Sado Island Legends

- BACK to the Daruma Museum -
. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話 昔話 - Introduction .
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Sado Densetsu 佐渡伝説 legends about Sado Island

. Sadogashima 佐渡島 Sado Island - Niigata　新潟 .
- Introduction -

Many animals feature in the legends of Sado island.
The most famous is probably Danzaburo, Danzaburō the Tanuki 団三郎狸.

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. tanuki 狸 (たぬき) racoon dog, badger .
mujina ムジナ / 狢 or とんちぼ Tonchibo
are common names for the Tanuki in Sado.

Danzaburoo, Danzaburō the Tanuki 団三郎狸 - Danzaburo-danuki

On Sado Island there is a song about a Tanuki who went out to buy some sake:

「狸が徳利持って酒買いにいくよな
けにはゆかりょか　佐渡えーよ」

Tonchibo トンチボ, Tonchiboo トンチボウ Tanuki from Sado
Tonchibo is also a local name for the Deity of the Forest, Yama no Kami 山の神, and thus a taboo word for the local fisherman.

When farmers walk along a road while drunk with sake, the Tonchibo とんちぼ / 頓智坊 likes to surprize them and make them fall into water puddles.
He likes to play his tricks on people, so they take a radio and maches to make fire when entering the forest to work there.
Lately this animal does not find enough food in the forest and comes out to check the fields of farmers too. It is quite a nuisance.

団三郎狸 Danzaburo and the
. Sado Bugyo 佐渡奉 Governor from Sado .


. Tanuki and Sake Legends 狸とお酒 .

. toigiki 問い聞き / 問聞 / トイギキ と伝説 Legends about Shamanism
kamioroshi, kami oroshi カミオロシ / 神おろし / 神降ろし "calling Yamanokami to earth" .


There is even a banzuke 番付 list of the most famous MUJINA of Sado:




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- quote -
Danzaburo is the head of all Tanuki on Sado Island and credited with ridding the island of all foxes. There are numerous tales. In one, Danzaburo lent money to many people, but many failed to pay him back, so Danzaburo stopped lending.
He is also held responsible for mirages at Futatsu-iwa 二つ岩 in Aikawa 相川 (Sado Island).
- source : Mark Schumacher -


河鍋暁斎画『狂斎百図』より「佐渡国同三狸」- by Kawanabe Kyosai
CLICK for more photos !


. Sado Bugyo 佐渡奉行 The Sado Governor .
In 1601 the Sago Bugyo 大久保石見守 Okubo Iwami no Kami built an office in 相川 Aikawa.
He had brought some Tanuki with him from his former domain, 石見の国 Iwami no Kuni.
And the legend about the Tanuki Shrine for Futatsuiwa Daimyojin 二ツ岩大明神.


- quote -
Double stones - Danzaburo 二つ岩団三郎 Futatsu-Iwa Danzaburo Tanuki



This shrine is for old Japanese raccoon ”Danzaburo”.
Japanese raccoon which used to live in Futatsu-iwa in Aikawa. Boss of the raccoon which has over 100 fellows. He prevailed against foxes and held off them from sado.
He is known as a boss of over 100 raccoons on this island.
Actually, his character is also used for animation “Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko”Pom Poko by Hayao Miyazaki.
Danzaburo is the God of Japanese raccoon and believed to bring us lots of profits.

People who pray something dedicate handmade wooden “Torii”.( A torii is a symbolic Shinto shrine gate which consists of two upright pillars connected by two horizontal beams on top)

Especially low Toriis are uncountable and endless. The names of mayor candidates can be seen here and there too. Hundreds worshippers come here 12th of each month, there are always votive offering. The end of this long path, you will see 2 huge stones, and this is the “GOD”.

We have another story too:
One Dr. used to live in Shiba town in Aikawa.
His fellow came to him and took him to the critical patient. However, it’s pretty far and when he got there, the house looked gorgeous castle. Middle age guy came out and showed his beautiful injured daughter. He put ointment on her and was about to leave, then they started treating him by Sake and soup. They came to Dr.’s place to see him off, so he tried treating them back with tea, but they had already gone when he looked back..
- source : aikawa-yamaki.com -


source : shotakotake.deviantart

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- - - - - Danzaburō Danuki
Most Kori no Tatakai involved Danzaburo Danuki and his defense of the tanuki kingdom on Sado Island from invasion by kitsune. Danzaburo Danuki is a legendary figure, possibly based on a real person who lived on Sado Island in the 1650s.
Danzaburo (the human) is said to have brought the tanuki to Sado Island as a dealer in meats and pelts. He released several tanuki cubs that soon populated the island. Or at least that was his cover—legends grew that said that Danzaburo was not a human at all, but a powerful bakedanuki (化け狸; transforming tanuki) smuggling his tanuki clan to the island to create a tanuki paradise free from the foxes and dogs that plagued them.
- Read the full story here:
- source : hyakumonogatari.com / Zack Davisson -

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Mamizoo Futatsuiwa 二ッ岩　マミゾウ Futatsuiwa Mamizou
is a Bake-danuki, summoned by Nue Houjuu who originally lived in Sado in the Outside World in order to act as the Myouren Temple's trump card against the newly-arrived residents of the Hall of Dreams' Great Mausoleum, particularly Toyosatomimi no Miko. She is able to morph both herself and other creatures into different forms and can disguise herself as a human.
- snip -
Due to sayings from her specifications and sayings that indicate that she has bad relations with kitsune, Mamizou is probably based on Japan's three famous tanuki, of Sado Island, one of the most famous tanuki in Japanese folklore, along with [Danuki] of Yashima and [Tanuki] of Awaji Island. He was the boss of tanuki on Sado, who drove off the foxes from the island.
In another, Danzaburo was a money lender, who freely loaned money to the people. He was also said to be responsible for mirages at Futatsu-iwa, a rock formation in Aikawa, Sado.
Those tanuki however were great youkai who possessed divinity and were recorded as "Futatsuiwa Daimyojin" (二ッ岩大明神).
- snip -
mami (猯, lit. "badger" or "racoon dog") indicating tanuki and mujina, or the mami (魔魅, lit. "deceiving spirit")
- source : wikipedia -


. 山の神 and Oni Demons - Legends .


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- - - - - More legends from Sado -


source : sado-chiiki-okoshi.blog.jp

Danzaburo Oyabun 大親分, the Great Tanuki Boss from from Futatsu-Iwa 二つ岩団三郎　
had four powerful retainers, "Four Heavenly Kings" (shitennoo 四天王) Shitenno.
Their festivals are held on the 12th of each month.
He also had more than 100 kobun　子分 retainers.
He was also celebrates as a Daimyojin 大明神 "Great Deity".

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Gensuke オモヤの源助 Omoya no Gensuke from 真野町 Mano 新町 Shinmachi


At the back of this monument is a hole, so that the Tanuki can get in there and grab the food offerings.

Gensuke Daimyojin, Gensuke Mujina 源助大明神，源助貉

The family of 山本半右衛門 Yamamoto Hanemon, a Sake distiller, prayed diligently to Gensuke Daimyojin as a protector for the family at a sanctuary in their garden.
- Once the 杜氏 chief brewer went to the storehouse to get some Sake. He was surprized to hear that Danzaburo was welcoming a bride from the Elder of Nishimikawa 西三川 and they were just having their lunch.
But Gensuke came to the rescue and all went well.
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- One evening, a thief sneaked into the house but he saw shadows of people and heared them whispering everywhere, so he could not steal anything and left in fear.

or
相川鹿伏（かぶせ） Aikawa Kabuse no Fukazawa Daimyojin の深沢大明神
Fukazawa is a protector deity for the charcoal makers 炭焼きの守り神.

This Tanuki likes to sleep during the daytime, so when people come to worship at his shrine, they have to hit the drums very loudely to wake him up.

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Sabuto, Seki no Sabuto 関の寒戸 / 左武徒 Sabuto from Seki
(Kita no Sabuto 北の寒戸) Sekinosabuto-zaki 関の寒戸崎 / Seki no Kando 関の寒戸
Seki no Sabuto was married to the eldest daughter of Futatsu-iwa Danzaburo.
? 相川関の寒戸のお杉 / 大杉明神 Osugi Myojin


左武徒大明神 Sabuto Daimyojin Shrine - お杉神社 O-Sugi Shrine

Once there lived a female Tanuki named お杉 O-Sugi (Miss Cedar Tree) near the cliff, but she always shape-shifted into a young woman and lured the villagers.
But once she broke the rules of the Sado Mujina and fell in love with a shipper of 能登 Noto. But 智行山 the Deity from the Mountain became angry. One evening, when O-Sugi spent the night with the shipper on board - what do you know? That evening the back slope of the mountain slipped down and fell into the inlet sea. O-Sugi and the shipper both died in this accident.
The villagers felt pity and build a small shrine, surrounding it with many sugi 杉 cedar trees. This is now お杉神社 O-Sugi Shrine.

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Saikibo 新穂の才喜坊 / 財喜坊 Saikibo from Niibo



His shrine is at the access road to the temple 湖鏡庵 Kokyo-An. It is located in a most scenic spot above the lake 加茂湖八景 Kamoko.
Many people who work in the restaurant and customer business (mizu shoobai 水商売) come here to pray.
The local people call the Tanuki せいちぼ Seichibo, Seichi-Bo .



He sometimes shape-shifts into a young monk and goes to a certain shop to buy fried Tofu and fish in 両津市 Ryotsu town.
The shopkeeper came to get his money twice a year, as is custom, at the New Year and the O-Bon Ancestor Festival in August. But the priest, who has not been to town recently, usually says: "So we have been tricked again!" and pays the bills.

Once a bus driver complained that his bus was always empty in the evening. So Saikibo shape-shifted in a customer, sat in the bus and also spread some leaves on other seats. The leaves turned into other customers and the bus drove happily to its final destination 河原田, where the customers turned back into leaves.

Another source quotes Saikibo as a
onna mujina 女ムジナ female badger
who lives near 高橋 Tahahashi Bridge, called, 高橋おろく Takahashi O-Roku.



source : challengersglory 佐渡広場
view of the Lake and the Bridge

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Zentatsu 赤泊徳和の禅達貉 Zentatsu Mujina from Tokuwa, Akadomari
(Zendatsu)
from Temple Tookooji 東光寺 Toko-Ji



He was of a gentle kind and helped people find their way home on rainy nights.
Zentatsu and Danzaburo held a competition of their powers, and Zentatsu won.
Another time he held a Zen question competition with the priest of Toko-Ji, and the priest won.

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reference : e-sadonet.tv tanuki

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- - - - - More legends from Sado, many from 相川町 Aikawa -

Oyabun Danzaburo 親分団三郎
親分団三郎には医師に手当てをしてもらったとか、金額と返済の日限を書いて穴のところにおくとお金を貸してくれたとかいう話がある。
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佐渡島には狢が群れをなして住んでおり、その首領の名前を団三郎と言った。鎌倉時代の末期、狐が渡って来て、団三郎と妖術の勝負をした。狐は嫁入りの行列をして見せた。そこで団三郎は大名行列をして見せると狐に行った。狐は大名行列のあまりの見事さに驚いて近寄ったら、その行列は本物で、狐は殺されてしまった。それ以来、佐渡島に狐は来なくなった。
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佐渡は狸王国で狐はいないといわれる。昔佐渡に住む団三郎狸が狐を追い払ったためという。団三郎狸は金山の金粒を拾い集めたり、人が落していった小金を貯めて金貸しをしていた。
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相川町の二つ岩には狢が住んでいて、「二つ岩の団三郎狢」として知られている。二つ岩のお守りをする住職の話では、ある人が病気の娘のために、二つ岩に供えてあるまんじゅうを頂いていこうとすると、異様な声を聞いたので頂かないで帰った。しばらくして行ってみると、まんじゅうはなくなっていたという。

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畑野町 - 二つ岩 Hatano, Futatsu-Iwa

andondaki アンドン滝 Andon Taki Waterfall
アンドン滝 の白藤は団三郎が娘を嫁にくれるとき、そのみやげとして挿したもの。
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二つ岩の団三郎狢が、アンドン滝のジロベエ狢に嫁入りのとき、白藤を持ってきた。
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佐渡に二つ岩の団三郎という名のついた狸がいる。一説によると全山で使う吹革の皮にするため狸を連れてきて放した人の名だという。
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狐が佐渡に向かおうとしたので、狢が船の上で化け比べをもちかけ、狐がワラジに化けたら海の中に放り込んで殺してしまった
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madoiwa mado-iwa 窓岩
窓岩からは地底の穴で鶴子近くの団三郎のすみかにつながっている。

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小千谷市 Ojiya

佐渡の殿様が狢を連れて来た。ある夫婦が狢を佐渡の洞穴に放してそれに団三郎という名をつけた。


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............................................................................ inugami 犬神 "Dog Deity"

. Inugami 犬神 "Dog Deity" .

Inugami chooja 犬神長者
長者ケ原に住む犬神長者は佐渡島のできはじめたころ、真野湾一帯に多くの田んぼを持ち、小木湾をその苗代にしていた。ある大田植えの日、その日じゅうに植え終えようとしていたのに、日が傾いた。長者は、鉄の扇を広げて「日の神よしばしとまれ」とあおぐと、太陽はその場に止まり、田植えを無事に終わらせたが、それ以降不吉なことが続き、長者は佐渡を去らねばならなくなった。長者を慕う茶坊主と犬が後を追いかけたが、間に合わず、そのまま石になった。
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長者ケ原に住む犬神長者は佐渡島のできはじめたころ、真野湾一帯に多くの田んぼを持ち、小木湾をその苗代にしていた。ある大田植えの日、その日じゅうに植え終えようとしていたのに、日が傾いた。長者は、鉄の扇で太陽はその場に止まらせ田植えを終わらせたが、それ以降不吉なことが続き、佐渡を去らねばならなくなった。長者を慕う茶坊主と犬が後を追いかけたが、間に合わず、悲しみのあまりそのまま石になった。今でもその石が沖のほうを向いてたっている。


............................................................................ karasu 鴉 / カラス / 烏 craw, raven

Joonenji 常念寺 temple Jonen-Ji
If people hear the voice of a craw crawing with a bad voice in front of the temple gate of Jonen-Ji, someone will soon die.

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kooshin 庚申　Koshin
漁に出たが悪風にあって流され、途方に暮れて一同は庚申さんに一心に立願した。すると烏が飛んで来てまたどこかへ飛んでいった。日が明けると、３００石積の船が見え、助けてもらった。


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- source : Nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -
佐渡島 12 (05)
佐渡郡 288
佐渡 397
佐渡金澤村

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. Legends about Kobo Daishi Kukai - 弘法大師　空海 - 伝説 .

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -
- Introduction -

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