Heian Period Japan

2016-05-06

soba buckwheat noodle legends

Daruma eating buckwheat noodles

Soba is a type of thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. It is served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup.
Soba grows in regions not suited for rice, so it is the "food of the poor" in mountain regions.

. soba 蕎麦 buckwheat - Buchweizen .
- Introduction -

When Isabella Bird (1831 - 1904)
was served Buckwheat noodles and Takuan for the first time (and a few times later), she compared the noodles to "earthworms" and the smell of Takuan to a skunk.

Unbeaten Tracks in Japan.
Six Months Among the Palm Groves, Coral Reefs and Volcanoes of the Sandwich Islands.

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sobachoko, soba choko 蕎麦猪口 small pot with sauce to dip the Soba in

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akuboshi 悪星 "unauspicious star"
In the middle of May an unauspicious "bad star" appeared in the sky in the South. Everybody was afraid, because they were told whoever looked at this star will die.
But they also said that if you eat Soba right after that, you will not die.

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soy beans 大豆 daizu - red beans 小豆 azuki - 蕎麦 Soba - barley 麦 mugi

Around the 25th day of the 1st month in the year 1733 (享保18年1月25日頃) it suddenly rained grains from the sky in the Ise and Kinki region. People picked them up, made flour from them and ate them as dumplings.
On the 24th day of the 2nd month the same happened in Kyoto, from 京都四条河原 Shijo toward 松原 Matsubara.
And again it rained barley 麦 mugi and 蕎麦 Soba from the sky, but someone picked the grains up and they only looked like such.
And in the text year, there was a great famine.
Whatever it was, also known from the history of China, when it rained from the sky, next year was a famine　飢饉.

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If you peel of the husk of buckwheat seeds and place them near a swamp in winter, the next year there will be a lot of dojoo 泥鰌 Dojo loaches to eat.

In the legends below there are some with a fox.

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yotaka soba 夜鷹蕎麦 Soba for "night hawker" prostitutes

source : 77422158.at.webry.info - 蘭鋳郎の日常

. Edo Yatai 江戸屋台 Food stalls in Edo .
The most famous three ones were for Sushi, Tenpura and Soba buckwheat noodles.

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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :

.......................................................................... Aichi 愛知県 ......................................

In many parts in the 北設楽郡 Kitashitara district, if people go to the mountains to work and take some soba mochi 蕎麦餅 filled buckwheat dumplings, they will turn into a wild animal (kemono 獣).

.......................................................................... Akita 秋田県 ......................................
由利郡 Yuri district, 大内村 Ouchi

. 藤原喜平 Fujiwara Kihei - 悪食喜平 Akujiki Kihei and Kappa .
and 蕎麦酒 Buckwheat liquor

蕎麦の酒 - Suehiro Sake Co. - Fukushima

.......................................................................... Aomori 青森県 ......................................
八戸市 Hachinohe

. yamabato 山鳩 mountain dove .
and a famine

. Hachinohe Festival and foxes bewitching people .

.......................................................................... Fukuoka 福岡県 ......................................
北九州市 Kitakyushu

. 河童 Kappa，海御前様 Amagozensama, Ama Gozen .
Shrine 天疫神社 Teneki Jinja

.......................................................................... Fukushima 福島県 ......................................
田村郡 Tamura district, 都路村 Miyakoji

kitsune 狐 fox
Once a fox had devastated the fields and grandpa got angry, He waited for the fox to kill him. When a person passed by, he saw grandpa with tucked hems, stepping on the buckwheat plants in the field. But he was in fact bewitched by the fox and thought he was stepping in the water. So just as well, he was lucky someone came by and woke him up.
.
In a version from 大沼郡 Onuma district, 金山町 Kaneyama, it was a man trying to harvest buckwheat who was bewitched by a fox thinking he was wading in a deep river.

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大沼郡 Tanuma district 金山町 Kaneyama

kitsune 狐 fox
話者の祖父が夜、魚を背負って帰るときに狐につけられて、魚を取られた。蕎麦の畑で芸者が歌ったり踊ったりしているように見えたが、そんなところに芸者がいるわけがないと思えて、狐に化かされていると気づいた。

.......................................................................... Gifu 岐阜県 ......................................
飛騨地方 Hida region

mujina 狢 badger
昔々ある老人が山小屋で蕎麦落しをしていたら、どこかから毎夜小僧が現れ話しかけるので困った。老人は石を焼いて小僧に投げつけたらひどい声がして倒れたものがあった。翌朝見ると大きな狢であった。

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荘川村 Shokawa

mujina 狢 badger
This badger shapeshifted into a woman and played tricks on people, letting them get lost in the mountains or hanging themselves.

Sometimes she made them eat soba dango 蕎麦団子 buckwheat dumplings , which were in fact 馬糞 horse apples.

.......................................................................... Gunma 群馬県 ......................................
吾妻郡 Agatsuma district 嬬恋村 Tsumagoi

to ward off 鬼 Oni demons
People offer dumplings made of rice, buckwheat or millet flour on January 31. They make these offerings to the 神仏 deities of Shinto and Buddhism at the entrance of their home or near a window. These dumplings are called "oni no medama 鬼の目玉 "eyeballs of a demon" and ward off all evil.
If a demon comes and sees these huge eyeballs, he becomes afraid and runs away.

.......................................................................... Ibaraki 茨城県 ......................................
稲敷郡 Inashiki

kitsune 狐 fox
Once a man took his horse to work in the forest. When he passed by a swamp, suddenly something white blew over his head, . The horse was afraid and run away fast. The horse reached home safely but the man did not come. So his family went out looking for him.
They would him walking rounds in the buckwheat field. Nobody knew what really happened, but they agreed that he must have been bewitched by a fox.

.......................................................................... Iwate 岩手県 ......................................

with prayers for a good harvest of the "five grains "五穀

一月十六日の未明に鳥追いを済ませたあと、座敷に飾っていた御作立ての中で瑞木団子と蕎麦を残して、後は刈り取ってしまっておくと、その年の五穀が風が当たらずよく実るという。

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kitsune 狐 fox and 大入道 Dainyudo

昔、夜遅くに若い女を見て狐が化けていると正体を見破った男は、次に大入道に会い、狐と見破る。家に着くと狐がいたので叩いているとそれは雨着だった。またある時には、大水が出たと思わされて、蕎麦畑を裸であるかされたりもした。

Sometimes people get bewitched by a fox and run around naked in what they think is the sea or a river, but in fact they are trampling in their 蕎麦畑 buckwheat fields.

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source : youkaiwiki.com/entry/2013

akari nashi soba 燈無蕎麦（あかりなしそば）The Unlit Soba Shop

- quote -
Akarinashi Soba – The Unlit Soba Shop
Above the bridge that spanned the flowing canal, a soba shop stood whose paper lantern had the words “28” written on it in thick, bold characters. Even when all the fires were put out, and the street was in darkness, this lantern would continue to shine, without candle or oil.
Those who tried in vain to douse the lantern would meet with no success, and misfortune would fall upon their household.
- source : Zack Davisson -

. Honjo Nana Fushigi 本所七不思議 Seven Wonders of Honjo - Edo .

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.......................................................................... Kanagawa 神奈川県 ......................................

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足柄上郡 Ashigara district 三保村 Miho

kitsune 狐 fox
Once a man had caught three ヤマメ Yamame trout-salmons. But a fox passed by, threw a net over him at the Soba field and stole all the fish.

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川崎市 Kawasaki, 多摩区 Tama district

hitotsume no mekari baasan 一つ目のメカリバアサン
2月8日と12月8日の夜には一つ目のメカリバアサンがやって来るのだという。障子の穴から中を覗いては子供を攫って行くのだと言い、それを防ぐ為に、夕方から竿の先に目数の多い笊をかけて屋根に立てかけておく。グミの木を燃やしておくと、その煙で逃げていくとも行った。この日は遠出を避け、夜には蕎麦を食べたりもする。

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津久井郡 Tsukui district 城山町 Shiroyama

kamikakushi 神隠し "being spirited away"
tengoosama テンゴウサマ Tengu
kamikakushi here means to be taken away by a Tengu. People begin to eat earthworms thinking they are buckwheat noodles and run round and round in the mountains.
When they are found by their fellow villagers, they are usually sitting in a tree.

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横浜市 Yokohama, Minato district

mekari baasan メカリ婆さん Old Mekari Woman
12月8日にはメカリ婆さんが来るので、目籠を軒下に伏せて置いたり、団子掬いを柱にかけておいたりする。また、悪い米の粉を使った団子を2、3個串に刺して柱に縄で縛っておくと、この婆さんがそれを食べるのだとともいう。2月8日は悪い日だと言って、蕎麦やオコワなどを作り、外出を忌んだ。

. mekari shinji 和布刈神事 ritual cutting of kelp .
4 to explore

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横浜市 Yokohama

kitsune 狐 fox
Once upon a time
a man went into the mountain forest to work, but got bewitched by a fox. Then e ate an earthworm, thinking it was buckwheat noodles. And then he walked in circles in the mountain for a long time.

.......................................................................... Miyagi 宮城県 ......................................
Sendai 宮城野区

. Sobagomezaka 蕎麦米坂 and Sendai castle . *
伊達政宗 Date Masamune

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角田市 Kakuda town

kitsune 狐 fox
神次郎部落のある老婆が，親戚のお祭振舞に呼ばれたまま夜更けまで帰宅しなかった。未明，家人が心配して探しに行くと，老婆は裾をはしょって川を渡る格好をし，「深い深い」といいながら山の蕎麦畑の中を歩き回っていた。家人に大声で呼ばれて正気にかえったが，土産の重箱は狐に攫われてしまっていた。

.......................................................................... Miyazaki ......................................
東臼杵郡 Higashi-Usuki district 西郷村 Nishigo

. kawa no ozoemono 川のオゾエモノ / 魔物 river monster .
nebai soba ねばいそば ritual sticky buckwheat dumplings
nebatoro soba ねばとろ蕎麦 sticky buckwheat noodles with Tororo sauce

.......................................................................... Nagano 長野県 ......................................
南安曇郡 Minami Azumino district

Izuna いづな the Izuna Deity t
いづな使いの婆様をたしなめた士が、婆様のついた悪態どおりに帰り道でいづなに憑かれて腰を抜かした。皆で蕎麦を打った時、婆様が蕎麦の上に尻をついたので皆が汚がっているところを婆様がひとりで食べた。それを怒った爺はいづなにとりつかれて死んだ。

. Izuna Gongen, Iizuna no Gongen 飯網の権現 .

.......................................................................... Nagasaki長崎県 ......................................
南高來郡愛野村 Aino

darashi ダラシ Darashi
If hunters walk alont the mountain pass, they might get bewitched by the Darashi. They can suddenly not walk any more and crawl around on all fours.
Once this happened to a hunter, but he could make it to a tea shop nearby where he ate two bowls of buckwheat and was soon healed.

Darashi だらし is a Yokai of Nagasaki.
(9 to explore)

. Hidarugami ヒダル神 The Hunger Gods.
In Kitakyushu, it is known as the Darashi (ダラシ).
(41 to explore)

.......................................................................... Niigata 新潟県 ......................................

kitsune 狐 fox
There are three old foxes 三老狐の女狐 who bewitch people to run around the buckwheat fields three times or let them see water puddles to jump in. They also change into humans and steal the lunch boxes of farmers. But they are afraid of dogs.

Sometimes a bewitched person walks around the buckwheat field with the robes all tucked up high, thinking he is walking in a river. The foxes also eat their aburaage 油揚げ Tofu lunch.

.......................................................................... Okayama 岡山県 ......................................
英田郡 Aida district 大原町 Ohara

furudanuki 古狸 the old badger
Once upon a time on a rainy evening, an old man came to the temple. The priest was just grilling black stones, and he asked the man where he lived. Then the old man asked to stay over night, since it was already dark. The old monk had already eaten, but he had some Soba dumplings left and offered to grill them on the blue stone. Then suddenly he threw one hot stone at the knee of the old man. The old man shouted and run away very fast.
Next morning the priest found a hole in the valley, where an old Badger was dead from burning wounds. And it was not burned at the knee, but in the genitals.
The name of this area is 玉落谷 "Valley were the Balls had fallen down".

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

Soba to ward off the akki 悪鬼 bad demon on the day
. Yooka sama 八日様 Yoka Sama, the Honorable Day Eight .

.......................................................................... Tokyo 東京都 ......................................
八王子市 Hachioji

If you drink tea after eating とろろ飯 Tororomeshi or Soba, you will get a cerebral stroke 脳卒中.

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小石川諏訪町 Koishikawa Suwa District

. reiken 霊剣 the magic sword .
made by 小倉五郎源宗広 Kokura Goro Minamoto Munehiro

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neko soba 猫そば　-
all the fun
with GOOGLE

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- reference : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -
8 ソバ畑 (01)

Hokusai Manga - Eating Soba 葛飾北斎の北斎漫画

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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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. Join the friends on Facebook ! .

- #sobanoodles #sobalegends #buckwheatlegends #sobabatake #sobafield -
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2016-04-18

Tsunami legends

. tsunami 津波 /　つなみ　Tsunami .
and the
Tohoku Region Pacific Ocean Offshore Earthquake March 11, 2011

yamatsunami 山津波 "mountain Tsunami"
. doshakuzure 土砂崩れ landslide legends .

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In the seventh month of 1728 (享保13年7月) something huge like a mountain was seen far away on the horizon along the coast. The huge thing divided into two, one going East, one going West. On the next day in Edo and ajacent regions a mountain had cracked and water from a Tsunami flooded Edo like a fountain spring.
22 years before this something similar had happened in Ise (伊勢で津波 1708), causing a Tsunami.

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................................................................................. Fukushima 福島県

. 宝の川 The river of treasures .
and a mountain tsunami 山津波 (landslide)

................................................................................. Hokkaido　北海道

Before a Tsunami reaches 松前 Matsumae, the figures of 仏神の姿 Buddhas and Shinto deities can be seen flying in the sky to give a warning.
- - - Kaishi Shinroo 海市蜃楼
. shinroo 蜃楼 heat shimmers .
"flimmering town" shinshi 蜃市（しんし）, "town in the sea, kaishi 海市（かいし）

................................................................................. Ibaraki 茨城県 with 山津波 landslides

In 石岡市 Ishioka town, a male and female dragon 雄龍と雌龍 were celebrated
as the Deity of the Mountain 山の神様.
Legend tells, that once the female dragon shapeshifted into a lady, met a young samurai and fell deeply in love with him. But the young samurai died right on the spot. There occurred a huge landslide and two peaks formed, with the scales of the Dragon forming a special mountain shape.

................................................................................. Iwate 岩手県

In 大船渡市 Ofunato town at 三陸町 Sanriku village

Oshirabotoke オシラボトケ Oshirasama
In the 及川家 Oikawa family a pair of オシラボトケ "White Deities" is venerated. But on the New Year's day and on March 13th they are covered with a cloth. When the Sanriku Tsunami came, the house was destroyed but the Shirasama survived.

. O-Shirasama - short for O-Shirase sama お知らせ様 .

................................................................................. Mie 三重県 with 山津波 landslides

In the 飯南郡 Iinan district, a yama tsunami 山津波 landslide and a huge serpent
大蛇が、白猪山で大崩れによる山津波で流され、火を吹きながら出ていった。そのだいじゃの岩穴を蛇穴と呼ぶ。

In 熊野市 Kumano town, the 便所の神様 Deity of the Toilet
In 1854 the 安政 Ansei Earthquake struck the region and the Toilet Deity of the 竹内長太夫家 Takeuchi family was flooded into the sea. At that time, at the homes of good people, 御札 divine amulets fell from heaven, but on the homes of bad people stones fell from heaven.
竹内長太夫 Takeuchi Chodayu was known as a good fisher of whales 鯨男 and his family still lives in 二木島港 Nigishima harbour .

- reference : hamamine.jp/kumano -

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

If during an earthquake the deer are calling, there will be no Tsunami.
If the dear do not call out, there will be a Tsunami.

................................................................................. Nagano 長野県 with 山津波 landslides

In the 上伊那郡 Kami-Ina district, a legend about Fudo
経平という場所に小堂があったが、山津波で埋没した。年を経て、そこが毎夜光を放ったので、天和元年３月に近隣住民が掘り返した。すると、そこから不動尊の木造が現れたので、現在の場所に安置したという。

In the 南佐久郡 Minami-Saku district, a legend about あかずの観音
現在「観音堂」と呼ばれている所には，江戸中期まで立派な観音堂があった。ところが，ある年山津波でこの堂がつぶれてしまったので，観音様は難を避けるために北佐久郡三井村（現佐久市香坂）の閼伽流山に飛んでいってしまった。以来この観音様を｢あかずの観音｣と呼んでいる。

................................................................................. Nagasaki 長崎県

In 島原市 Shimabara town, a 大蛇 huge serpent
The Lord of Shimabara had been hunting in the forests around 雲仙嶽 Unzen volcano, where he saw two large serpents and killed one of them, wounding the other. Soon after the fields of the region were destroyed by some wild animal and there was no harvest this year. People thought it was the doings of the one serpent that survived.
Anyway, there was a doctor called 多比良 Taira who treated a woman for her wounds. She told him that her husband had been killed and in his revenge destroyed the fields. She was greatfull to the doctor and also told him he should run away, because soon the volcano would erupt and a Tsunami would come and bring more disaster.
So this huge earthquake and Tsunami in 1729 was the curse of the serpent 大蛇の祟り.
Taira 多比良町 is now a place name in Unzen . . . 長崎県雲仙市国見町船津.

source : qsr.mlit.go.jp/unzen/sabo

................................................................................. Oita 大分県

In 佐伯市 Saiki town, a statue of 観音様 Kannon Bosatsu came rolling in during a tsunami. The statue was caught in the net of a fisherman, and its halo was sparkling.
Other versions tell of a tree floating in the waves and when they cut it, blood came flowing out of the cut. So they made a Kannon Statue to appease it.

................................................................................. Okinawa 沖縄県

In 石垣市 Ishigaki town
In 伊良部町 Irabu town, - ningyo 人魚 "human fish" (dugong)
In the village of 白保村 Shiraho there were three families living under arrest. Once they caught a human fish and wanted to eat it. Before they cut it open the fish talked to them and told them of a coming big Tsunami. Afraid they threw the meat back into the sea and apologized for catching the fisl.
And just so, a big Tsunami came and destroyed the whole village. But the homes of these three families were saved.

This was 八重山地震 the Yaeyama Earthquake of 1771, with a Tsunami of 60 meters, killing 1574 people in Irabu alone.

The 1771 Great Yaeyama Tsunami (also called 明和の大津波, the Great Tsunami of Meiwa) was caused by the Yaeyama Great Earthquake at about 8 A.M. on April 24, 1771, south-southeast of Ishigaki Island.
..... The dead and missing amounted to 12,000 people, and more than 2,000 houses were destroyed on Ishigaki and Miyakojima.
- More in the Wikipedia -

- - - - - 海神，ワダツミ，ユナイナマ
Once a rich family caught a fish called ユナイナマ Yudainama and cut it for a meal.
But this fish is the messenger of the 海神の使者 Deity of the Sea. So the Sea God became angry and sent a Tsunami to destroy the home of the family.

- - - - - ヨナタマ Yonatama - dugong in the local dialect
When the fishermen wanted to prepare a meal with the catch of the day, putting one fish on the net for barbeque, there was suddenly a voice coming from the sea:
"Come home soon, hurry!" 早く帰って来い.
And the fish on the net replied
"Please come and get me, fast!" 迎えに来てくれ.
And right then a Tsunami rolled in and destroyed the whole village.

In the 島尻郡 Shimajiri district,
In 富盛村 Tomimori village near the ギーザという泉 Giiza spring three women went to worship at 具志頭 Gushikami. One of them had menstruation and washed her underwear in the spring. This was a serious ritual pollution and at once a tsunami welled up from the sea and killed all three women.

................................................................................. Shizuoka 静岡県

In the 賀茂郡 Kamo district there lived the マキヤ Makiya family and their home was swept away by the huge tsunami. The family members were saved by a huge Norota eel ノロタ（海鰻. Since then this family never eats any kind of eel.

In 下田市 Shimoda
Once there came shiroi hige no roojin 白いひげの老人 an old man with a white beard.
He warned the residents of Shimoda before a Tsunami and told them to evacuate to the mountain, 下田富士 Shimoda Fuji. After the first Tsunami hit the town, he warned the people again: "There is another big Tsunami coming, so don't go home yet, stay here on the mountain!" And when the last big Tsunami had hit, there was a sparkle in the sky and he flew off.
This was in fact namikiri Jizo 波切り地蔵, "Jizo cutting the Waves".

tsunami Jizoo 津波地蔵 Tsunami Jizo
There are some statues of Jizo with various names, indicating the place where a huge Tsunami stopped after destroying a village.
. namikiri Jizoo 波切り地蔵 Jizo Bosatsu cutting the waves .
michibiki Jizoo みちびき地蔵 Jizo leading the Way / The guiding Jizo
namiseki Jizoo doo 波せき地蔵堂 Namiseki Jizo Hall
namiyoke Jizoo 波除け地蔵 "Jizo warding off the wave"

................................................................................. Tokyo 東京都

sangen no oto 三弦の音 the sound of a Shamisen
In 1701 in the Hoei period, there was a famous Shamisen player. One day he went to Shinagawa for a concert with his troupe, whne the sound of his Shamisen sounded quite stange to him. This is the forebode of a Tsunami, he understood. So he and his friends left fast. And indeed, soon the tsunami came and many houses and lives were lost.
1707 - Hōei earthquake 宝永地震 Hoei quake and Tsunami

................................................................................. Yamaguchi　山口県

source : sci.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/sci/info - 金折研究室

「語り継がれた山口県の大地震と津波－伝説と民話－
先人が私たちに残してくれたメッセージから貴重な教訓を読み取り、防災教育や地域防災へ生かそうとするものである。
Legends and tales about the Earthquakes and Tsunami as told in Yamaguchi

................................................................................. Yamanashi 山梨県 with 山津波 landslides

In 北杜市 Hokuto town,
At the graveyard of the temple 来福寺 Raifuku-Ji there is a Hokora sanctuary for a serpent, indeed for a nine-headed dragon 九頭竜の祠. Once when the dams of the river had broken during a landslide, a huge serpent had curved its body along the riverbank to protect the homes from flooding away.

source : museum.pref.yamanashi.jp - 水の国やまなし
A Hokora Shinto sanctuary for the Nine-Headed Dragon Deity 九頭竜神の祠
南アルプス市上高砂区

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- Reference - nichibun yokai database -

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source : plaza.rakuten.co.jp/keibaguide/diary

都市伝説／南海大地震は津波が怖いんです.
We are afraid of the Tsunami coming with the Big Nankai Earthquake.

- quote -
Nankai megathrust earthquakes
are great megathrust earthquakes that occur along the Nankai megathrust – the fault under the Nankai Trough – which forms the plate interface between the subducting Philippine Sea Plate and the overriding Amurian Plate (part of the Eurasian Plate), which dips beneath southwestern Honshu, Japan. The fault is divided into five segments in three zones, which rupture separately or in combination, and depending on location, the resulting earthquakes are subdivided by zone from west to east into Nankai earthquakes, Tōnankai earthquakes, and Tōkai earthquakes.
..... All of these great earthquakes have resulted in damaging tsunamis, which are particularly damaging due to the Japanese population being concentrated on the Taiheiyō Belt, especially the coastal cities of Tokyo and Osaka, the two most populous in Japan.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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- - - - - Historical Tsunami in Japan - - - - -

684 - Great Hakuho earthquake - 白鳳地震（はくほうじしん）Hakuhoo jishin
白鳳の大地震（はくほうのおおじしん）、白鳳大地震（はくほうおおじしん）, 天武地震（てんむじしん）
白鳳地震は、『日本書紀』に記述があり recorded in the Nihon Shoki.
The first recorded tsunami in Japan, it hit on November 29, 684 on the shore of the Kii Peninsula, Nankaido, Shikoku, Kii, and Awaji region. The earthquake, estimated at magnitude 8.4, was followed by a huge tsunami, but no estimates exist for the number of deaths.
- Hakuho, further reference -

869 - Jogan Sanriku earthquake 貞観地震
The Sendai region was struck by a major tsunami that caused flooding extending 4 km inland from the coast. The town of Tagajō was destroyed, with an estimated 1,000 casualties.

887 - Nankai 仁和地震（南海トラフ連動型地震説あり）
There was a strong earthquake in Osaka, Shiga, Gifu, and Nagano prefectures. A tsunami flooded the coastal region, and some people died. The coast of Osaka and primarily Osaka Bay suffered especially heavily, and the tsunami was also observed on the coast of Hyuga-Nada.

1293 - Kamakura big earthquake 鎌倉大地震 - M8クラス
A magnitude 7.1 quake and tsunami hit Kamakura, then Japan's de facto capital, killing 23,000 after resulting fires.

1361 - Nankai 正平地震（康安地震）（南海トラフ連動型地震説あり）
On Aug 3, 1361, during the Shōhei era, an 8.4 quake hit Nankaido, followed by a tsunami. A total of 660 deaths were reported. The earthquake shook Tokushima, Osaka, Wakayama, and Nara Prefectures and Awaji Island. A tsunami was observed on the coast of Tokushima and Kochi Prefectures, in Kii Strait and in Osaka Bay. ...

1498 - Nankai 明応地震（東海・東南海地震）
On September 20, 1498, during the Meiō era, a 7.5 earthquake and tsunami hit. The port in Wakayama damaged by a tsunami several meters high. 30–40 thousand deaths estimated. The building around great Buddha of Kamakura (altitude 7m) was swept away by the tsunami.

1605 - Nankaido - Keichō Nankaido earthquake 慶長地震（南海トラフ
On February 3, 1605, in the Keichō era, a magnitude 8.1 quake and tsunami hit Japan. An enormous tsunami with a maximum known height of 30 m was observed on the coast from the Boso Peninsula to the eastern part of Kyushu Island.

1698 - Seikaido-Nankaido ?1696
On December 22, 1698, a large tsunami struck Seikaido-Nankaido.

1707 - Hōei earthquake 宝永 - Hoei quake
On 28 October 1707, during the Hōei era, a magnitude 8.4 earthquake and tsunami up to 10 m in height struck Kochi Prefecture. Till Osaka.
... Hot springs at Yunomine, Sanji, Ryujin, Seto-Kanayana (Kii) and Dogo stopped flowing.

1741 - West Hokkaido 寛保津波
On 29 August 1741, the western side of Hokkaido was hit by a tsunami associated with the eruption of the volcano on Oshima island. 北海道西南沖の大島で火山性地震

1771 - Great Yaeyama Tsunami (see above)

1792 - Unzen earthquake and tsunami 島原大変肥後迷惑 Shimabara Taihen Higo Meiwaku
M6.4 - Tsunamis were the main cause of death for Japan's worst-ever volcanic disaster, an eruption of Mount Unzen in Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan.
Killing about 15.000 people.

1854 - Nankai, Tokai, and Kyushu, Ansei Great Earthquake 安政東海地震
The Ansei quake which hit the south coast of Japan, was actually a set of three earthquakes, two magnitude 8.4 quakes and a 7.4 quake over the course of several days.
... Shizuoka tsunami heights of 4–6 m
... Wakayama tsunami reached as high as 8.4 m.

1855 - Edo - Ansei Edo earthquake 安政江戸地震
M7.1, hit the Tokyo region of Japan, killing 4,500 to 10,000 people.

1896 - Meiji Sanriku earthquake 明治三陸地震
M8.5 - On 15 June 1896, ... the waves, which reached a height of 100 feet (30 m), killed approximately 27,000 people. In 2005, the same general area was hit by the 2005 Sanriku Japan earthquake, but with no major tsunami.

1923 - Great Kantō earthquake 関東地震（大正関東地震、関東大震災）
... on 1 September 1923, and devastated Tokyo, Yokohama, and the surrounding areas, caused tsunamis which struck the Shonan coast, Boso Peninsula, Izu Islands and the east coast of Izu Peninsula, within minutes in some cases. In Atami, waves reaching 12 meters were recorded.

1933 - Showa Sanriku earthquake 昭和三陸地震（三陸沖地震）
M 8.4) On March 3, 1933, ... tsunami waves as a result of an offshore magnitude 8.1 earthquake. The quake destroyed about 5,000 homes and killed 3,068 people, the vast majority as a result of tsunami waves.

1944 - Tōnankai earthquake 東南海地震（昭和東南海地震）
A magnitude 8.0 earthquake on 7 December 1944, about 20 km off the Shima Peninsula in Japan, which struck the Pacific coast of central Japan, mainly Mie, Aichi, and Shizuoka Prefectures. ... the quake is estimated to have killed 1223 people, the tsunami being the leading cause of the fatalities.

1946 - Nankaidō earthquake 南海地震（昭和南海地震）
21 December 1946 had a magnitude of 8.4 ...
The tsunami that washed away 1451 houses and caused 1500 deaths in Japan.

1964 - Niigata earthquake 新潟地震
M7.5 - The subsequent tsunami destroyed the port of Niigata.

1983 - Sea of Japan earthquake 日本海中部地震
On May 26, 1983 at 11:59:57 local time, a magnitude-7.7 earthquake occurred in the Sea of Japan, about 100 km west of the coast of Noshiro in Akita Prefecture, Japan. Out of the 107 fatalities, all but four were killed by the resulting tsunami, which struck communities along the coast, especially Aomori and Akita Prefectures and the Noto Peninsula.

1993 - Hokkaido earthquake 北海道南西沖地震
A devastating tsunami wave occurred along the coasts of Hokkaido in Japan as a result of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, 80 miles (130 km) offshore, on July 12, 1993.
... it was too late for Okushiri, a small island near the epicenter, where some waves reached 30 meters and struck within two to five minutes of the quake.

2011 - Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami 東北地方太平洋沖地震
On March 11, 2011, off the Pacific coast of Japan, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake produced a tsunami 33 feet (10 m) high along Japan's northeastern coast.

- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

- reference wikipedia : 地震の年表 (日本) -

source :　forbiddenplanet.co.uk

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. Natural Disasters 自然災害 shizen saigai - Naturkatastrophen .
- and their legends -
- drought, earthquake, flooding, landslides, tsunami, typhoon, volcanic eruption -

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

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. Join the friends on Facebook ! .

- #tsunamilegends #tsunami -
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2016-04-16

drought hideri legends

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......................................................................................... Gifu 岐阜県
.......................................................................
多治見市 Tajimi city

. Ryugaike 龍ヶ池 the dragon pond .
At the foot of 高社山 Mount Koshasan

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

. Tatsuta 竜田 the "Dragon Field" .

......................................................................................... Yamagata 山形県

. busshoo 仏声 the voice of Buddha .
bringing rain in a drought.

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- Reference - nichibun yokai database -
旱 10 to explore
旱魃 93 to explore (01)

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. Natural Disasters 自然災害 shizen saigai - Naturkatastrophen .
- and their legends -
- drought, earthquake, flooding, landslides, tsunami, typhoon, volcanic eruption -

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

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

. Join the friends on Facebook ! .

- #droughtlegends #hideri #kanbatsu -
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2016-04-15

landslide legends

- BACK to the Daruma Museum -
. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .
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doshakuzure 土砂崩れ landslide legends
gakekuzure 崖崩れ / jisuberi 地滑り
masago 土砂 (マサゴ) / dosha 土砂 earth and sand - for construction work

. dosha-kaji 土砂加持 ritual to prevent landslides .
at the temple Saidai-Ji in Nara - 奈良市西大寺

. yamatsunami 山津波 "mountain Tsunami" landslide legends .

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A 25-year-old Buddhist monk was confirmed dead on Oct. 7 after he was found under a collapsed hall of the Naritasan Yokohama Betsuin temple in Yokohama's Naka Ward that was hit by a landslide on Oct. 6.

. Yokohama Naritasan Temple 横浜成田山 .

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聖不動威怒明王尊 Statue of Fudo Myo-O
This statue had been lost in a landslide near a hot spring, and been found through a statement in the dream.
The fourth priest of the temple, 乾海和尚 Keikai, took a closer look at it in 1700 and found that the pattern of the halo had been scratched with the pure nails, so he called the statue

tsumebiki fudoo 爪引き不動 Fudo drawn with nails.

. Keishooji 桂昌寺 Keisho-Ji .
群馬県安中市下秋間112, Annaka town, Gunma

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Nariaiji Temple (成相寺) is a temple of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. The temple was originally located near the top of Mount Tsuzumigatake overlooking Miyazu Bay in the north, but was moved about 250 years ago to its current location further down the mountain after a landslide. The current temple grounds are still high enough on the slope that there are good viewpoints from where you can look out over the Amanohashidate Sandbar below.

. Nariaiji 成相寺 Nariai-Ji .
京都府宮津市成相寺339 - Kyoto
The main statue is a Bijin Kannon 美人観音 "Beautiful Kannon Bosatsu"

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船に乗ろうとする場所で、土砂を少しとって紙に包み、それを臍にあてて乗れば船酔いをしない。冬ならば足袋の裏に敷いておくのもよい。特に神社の土で行えば効果が著しいという。これは海が不浄を嫌うからだという。

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

In 水戸市 Mito town
稲田姫を祀る小祠の近くで崖崩れがあったので修復しようとしたら、大きな瓶のようなものが出てきた。鍬に当たって欠けた所を拾ってみると大きな歯骨であった。官の検分をうけたところ、瓶は竜頭であると決定した。由縁はわからないが、稲田姫を祀るのはこの竜を鎮めるためだろうかと、その地で仕官している人が語った。

................................................................................. Ishikawa 石川県

In the 鹿島郡 Kashima district in 南大呑村 Minami Onomimura
A 火の玉 ball of fire
山の小高い所に神さんが住んでいて、村に不幸があるときにはお知らせがある。地滑りの時にも、その二三日前から火の玉が飛び、地滑りの晩は火事のように明くなった。

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

Toribeno 鳥部野
鳥部野の地蔵山から土砂を採っていたら山の神と呼ばれる松の木の下から壷が出土した。掘り出そうとしたら鳴動して掘っていた人が死んだ。それを聞いた土砂採集の世話人達も病気になり祈祷の甲斐なく死んだ。

................................................................................. Miyazaki 宮崎県

In the 児湯郡 Koyu district
1960年ごろのこと。女生徒の間で、谷坂を夕方暗くなってから通るとオジモン（怖いもの）が出る、怪異が起こる、と評判になった。お墓の下を通るときに土砂が落ちてきた、髪の毛が逆立った、などの経験をした女生徒がいた。

In the 米良市 Mera district and Karikoboo カリコボウ Karikobo, Karkio Bo, the Kappa
かりこ坊 Karikobo is venerated as 山の神 a deity of the Mountain. He likes to play tricks on people, especially imitating the sound in the forest like cutting a tree or causing a landslide or shooting a hunter's guns. But he never puts humans into real danger. When people hear him making strange sounds, it is best to keep quiet and pretend not to hear anything.

. 河童 / かっぱ / カッパ - Kappa, the Water Goblin of Japan! .

................................................................................. Nagano 長野県

In the 木曽郡 Kiso district
黒川の奥に住んでいた山うばが食物をもらい歩いていたが、上田で石灰の入った餅をもらい、それを食べて腹の中が焼けて死んだ。そのとき、「ウエンダ、ガケになれ、ふちになれ」と叫んだので、水害による土砂崩れが起こった。今でも土手が崩れやすく、水がじゅくじゅく出ている。

................................................................................. Niigata 新潟県

佐渡郡 Sado district
. kamioroshi, kami oroshi カミオロシ / 神おろし / 神降ろし "calling a Kami to earth" .
A man wanted to venerate Yamanokami (Tonchibo) and had a shaman perform Kamioroshi. He was told Tonchibo wanted a toilet, electricity and a well.
When he started to dig for a well, he found the bones of 大蛇 a huge serpent, maybe even 龍 a dragon.
630 years ago there had been a huge landslide and now the bones had been found. The man and his family were blessed from now on.

................................................................................. Saitama 埼玉県

In 秩父郡大滝村 Chichibu, Otaki village
山に大男がいて、狩人や山の動物を餌食にしたり、崖崩れを起こしたり、川の水を濁らせたりしていたが、ある狩人と首っ引きをした時、狩人が機転を利かせて木で体をささえたため負け、涙を流して山奥へ駈けていった。

................................................................................. Shimane 島根県

In 松江市 Matsue town - during the construction of a mountain road, someone stepped on the 荒神様 Kojin Deity and brought a curse on the area. A landslide happened and the boss of the workers had only bad luck from then on.

. Koojin sama 荒神様 Kojin Sama, Aragamisama .
a Hearth Deity

................................................................................. Shizuoka 静岡県

In the 磐田郡 Iwata district, a legend about a serpent
Once from the top of the mountain there came a stone falling down and smashed one serpent. Another serpent begun to call out in a loud voice and soon the riverbank collapses, a landslide happened and the mountain made violent noises.
The blood of the snake still colors the stones along the river in red.

................................................................................. Tokyo 東京都

In the 西多摩郡 Nishitama district, a legend about a 大蛇 huge snake
ウカガイのS氏は15歳のとき、火の玉が山から凄い速さで飛んで来るのを見た。鉄砲水の折で、逃げようと思い外に出たら家の中からも2つの光の玉が飛んでいき、直後に土砂崩れが起こった。山中の池に住む大蛇の霊と神様が放たれたものだとS氏は言った。

................................................................................. Wakayama 和歌山県

In the 東牟婁郡 Higashimuro district, about 黄金仏 Ogonbutsu, Golden Buddha Statue
文政8年の春に、熊野本宮社に堤を築こうとして、境内にある大黒島という岩山から採石しようとした。石を切り出そうとすると、作業者が休憩したら、巌上の土砂が崩れてるが、作業中には崩れない。また多くの烏が集まってきた。心弱い人は逃げだしたが、強い人が作業を続けると、土中から瓶が出てきた。その中には黄金の阿弥陀仏が入っていた。

................................................................................. Yamanashi 山梨県

In the 南巨摩郡 Minamikoma district,
there was a place in a valley where the woodworkers would come together to have a meal.
One day when it looked like a typhoon approaching, there came a man in white death robes and told them
"Something dangerous will happen soon, so please run away to safety as fast as you can."
Some of the woodcutters took it serious and run away, others kept sitting there munching their rice and the - - - a huge landslide came over them and swept everything down the valley.
They think it was 山の神様の知らせ the Deity of the Mountain who came to warn them.

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- Reference - nichibun yokai database -
doshakuzure 土砂崩れ / gakekuzure 崖崩れ /jisuberi 地滑り
土砂 13 to explore (04)

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. Natural Disasters 自然災害 shizen saigai - Naturkatastrophen .
- and their legends -
- drought, earthquake, flooding, landslides, tsunami, typhoon, volcanic eruption -

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

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

. Kumamoto April 2016 熊本地震 .
Earthquake in Kumamoto, April 15, 2016 - M 7.1
Earthquake in Kumamoto, April 16, 2016 - M 7.3

A lot of severe landslides blocking roads and railways.

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川上に崖崩れあり地蔵盆
kawakami ni gakekuzure ari jizoo bon

upstream
there is a landslide -
Jizo Bon Ritual

山本洋子 Yamamoto Yoko

. Jizoo Bon 地蔵盆 Jizo Bon Ritual .
August 24 - for the ancestors at O-Bon

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. Join the friends on Facebook ! .

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Earthquake jishin legends

. Earthquake in Kumamoto, April 15, 2016 .
This is still an ongoing story,
even as I write this entry now (around 10 in the morning of April 16, the ground in Kumamoto and most of Kyushu is still shaking . . .

An entry with prayers for the earthquake victims in Kumamoto.

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Takemikazuchi no mikoto (武甕槌大神)

Tekemikazuchi standing on a catfish- on the famous "key stone" "kaname ishi 要石".
A giant catfish (namazu　鯰) lived in mud beneath the earth. The catfish liked to play pranks and could only be restrained by 鹿島 Kashima, a deity who protected the Japanese people from earthquakes. So long as Kashima kept a mighty rock with magical powers over the catfish, the earth was still. But when he relaxed his guard, the catfish thrashed about, causing earthquakes.

. Nai no kami 地震神 God of Earthquakes 　

. Great Tohoku Earthquake March 11, 2011 東北地方太平洋沖地震　

. Earthquakes and Kigo for Haiku .

- - - - - Many earthquakes come with a Tsunami.
. tsunami 津波伝説　Tsunami legends .
with a list of the biggest quakes and Tsunami

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-- The following is a collection of sayings and legends about earthquakes, many involve animals, for example the kiji 雉 pheasant calling or a shika 鹿 deer calling.
The most common is the giant catfish (namazu　鯰), but other fish are also mentioned, like the eel or goldfish.

-- Some other tales are related to - - . The Koshin Belief 庚申講 .

-- In various regions people chant a special spell invoking a deity, a strong giant or
a sutra mound （kyoozuka　京塚 Kyozuka) to make the earthquake stop soon.

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In the year 1596 from September 1 to 5, there were various earthquakes in Japan.
文禄5年閏7月9日-13日） - 慶長伊予地震 Keicho Iyo Jishin、慶長豊後地震 Keicho Bungo Jishin、慶長伏見地震 Keicho Fushimi Jishin
During the Iyo Earthquake in Shikoku, it is said that black hair of more that 1 meter length rained all over Japan.
October 18, 1614 - (Keichō 19, 25th day of the 10th month) - Strong Earthquake in Kyoto

Nankaidō 南海道 Nankaido earthquakes in Shikoku
1605 (Keichō 10): regional disaster called the Keichō Nankaidō earthquake (慶長大地震 Keichō Nankaidō jishin)
and in 1498 (Meiō 7), 1854 (Ansei 1), 1944 (Shōwa 19) and 1946 (Shōwa 21).
- reference : wikipedia -

In July of the year 1780 there was a strong quake of about M 7.4 in the Shonai region. One month later people saw smoke and a "divine fire" 神火 coming out of 御嶽南の峰 the South peak of Mount Ontake. The smoke like black clouds could be seen from far away.

In July of the year 1830 there was a large earthquake in Kyoto, with more than 260 dead.
People who had gotten a special amulet from the 吉田家 Yoshida family were not wounded by the quake.

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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :

.......................................................................... Aichi 愛知県　 ......................................

In the 幡豆郡 Hazu district, if fine weather carries on for a long time, there will be an earthquake.

.......................................................................... Akita 秋田県 ......................................

In 角館町 Kakunodate, if an earthquake occurs, the sky will become all red.

.......................................................................... Chiba 千葉県 ......................................

In the 山武郡 Sanbu district, during the Koshin rituals if people hang a scroll to celebrate, it might bring an earthquake or bad luck. So they finish the rituals fast, drink their sake and put the scolls away as soon as they can. Then they find time to have a feast in peace.

.......................................................................... Fukui 福井県　 ......................................

In the 今立郡 Imadate district there are two boulders,
Osu-iwa 雄岩 and Mesu-iwa 雌岩, the male (husband) and female (wife) boulder.
Along the river 坂ノ下川 Sakanoshitagawa on top of the mountain there was the Osu-iwa. About 300 years ago at an earthquake, it fell down into the valley. Since then every night there is the sound of オーイ、オーイ」 Ooooi, Ooooi, when the boulder is calling for its mate. To appease it an elder of the village hit an arrow into the Osu-iwa and had the Buddha prayer 南無妙法蓮華経 Namu Myoho Rengekyo inscribed into the stone. Now the stone kept quiet.
But it is said that it 1000 nuns will have passed the Mesu-iwa, it will also fall down. This has not yet happened though.

In the 大飯郡朝嶽 Oi district at Mount Asadake, the deity 御浅明神 Osen Myojin is venerated and its messenger is a "human fish" 人魚, Mermaid.
Once a hunter found a strange being, shining sparkling red and the lower part of the body like a fish. He killed it imedially. After 17 days the sea begun to become wild and after 30 days there was an earthquale, which wiped out the whole village of the hunter.

.......................................................................... Fukushima 福島県　 ......................................

In the 安達郡 Adachi district, people chant manze eroku マンゼエロクマンゼエロク and ?? split a flycatcher (ヒタキ) over sleeping children to avoid the worst, especially a fire.

In the 南会津郡 Minami Aizu district at 檜枝岐村 Hinoemata village there are some sayings about the weather.
If there is thunder and earthquake at night, or if the soot at the bottom of the kitchen hearth starts burning whith a flickering flame, getting on and off, then a rain will come, in the form of a kitsune no yome-iri きつねの嫁入り spell of sunshine during a rain.

.......................................................................... Gifu 岐阜県 ......................................

In the 吉城郡 Yoshiki district, the deity カシワの神 Kashiwa no Kami, the Deity of Oak Trees, is venerated everywhere. He is said to use a walking stick and eat rice.
He can also suppress an earthquake.

. kashiwa 柏 Kashiwa-oak .

.......................................................................... Gunma 群馬県　 ......................................

The deity of Mount Akagisan is a mukade centipede. 赤城山の神はムカデ
赤堀家の先祖は三上山のムカデを退治した俵藤太だったので、その恨みを受けて赤堀家の御内室が赤城に登ったときに沼に引き込まれ、大蛇にされた。赤堀氏は妻を見ようとして沼を掘り割ろうとしたが、にわかに天候が荒れて地震が起き、果たせなかった。そのときの堀が赤堀殿の堀の口として残る。以来赤堀姓は赤城山に参ってはいけない。

In the 勢多郡 Seta district, if someone is just in the process of making straw sandals when an earthquake happens, the sandals can not be used any more. So people have to be carefull when making these sandals.

.......................................................................... Hokkaido 北海道　 ......................................

During a large earthquake on the 15th day of the 5th lunar month in an unlucky year 壬寅の年, a huge mountain was split into two. From its two sides a 異獣 huge monster animal with eight legs came out and flew away with the wind. The local Ezo people tried to catch it, but it was gone in no time.

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

In 七会村 Nanakai village, at the foot of 八瓶山 Mount Yatsugameyama, when an earthquake occurs, people call out
Manjiroku Manjiroku me o samase マンジロク、マンジロク目を覚ませ Manjiroku, wake up!
Manjiroku is a very strong giant, and when he goes to sleep, an earthquake may occur because the big catfish is moving wildly. Manjiroku is so strong he can press down the giant catfish or jump at it and bite in its head.

The full story of マンジロク in Japanese :
- reference source : nihon.syoukoukai.com/modules -

.......................................................................... Iwate 岩手県 ......................................

oo namazu 大ナマズ the big catfish
Related the events in 鹿島 Kashima and the Kaname Stone.
In the 和賀郡 Waga district, people chant マジャラクマジャラク Majaraku Majaraku to appease the Earthquake Deity.
(This is the same as Manjiroku from Ibaraki.)

.......................................................................... Kagoshima 鹿児島県 ......................................

In the 大島郡 Oshima district if an earthquake happens along the river 井之川 Inokawa, people lick their palm and chant kyuunuchika キューヌチカ（経ノ塚） Kyozuka in the local dialect) to make it stop.
- See also the tales of a Kyozuka in Okinawa.

.......................................................................... Kochi 高知県　 ......................................

In the 幡多郡 Hata district, if a pheasant calls out very loud, there will be an earthquake.

.......................................................................... Kyoto 京都府　 ......................................

In April of the year 887 there was a strong earthquake, the 仁和地震 Ninna jishin.
From the Tatchimon gate of the 平安京大内裏 Imperial Inner Court there was a cloud like smoke rising up to heaven, even sparkling like a rainbow. But in fact it was a huge group of flying ants 羽蟻.

In July of the year 1830 there was a big earthquake. People saw a huge bright fireshine (光り物) wandering over the sky, from 丑寅 North-East toward 辰巳 South-East. And one month before that, from the North-East direction, people heard the sound of 石筒 Iwatsutsu.
Iwatsutsu no Mikoto is a deity that appears in Japanese mythology.

One of the Seven Wonders of the temple Toji in Kyoto 東寺の七不思議
(4) - hyootanike 瓢箪池 the Hyotan-ike "gourd pond".
During a strong earthquake around 1854-60 the 五重塔 five-storied pagoda begun to lean to the side. To counterbalance the effect, the pond Hyotanike was dug out by the people.
The pond is also called Hasuike 蓮池 Lotus Pond.

. Tooji, Tō-ji 東寺 Toji, To-Ji .
1 Kujo-cho, Minami-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto

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In the 天田郡 Amada district, for the rituals of Dondoyaki, people place split bamboo in the form of a bow at the entrance of the home and pray it will prevent the home from destruction during an earthquake.

. Dondoyaki どんど焼き Dondo Fire Ritual - New Year .

.......................................................................... Mie 三重県 ......................................

In 鳥羽市 Toba town, if a pheasant calls out loud, there will be an earthquake.

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

If there is an earthquake between 12 and 2, this is a forebode of illness.
If there is an earthquake between 8 and 10 or 4 and 6, this is a forebode of strong rian.
If there is an earthquake between 10 and 12, this is a forebode of drought.
If there is an earthquake between 6 and 8 or 2 and 4, this is a forebode of a storm.
If during an earthquake the deer are calling, there will be no Tsunami.
If the dear do not call out, there will be a Tsunami.
- There are more sayings of this kind along the coast of Miyagi.

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If there is something unusual about the New Year decoration in the kitchen, the coming year will bring bad luck. But if someone happens to be in the kitchen during an earthquake, this will be good luck.

If the crows call in an unusual voice, there will be disaster, illness or an earthquake.

.......................................................................
Sendai 仙台市

There are some 鹿島神社 Kashima Jinja Shrines to appease the Earthquake Deity.
In olden times seven boulders came flying here from 常陸の鹿島 the Kashima Shrine in Hitachi.
They are venerated as the Kaname stones to suppress an earthquake.
北山光明寺の丘と堤町日浄寺の丘の間の、梅田川水源の湿地にのぞむ光明寺境内の崎。南面して鹿島神社があるので鹿島ヶ崎という仙台七崎の一。
丘の南一帯は田であったが、太古常陸の鹿島から飛来したという七つの大石が点在し、これを地震よけの鹿島の要（かなめ）といった。

.......................................................................... Miyazaki 宮崎県 ......................................

. Ninomiya Kyudayu and girls playing 双六 Sugoroku .

.......................................................................... Nagano 長野県　 ......................................

In 飯田市 Iida if a deer calls at midnight, there will be an earthquake or a fire.

.......................................................................... Nagasaki 長崎県　 ......................................

At 雲仙市 Unzen town, the farmers were suffering from two 大蛇 big serpents.
島原城主に頼んで蛇狩りをして1匹を殺し、1匹に痛手を負わせた。島原城下の杏庵という医者のところに毎夜更けにくる女がいた。女は治療の末完治し、その後杏庵との間に子供ができた。ある時、正体が大蛇だとわかり、子供にくりぬいた片目を残し、去っていった。その後、寛政４年４月４日に眉山が崩れる地震が起きた。眉山の下の蛇町の人は大蛇に逃げ道を阻まれて家にいた人々は命が助かった。地震は蛇の崇りだといわれ、その責を負って島原城主は自害した。
.
島原の領主が雲仙嶽の山林で狩りをした際二匹の大蛇のうち一匹を射止めた後、島原地方一帯の畑が荒らされて作物の収穫が殆ど皆無になった。村人が原因の大蛇の捕獲に失敗した同じ頃、多比良にいた名医は傷を負った女を治療した。医者が助けた女は、連れ合いを殺された復讐に畑を荒らしにきて村人が捕まえそこねた先程の蛇だった。女は近々地震と津波が起こるので島原を離れろと医者に告げた。そして雲仙岳が噴火し、女の言うとおりになった。災害は大蛇の祟りといわれる。

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

In 月ヶ瀬村 Tsukigase village, there lived two Tengu, one at Mount 尾山 Oyama and the other at Mount 嵩山 Suzan. Once the two had nothing better to do and begun to carve a whale (kujira 鯨) in the rocks. Then a big earthquake happened and the 鯨石 Kujira Stone fell down in the valley. Now this stone is sunk at the bottom of a dam.

In the 吉野郡 Yoshino district, 役行者 En no Gyoja practised austerities till his death in a stone cave.
When his disciples and some businessmen went there to take a look at his dead body, an earthquake happened, a storm occured and it rained yellow sand (砂).
天狗や悪鬼邪神も現れ、逃げまどっている中で数人が死亡し、生き残った数十人の者たちも半死半生の体でようやく家にたどり着いた。このあと、この石窟を訪れるものはなく、遥拝するにとどまったという。

.......................................................................... Niigata 新潟県　 ......................................

In 上越市 Joetsu in 1751, during the Nadachi kuzure 名立崩れ landslide of Nadachi, a hunter saw a red pole of fire in the far sky. When he ran home to check, it was all safe. But in that night, the home was destroyed by an earthquake.

In 十日町市 Tokamachi during the great earthquake in 1833, at the temple 大照院（大正院）Daisho-In the statue of 不動様 Fudo Myo-O tumbled down and rolled outside. When the people, who had taken shelter in the temple, ran after the statue and outside too, the building collapsed and all were saved by Fudo.

Along the river 関川上流 Sekigawa there is
a waterfall pool called jishin no takitsubo 地震の滝壷.
There live two large crabs, husband and wife. They always fight with a couple of giant serpents from the lake 信濃野尻湖 Nojiri in Shino.

In 魚沼市 Uonuma, where a huge boulder, 船石 Funaishi appeared after an earthquake in 1825 destroyed the mountain 船山 Funayama. This boulder has become the place of rituals by the local shamans 神子の口寄せ.

.......................................................................... Oita 大分県　 ......................................
国東郡 Kunisaki district

In the village of 姫島村 Himeshima,
if there is an earthquake at 8 in the morning or 8 in the evening,
or
If there is an earthquake at 4 in the morning or 4 in the evening, it will be raining.
If there is an earthquake at 2 in the morning or 2 in the evening, there will be a strong storm.

.......................................................................... Okinawa 沖縄県 ......................................

source : urasoenavi.jp/tanoshii - 経塚の碑

In the 首里 Shuri district of 那覇 Naha, people call out Kyozuka 京塚 three times during an earthquake. There is a real Kyozuka sutra mound in Shuri and earthquakes never happen there, so just to call its name is helpful.
This mound was erected by Saint Nisshu 日秀上人 in 1522, to appease a Yokai monster that haunted the roads of Shuri and 浦添 Urasoe. He wrote the diamond spell of 金剛経文 on small pebbles and placed them there, preparing a mound with a larger stone, inscription 金剛嶺 Mount Diamond.

In the 国頭郡 Kunigami district, if there is an earthquake people chant チカチカ chikachika or トーチカ、トーチカ toochika toochika to avoid disaster.
(chika is the local dialect for zuka, sutra mound.)

.......................................................................... Osaka 大阪府　 ......................................

In the 三島郡 Mishima district people think an earthquake is caused by a huge 金魚goldfish in the ground. Osaka is often hit by the tail of this goldfish. And Tokyo is hit by its head, with an earthquake following.

.......................................................................... Saitama 埼玉県　 ......................................

oo unagi 大鰻 the big eel
At the 越生町古池 old pond in Ogose there lives a big eel. If he gets wild, there will be an earthquake.
To appease him villagers put up a 要石 Kaname Stone for the deity 鹿島様 Kashima Sama and pray for help.

.......................................................................... Shizuoka 静岡県 ......................................
田方郡 Tagata district

In 天城湯ヶ島町 Amagi Yugashima, there is a big fish who sometimes moves and thus causes earthquakes.

.......................................................................... Tochigi 栃木県　 ......................................

If during the New Year rituals for 庚申様　Koshin Sama at a private home an earthquake happens, the rituals must be stopped and started again on another day. During an earthquake, Koshin sama will run out of the house and thus there is no point in making offerings to him.

. The Koshin Belief 庚申講 .

.......................................................................... Tokushima 徳島県　 ......................................

. konaki jijii 児啼爺 "grandfather who cries like a baby" .
If people hear him cry in the far mountains, there will be an earthquake.

.......................................................................... Tokyo 東京都　 ......................................

List of earthquakes in the Edo period:
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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

List of earthquakes in Japan
The first on the list is
November 29, 684 - Hakuhou Nankai earthquake - 白鳳南海地震 - magnitude 8.4
- - -
July 28, 1889 - Kumamoto earthquake 熊本地震 - M 6.2
- source : wikipedia -

- quote -
The 1889 Kumamoto earthquake
It was also called the Kinpozan earthquake (or Kinbozan earthquake, since its epicenter was the southern-eastern foot of Mount Kinpu 金峰山) and its magnitude was 6.3.
Twenty people died (5 in Kumamoto City and 15 in Akita Gun, Kumamoto Prefecture) and hundreds of houses and parts of Kumamoto Castle were destroyed. ...
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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. Natural Disasters 自然災害 shizen saigai - Naturkatastrophe .
- and their legends -
- drought, earthquake, flooding, landslides, tsunami, typhoon, volcanic eruption -

. Legends about animals 動物と伝説 .

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -
- Introduction -

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- - - - - Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi- - - - -

桶屋の夢
天狗のちょうちん
おとみーさん
春日様の握り飯
仁兵衛じいさんとたぬき

- reference : nihon.syoukoukai.com/modules/search-
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