pierced it with an iron skewer, and exposed it to a riverbed. Yorimitsu's illness left him immediately, and the sword that cut the spider was from then on called the Kumo-kiri (蜘蛛切り, spider-cutter).
The true identity of this tsuchigumo was said to be an onryō of the aforementioned local clan defeated by Emperor Jimmu.
This tale is also known from the very fifth noh, "Tsuchigumo."
- source : wikipedia -



歌川国義　Utagawa Kuniyoshi


- quote -
the sword Onimaru 鬼丸
Onimaru is one of the 'Tenka-goken', the five famous swords of Japan.
Its legend is about an ogre which made Hojyo Tokiyori, 5th regent in Kamakura era, suffer from nightmares. One night, he saw a dream of an old man, who turned out to be a spirit of the katana. After following the his advice in real world, the katana fell down and cut down the silver decoration of an ogre.
Since then, he never saw a nightmare again.
Imperial Household Agency is currently keeping this Onimaru. Unfortunately, it has only been displayed three times.
- source : wasa-bi.com/topics -


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kishin 鬼神 "Demon Deity"

Once Fujiwara no Chikata used his four Demon Deities to haunt travellers in the region.
But Tamuramaro came to punish him.

. Sakanoue no Tamuramaro 坂上田村麻呂 (758 - 811) .
... a general and shogun of the early Heian Period of Japan.


Fujiwara no Chikata no Yonki 藤原千方の四鬼 The four demons of Fujiwara Chikata



- quote -
Fujiwara no Chikata - kutsu 窟 cave (Takao, Iga City)
This is the castle of Fujiwara no Chikata, who appears in the Taiheiki, or Records of Great Peace.



In the Heian Period, noble family Fujiwara no Chikata started war with the imperial court, used the
yonki (four devils: kinki 金鬼 gold devil, fuuki 風鬼 wind devil, suiki 水鬼 water devil,
ongyoki 隠形鬼 / 怨京鬼 stealth devil, invisible devil)
to distress the imperial armies.
The waka poem of 紀朝雄 / 紀友雄 Kinotomo, who had come to put down Fujiwara no Chikata, said
“All things, whether grass or tree, are ruled by the Emperor,
and not even a devil can turn his back to the Emperor and live in this land”
to disperse the four devils and Fujiwara no Chikata was defeated. The four devils are said to have been the original archetype for ninja.
The Chikata monument was built in 1760, and commemorates Fujiwara no Chikata and Wakamiya deities.
- source : iganinja.jp/en/place/spo -
(Others say these devils have been kori 狐狸 foxes or badgers.)



- - - More in the Japanese WIKIPEDIA !

. kitsune to oni 狐と鬼　伝説 Legends about fox and demon .

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kijin 鬼人 "human demon"

Once upon a time
King Ashoka (阿育王 Aiku-O) from India asked a human demon to throw three rocks to 琵琶湖 lake Biwako in Japan.
This is the beginning of an island called Shiraishi 白石島 "white stone island".



沖の白石 Oki no Shiraishi - rocks in the middle of Lake Biwako
There are now four rocks, sticking out from about 80 meters below the water level.
Now a favorite resting place for birds, which turned the rocks white from bird droppings.


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蒲生郡 Gamou district 日野町 Hino

At the shrine 綿向神社 Watamuki Jinja there is an ema 絵馬 votive tablet of a half-naked woman, only clad in koshimaki 腰巻 waste wrapper, and an Oni with only a fundoshi 褌1丁 male underware doing a bout of 相撲 sumo wrestling.
- If any one can locate this ema, please share ! -



馬見岡綿向神社 Umamioka Watamuki Jinja
滋賀県蒲生郡日野町村井711　 / 711 Murai, Hino-chō, Gamou-gun, Shiga

- quote -
Umamioka Watamuki Shrine at the foot of Mt. Watamuki in Hino Town, Shiga Prefecture, is a historic shrine founded in 545. The enshrined deities are Amenohonohi no Mikoto, Amenohinadori no Mikoto and Takemikumaushi no Mikoto.
It was originally founded at the top of Mt. Watamuki and was transferred to the present place in 796.
The spring festival of the shrine
"Hino Festival” held on May 2 to 4 every year is the most gorgeous festival on the eastern side of Lake Biwa. The festival dates back to 1170, since when ancient rituals and customs have been passed down to the present time.
On the main festival day on May 3,
a lot of Shinto rites are performed in traditional ways. The highlight is the parade with the 3 holy children and the guarding attendants in samurai costumes in the lead, who are followed by a sacred horse, shrine priests and the 3 mikoshi from the attached shrines and sumptuous 16 festival floats, which were donated by wealthy Omi merchants about 130 to 200 years ago. The festival is prefecturally designated as an intangible cultural property.
- source : nipponkichi -


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伊香郡 Ika district 西浅井町 Nishiazai

kimon 鬼門，忌門 the Demon gate
When building a new home, people have to take great care in the Northern direction .

. kimon 鬼門 the Demon Gate .
The north is considered an un-auspicious region and needs protection from real and imagined enemies, fiends and demons. 　


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甲賀市 Koga town 甲南町 Konan

oniban 鬼 / オニバン
Ganzan Daishi was explaining the sutras. To drive out the akuma 悪魔 devil he transformed himself into an Oni.
Amulets with this figure are now used for healing purposes (病気平癒・虫除け).



. Ganzan Daishi, Gansan Daishi 元三大師 .
Ryōgen 良源 Priest Ryogen (912 – 985)


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大津市 Otsu

. Otsu-E 大津絵 Oni Paintings from Otsu - Gallery .
Oni no nenbutsu, nembutsu　鬼の念仏 Demon saying Amida prayers
鬼の寒念仏 demon praying in the cold and more Oni motives .

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At the temple 明王院 Myo-O-In in the village of 葛川 Kuzugawa there is an ema 絵馬 votive tablet showing an aka-oni 赤鬼 red demon with white fundoshi ふんどし underpants and a waist wrapper made from 豹の毛皮 panther skin. His opponent is a huge man with strong muscles, all naked. They have a rope around the neck
kubihiki 首引き and pull in a contest of strength, a kind of "Neck tug of war".

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kishin 鬼神 "Demon Deity" - waka no toku 和歌の徳 -
At Karasaki there is a famous 唐崎の松 matsu pine tree.



Once it was about to wither but through the power of Waka poetry the Kishin was moved and helped it to regain its lush green color.

. Matsuo Basho visiting Karasaki .
The pines of Karasaki are another of the famous eight landscapes of Omi (omi hakkei　近江八景） Eight Views of Omi Province.


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高島市 Takashima town

ura kimon 裏鬼門 the back-side kimon deomn gate
The kitchen entry and main pillar of the home are the KIMON.Taking the opposite direction is the ura kimon.
There in the garden you should not plant anything, because that will cause bad luck.

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高島郡 Takashima district マキノ町 Makino

onibaba 鬼婆 demon hag
She invites travellers to stay over night in her home and then kills and eats them.

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- reference : Nichibun Yokai Database -
- reference - 滋賀県の鬼　-

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. Sumoo　相撲 　Sumo wrestling - Introduction .


sumoo 鬼の相撲 Sumo wrestling of the Demons



地獄谷 鬼と熊の相撲 Oni and a bear doing a bout of Sumo at a hot spring in Noboribetsu, Hokkaido.

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群馬県　Gunma　草津　the hot spring of Kusatsu

Oni no Sumoba 鬼の相撲場　The Devil's Sumo Ring




source :　blog.livedoor.jp/kusatsu932

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岐阜県 Gifu 和良村 Waramura

Once upon a time at night, 赤鬼と青鬼 the red Oni and the blue Oni were doing a bout of Sumo near a cliff.
The red Oni fell down. When the villagers looked the next morning, there was a dead human.
This must have been the bad doing of a fox.

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山形県 Yamagata 真室川町 Mamurogawa

Once upon a time a husband went hunting at night. When he came back he found that his pregnant wife had been eaten by an 鬼婆 Onibaba Hag. But she had not eaten the baby in her belly. The child grew up to become a big, strong man. He went after the Onibaba, gave her iron bullets to eat and killed her. Finally he had taken revenge at the enemy of his mother !
They say he was the ancestor of Sumo wrestlers.
And the Onibaba turned out to be a dead fox.

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鍾馗と鬼の相撲　Shoki and the Demon doing a bout of Sumo.

. Shooki 　鍾馗　Shoki The Demon Queller .

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- reference : Nichibun Yokai Database -


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kubihiki 鬼の首引き neck tug of war of the demons - a special kind of Sumo



This is maybe the first children's book where 鬼の娘 the daughter of an Oni is the hero. She was supposed to have her first meal of a human 「お食い初め」and the story tells about the ruses the human, a young man, who tries to survive. He has to win a neck tug of war with many Oni.
Text by 岩城範枝 / Illustrations by 井上洋介

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Yanagi Soetsu Muneyoshi 柳宗悦 (1889-1961)
wrote about 大津絵 Otsu-E paintings and Oni at the rituals during Setsubun 追分絵.
One of them was the neck tug of war.

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福島県 Fukushima いわき市 Iwaki

At the 住吉神社 Sumiyoshi Shrine there is an ema 絵馬 votive tablet.
On the left side of the rope sits a strong man with a sword at his side, and a hachimaki 鉢巻 headband.
On the right side sits an Oni with protruding eyes.

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朝比奈義秀の鬼の首引き Asahina Yoshihide

. Asahina Saburo Yoshihide - 朝比奈三郎義秀 - 13th century .
Asahina's name is associated with some incredible feats.





- More ONI carvings on this festival float 「だるま連」屋台彫刻 :
正面鬼板・懸魚「鍾馗の鬼退治」
- reference source : asdk.sakura.ne.jp/fukude -

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source : hokuriku.my-fav.jp/event

俵屋宗達 Tawaraya Sotatsu (around 1620)

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武士と鬼の首引 Bushi and Oni Kubihiki
and
Bushi and Tengu Sumo 武士と天狗の相撲
菱川師宣 Hishikawa Moronobu (around 1695)

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- reference : Nichibun Yokai Database -


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. - - - Join the Onipedia friends on facebook ! - - - .

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. Onipedia - 鬼ペディア　- Oni Demons - ABC-List - .

. Tengu 天狗と伝説 Tengu legends "Long-nosed Goblin" .

. - yookai, yōkai 妖怪 Yokai monsters - .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

. Mingei 民芸　Regional Folk Art from Japan .

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