Yoka sama day eight

- BACK to the Daruma Museum -
. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話 昔話 - Introduction .
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Yooka sama. Yōka 八日様 Yoka Sama, the Honorable Day Eight
O-Yooka sama お八日様

The eighth day of each month is called yooka, Yoka (not hachinichi).

- - - Many rituals are held to ward off the Deity of Disease:
. Yakubyogami 疫病神 Deity of Diseases .
eyami no kami えやみのかみ
gyooyakujin 行疫神 gyoyakujin
ekijin, yakujin 疫神

- - - In other regions rituals are held for the Deity of Bad Luck:
. yakujin 厄神 Deity of Bad Luck .
He can either bring bad luck or prevent it from happening.

..............................................................................................................................................

There are some puns with the pronunciation:
なにかようか、ここのかとうか　nanika yooka koko no ka too ka?
何か用か九日十日 (なにかようか　ここのかとうか)

.......................................................................

the ennichi 縁日 "Sacred Day" for Yakushi Nyorai is the eighth.
お薬師さまが八日
. Yakushi Nyorai 薬師如来 Bhaisajyaguru .
the Buddha of Medicine and Healing

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

yookatoo, yooka too 八日塔 tower for Day Eight
Usually a stone memorial.



Yoka, Day Eight, is the Sacred Day of 湯殿山 Mount Yudono.
Kobo Daishi opened the Sacred Place of Yudono in the Year 807, on the 8th day of the fourth lunar month 大同二年四月八日.

There are also prayer groupd on Day Eight, 八日講, in Yamagata, Fukushima and Nagano, related to the rituals of Yudono.

These are Sacred Stones at Dewa Sansan, Yudono 出羽三山の湯殿山の供養塔
- source : blogs.yahoo.co.jp/wmoth155 -

. Mount Haguro, Gassan and Yudono 湯殿山 .

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :

.......................................................................... Fukushima 福島県 ......................................
耶麻郡 Yama district 高郷村 Takasato

People prepare ankomochi あんこ餅 rice cakes with red Anko bean paste for the 厄神様 Deity of Bad Luck.
This deity is known for disliking these types of Mochi very much, so he will stay out of such a home.






.......................................................................... Tochigi 栃木県 ......................................
芳賀郡 Haga district 茂木町 Motegi

Soba to ward off the akki 悪鬼 bad demon
The 8th day of the 2nd month is called Yooka sama 八日様 Yoka Sama, the Honorable Day Eight.
People prepare Soba in the evening, make a small 八日塔 Yoka-To tower of Kumasasa 熊笹 grass and place the Soba there. They also pierce leek and Tofu on Kumasasa grass and place it at the kitchen door. They make a small basket and hang it on the roof with a pole - all to ward off the Evil Demon.




.......................................................................... Nagano 長野 ......................................

Villagers make a long straw rope Dragon for a pulling contest, tug-of-war.


source : city.matsumoto.nagano.jp
里山辺追倉（おっくら）のお八日様の綱引きで使う龍
and
入山辺舟付（ふなつけ）のお八日様で使う百足（むかで）入山辺舟付（ふなつけ）.
The messenger of this deity is mukade 百足（むかで） the centipede.




.......................................................................... Yamaguchi 山口県 ......................................
大島郡 Oshima district 久賀町 Kuka

hooki no kami 箒の神 (ホウキノカミ) the Yokai Hokigami
This is a day to spent quietly and not use the word to make sure nothing evil will happen.
Yoka-Sama is also seen as 疫病神 Yakubyogami. He has either very big eyes or only just one like a Yokai.
Hitotsume Kozo 一つ目小僧 is said to be the messenger of this Yakubyogami.

. Hōkigami 箒神 Hokigami, Hahakigami - the Broom Deity .
hahakigami ははきがみ

.......................................................................

okoto no kami, o-koto no kami オコトノカミ a deity taking notes
The Yoka Sama is celebrated on the 8th day in December and February.
He is a deity that goes around all year and writes the names of ill people. The records are then burned in the Dondoyaki fire and the people will heal.
He has very large eyes (some say he has only one eye). Yakubyogami 疫病神 the Deity of Diseases is afraid of deities with eyes larger than his own and will soon run away.
. dondon yaki どんどん焼き　Dondoyaki New Year Fire Ritual .




.......................................................................... Yamanashi 山梨県 ......................................
南都留郡 Minamitsuru district 忍野村 Oshino village

On February 8, a mamono 魔物 demon with one eye comes around and counts the eyes of the family members, so people hang things with many eyes, like baskets, on the entrance of the home to make the demon go away.
But if the demon can count the exact number, people will begin to do strange things.


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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

..............................................................................................................................................


. 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 -

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



. Join the friends on Facebook ! .

- #yookasama #yokasama #dayeight -
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::