Sugoroku game legends

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. Japanese legends and tales 伝説 民話 昔話 - Introduction .
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sugoroku　 双六と伝説 Legends about the game Sugoroku


Sugoroku board with the IROHA alphabet


sugoroku 双六 / 雙六 (すごろく) Sugoroku board game
e sugoroku 絵双六（えすごろく）Sugoroku with pictures
kami sugoroku 紙双六（かみすごろく）Sugoroku from paper
doochuu sugoroku 道中双六（どううちゅうすごろく）with pictures from the 53 stations of the Tokaido Road



. Games and Kigo for the New Year .

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Sugoroku (双六) refers to two different forms of Japanese board game, one similar to western backgammon and the other similar to western Snakes and ladders. Sugoroku plays identically to backgammon (it even has the same starting position), except for the following differences:

Doubles are not special. If a player rolls doubles, each die still counts only once.
There is no "bearing off". The goal is to move all of one's men to within the last six spaces of the board.
There is no doubling cube.
It is not permitted to form a prime of six contiguous points to obstruct one's opponent.

The game is thought to have been introduced from China (where it was known as Shuanglu) into Japan in the sixth century. There are pictures and a cursory description of the rules at
http://www.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/html/en/11Kaleidoscope2118.html

It is known that in the centuries following the game's introduction into Japan it was made illegal several times, most prominently in 689 and 754. This is because the simple and luck-based nature of sugoroku made it an ideal gambling game. This version of sugoroku and records of playing for gambling continuously appeared until early Edo era. In early Edo-era, a new and quick gambling game called Hanchō (半丁) appeared and using sugoroku for gambling quickly dwindled.

This variant of the backgammon family has died out in most other countries, but it is still popular in Japan, partially due to a boost caused by the inclusion of a free Sugoroku board with the first issue of the newspaper Kingu (in 1925) which sold 740,000 copies.

A simpler sugoroku, with the similar rules as Snakes and ladders appeared as early as late 13th century and helped by the cheap and elaborate wooden block printing technology of Edo period, it became a popular game. Thousands of variations of boards were made with pictures and themes from religion, political, actors, and even adult material. In Meiji and later period, this variation of game remained popular often included as a game in kid-oriented magazines.

In 1968, Takara introduced Jinsei Game (人生ゲーム Jinsei Gēmu) as a Japanese version of The Game of Life and this became an instant hit by using a roulette instead of dice and by offering alternative goals beside quickly reaching the goal. This game was periodically updated introducing many timely topics and sold over 10 million sets to date. In the electric gaming genre, Momotaro Dentetsu series is the most popular computer sugoroku game in Japan.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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- reference source : 百種怪談妖物双六 -
Sugoroku board with Yokai monsters !

. yōkai 妖怪 Yokai monsters - Introduction - .

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Oku-bookoo Shusse Sugoroku 奥奉公出世双六 Sugoroku about the carrier in the Oku harem of Edo castle


歌川豊国 Utagawa Toyokuni III / 弘化元年（1844）

This board includes all the stages of a city girl coming to the famous Oku harem and making her way (or not) in the labyrinth of titles.
奥務めの女性の出世を題材とした双六です。各マスには様々な奥仕えの身分や役職が描かれています。双六とはいえ、大奥における役職や役目について詳しく知ることのできる、たいへんおもしろい資料です。
江戸時代の女性にとって大奥はあこがれの場所でもありました。
この双六は「お目見え o-memie」「御はした go-hashita」などの下働きから、「御仲居（おなかい）o-nagai」や「御末」o-sue（おすえ）などを経て、「部屋子（へやご）heyago」「呉服間（ごふくのま）gofuku no ma」
「御三の間（おさんのま）osan no ma」「御次（おつぎ）o-tsugi」などになります。
一番上の身分は - at the very top are
「中臈（ちゅうろう）chuuroo」「御部屋様 o-heya sama」（将軍の子をなした中臈）「老女（ろうじょ）roojuu 」「御側（おそば）o-soba」です。
ここに出世するまで、実に様々な役職・役目があることがわかります。
江戸時代は身分制社会です。「御三家」や「御三卿」の家に生まれないかぎり将軍になることはできませんが、女性ならば武士の家に生まれなくとも将軍の母になる可能性はあるかもしれないという江戸時代の女性の夢物語を描いているのかも知れません。
このような双六を「出世双六」と呼び、江戸時代から明治時代にかけて多種多様な出世双六が刊行されました。
- reference source : library.metro.tokyo.jp/portals/0/edo -

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Jodo Sugoroku 浄土双六 Sugoroku about the Buddhist Paradise
Buppo Sugoroku 仏法双六

Popular before the 百鬼夜行 Hyakki Yagyo of Toriyama Sekien became popular.
. Gazu Hyakki Yagyō 画図百鬼夜行 by Sekien .
A lot of monsters appear in Paradise:
登場する奇怪に名前があるのは浄土絵双六が最初であるだろう。その名の大略は赤口、ぬらりひょん、牛鬼、山彦、おとろん、わいらうわん、目一ツ坊、ぬけ首、ぬっぺらぼう、ぬりほとけ、ぬれ女、ひょうすべ、しょうけら、ふらり火、りうんぼう、さかがみ、身の毛だち、あふあふ、どうもこうも、これらの名はその姿からついたものが多いようだ。他にも猫また、野きつね、雪女、かっぱ、山わらわ、犬がみ、山姥、火車、みこし入道などがいる。


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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :

. funadama 船玉 / 船霊 / 船魂 guardian deity of a boat .
likes to play Sugoroku


............................................................................... Gifu 岐阜県
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上宝村 Kamitakaramura 双六 Sugoroku village

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Sugoroku Keikoku Valley
This is a valley formed by the Sugoroku River that flows from Mt. Sugorokudake of the Northern Japan Alps.
The beautiful emerald green water of the Sugoroku River is so clear that you can see right down to the riverbed.
In summer it becomes a lively spot as families bring their children to play in the river, and in autumn the whole of Sugoroku Valley is covered in the brilliant colors of the autumn leaves.
- source : okuhida.or.jp/en ... -

Near the cave in the Sugoroku valley there is a Jizo statue to represent Heike no Ochudo 平家の落人 the defeated soldiers of the Heike.
If people come to pray here, there illness will be healed.
. Heike Ochudo densetsu　平家落人伝説 legends about Heike Ochudo .

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Kobo Daishi 弘法大師 and Zaimoku-Iwa 材木岩 - Timber Rocks

Once Kobo Daishi came to Sugoroku village. He made a bet with the local Amanojaku Demon that he would build a temple hall in one night. But the Amanojaku imitated the call of a rooster as a sign of morning and Kobo Daishi was deceived in thinking his time was up.
Kobo Daishi got so angry that he turned all the wood for the temple hall into stones and boulders. This is the origin of natural stone formation, looking like pieces of wood.
and
岩波橋 Iwanamibashi and Amanojaki 天の邪気 （あまのじゃき）

At 双六の岩波橋 the bridge Iwanamibashi at Sugoroku there is a rock formation looking like a game board for the game Sugoroku ( 双六の盤).
Once some Amanojaku collected rocks from a mountain in the West to make a board to play Sugoroku. The one who lost the game got angry and threw the bord far away, where it hit a stone cliff, dissolved into many small stones and is still now at the side of the river, called 賽の淵 Sai no Fuchi.
This is the origin of the name of this small village, Sugoroku.
and
天邪鬼と天人 Amanojaku to Tenjin

This is another version of the above, where Amanojaku and Tenjin played a game of Sugoroku. When Amanojaku cheated to win, Tenjin got angry and threw the board away. The dice they had used became the stone formation Sai ga Fuchi サイが渕 (same as the Sai no Fuchi above).
Once a gropu of professional gamblers made fun of this story and peed on the rocks.
Suddenly the weather turned wild, it began to snow and all the crops of the year were lost.
The gamblers were arrested, tortured and finally died of mental disorders.

- Look at the Timber Rocks here :
. Legends about the Amanojaku Demon 天邪気と伝説.

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Gifu 吉城郡 Yoshiki district 上宝村 Kamitakara village

. ryuujin 竜神 /龍神 と伝説 Ryujin, Legends about the Dragon Deity .
At the hole of 龍神ヶ渕 the riverpool of the Dragon Deity in Sugoroku there is 竜宮 a dragon palace.
Some children have played in the hole, but the Dragon Deity pulled them inside and they died.
They say this hole connects with チカツエ岩 Shikatsue Iwa Rock at 岩井戸 Iwaido.




............................................................................... Kanagawa 神奈川県
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鎌倉市 Kamakura city

. maedashi Jizo 前出地蔵 naked female Jizo Bosatsu .
at the temple 延命寺 Enmei-Ji




............................................................................... Miyazaki 宮崎県
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. hebi 蛇と伝説 Legends about snakes and serpents .
二宮久太夫 Ninomiya Kyudayu was looking for a lodging in Miyagi (former 日向国 Hyuga no Kuni) and one family let them in.
But the head of the house was ill. There were his two daughters, with serpents wrapped around their neck playing 双六 Sugoroku.
The head of the house explained that the two were possessed, and if one would fear the serpent, the animal would strangle it. If both would fear the serpent, they would both be strangled.
Kyudayu left the home next morning saying thanks. When he came back a few days later, the house was gone and there was only a riverpool.
The other villagers told him that there had been an earthquake and flooding and the home was destroyed.

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

Different legends from Sugoroku village: 双六谷民俗聞き書 by 塩谷周三

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Uchu Ryoko Sugoroku - Space travel game

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Sugoroku for Newly Selected Famous Sake (Shinsen Meishu Sugoroku)

This work introduces 80 brands of Japanese sake in the form of a sugoroku. In the end of the Edo period, the number of sake brands increased and we can find those that are still produced today such as "Hakushika" and "Shirayuki".
In the middle of the Edo period, sake brewing became a big industry. In line with the development of maritime traffic and establishment of wholesale dealers, a large amount of sake produced in Nada and Itami was loaded into ships, transported to Edo as "kudarizake", and gained popularity among general public.
Baisotei Gengyo was a famous calligrapher and painter. Originally, he helped his family business of kyojiya who mounted calligraphy works and paintings on scrolls and books but later worked exclusively in creating calligraphic works and paintings and also producing block copy for novels. He also contributed to the establishment of typography by making block copy in katakana form.
- Tokyo Metropolitan Library -

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双六の戻りて大井川越せず
sugoroku no modorite Ooigawa kosezu

coming back
to Sugoroku
I can not cross River Oigawa

Ikeda Hidesui 池田秀水 (1933 - )

River Oigawa refers to the game of the 53 stations of the Tokaido road.



道中雙六 Dochu Sugoroku with pictures from the 53 stations of the Tokaido Road



Utagawa Sadahide (1807–1873) : 東海道五十三次名所一覧双六

. 東海道五十三次 The 53 stations of the Tokaido Road .


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Sugoroku for Success in the First Sale of the New Year
(Hatsuakinai Shusse Sugoroku 初商出世双六)
by Kosanba and painted by Utagawa Kuniteru 1854
This is a Sugoroku (a Japanese boardgame similar to western Snakes and Ladders) of the lineup of products sold at the cosmetics store founded by a popular novelist, 式亭三馬 Shikitei Sanba and was succeeded by his son, 小三馬 Kosanba. The prices are also displayed.
The Seven Gods of Good Fortune are depicted on this Sugoroku, and thus, this work is assumed to be a New Year's gift distributed as a form of advertisment.
Shikitei Sanba is famous as the author of "Ukiyo-buro" and "Ukiyo-doko", which are representative of the comic novels that were popular in the late Edo period. He opened a fancy goods store that deal in cosmetics in Nihonbashi and brought prosperity to his business.
In his own novel, Sanba cleverly incorporated advertising by writing a story in which a character in the novel became beautiful by using the products sold at Sanba's store. In particular, "Edo no Mizu (Water of Edo)" sold well, and it can be found on the extreme right at the top of the sugoroku (Japanese board game similar to western Snakes and Ladders) introduced here.
- source : library.metro.tokyo.lg.jp... -


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Plum Series: Beautiful Customs Sugoroku (Ume-zukushi Kichirei Sugoroku)

Painted by Hanabusa Icchō 1765
This is a print related to haikai called "Haikai Ichimai Zuri."
Such handouts often had pictures and most of them were distributed amongst haiku poets. This work is in the form of a sugoroku is full of ingenious ideas, and is very attractive to players.
In the left side of the page, you can find the letters of "Shun Kyō," which were haikai composed by fellow haikai members at a New Year's meeting, collected as a booklet or a piece of paper, printed, and then presented to each other.
This work is a kind of sugoroku consisting of "Shun Kyo" by the members belonging to the Edo-za Haikai whose main member was Sekijukan Shūkoku (1711 to 1796) who was active as a haiku poet in the middle of Edo period. The theme of this meeting seemed to be a plum blossoms and thus the sugoroku (Japanese board game similar to western Snakes and Ladders) was made up of 29 sections full of plum blossoms starting at "Kōbunboku", another name for plum.
Edo-za, a school of haikai, was established mainly by Takarai Kikaku, a follower of Bashō, after his death and placed more emphasis on the witty remarks of haikai.
- source : library.metro.tokyo.lg.jp ... -

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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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