Jizo kitsune legends

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地蔵菩薩と狐と伝説 Legends about Jizo Bosatsu and kitsune Foxes



. Jizo Bosatsu 地蔵菩薩 - Introduction -


. kitsune densetsu 狐　伝説 fox legends .




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Yuuten Saisooshoo 祐天大僧正
Jizoo Daishi 地蔵大士 Jizo Daishi
祐天大僧正は、子のいない父母が、月輪が庭の木に降り、地蔵大士が如意珠を授ける夢に見た後に生まれた。誕生を祝って親族が集まった時、外に狐が来て三回鳴いた。皆が怪しんだが、祖母は夜に見た夢とこのことで、子供は優れた人物になると確信したと言い、僧にするよう訴えた。

. Yūten 祐天 Yuten Shami 祐天上人 Saint Yuten Shonin .

. Jizoo Daishi 地蔵大士 Jizo Daishi .
and Saint Shinnen Hoshi 真念法師


............................................................................... Akita 秋田県
横手市 Yokote

ookami 狼 Okami wolf and Kitsune and 石地蔵
明治初年頃、狐の悪さを懲らしめた老人への復讐に、狐が狼の群れを率いてやってきた。老人は復讐を予期して石地蔵に自分の服を着せておいたので、石地蔵を噛んで牙を痛めた狼たちは怒って狐を追い回し、去って行った。



............................................................................... Aomori 青森県
北津軽郡 Kita-Tsugaru district

. Sai no Kawara 賽の河原 Limbo of Children .



............................................................................... Chiba 千葉県
長生郡 長柄町

五井からの帰り道、地蔵様のところで激しい雷雨に遭ったので馬を木につないで帰った。翌日馬を取りに行くと、狐が馬に蹴られて死んでいた。狐が木に化けていたのだった。



............................................................................... Fukushima 福島県
郡山市 湖南町

石地蔵 Stone Jizo
麹屋のおとっつあまが山で狐にあい、おれは白河の石地蔵だといって、袋をかぶって狐からは石地蔵に見えるように化けた。麹屋は狐をおいらんに化けさせて吉原へ入れた。狐は飲んだり食ったりしたため、お客様の所で狐になって寝ていた。狐は殺されそうになって逃げて来た。そして、白河の石地蔵のところへ来て、おれをばかにしてといってゆすぐったが、あまりゆすぐったから石地蔵様の下になって死んでしまった。そして、人をばかにする狐がいなくなった。



............................................................................... Hyogo 兵庫県
出石郡 出石町

オオボウズに化けるイタチは肩に杖をつくと、けちと言って逃げる。地蔵の前で子供を背負った傘をさした人がいると、それは狐が化けている。ヌシである蛇は危害は無い。これらの俗信が列挙されている。



............................................................................... Iwate 岩手県
東磐井郡 大東村

Jisoo tooge 地蔵峠 Jizo Pass
新城集落の人が夜、地蔵峠で狐が化けた大きな人に抱えあげられてローソクをとられた。
新城集落の人が夜、正月料理の材料を持って歩いていたら、地蔵峠で狐が化けた７，８人の人に材料を取られた。狐は尾を振るたびに人間１人に化ける、７回振ったら７人に化けるという。
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1920年ごろのこと。江刺の人が夜、地蔵峠で狐に提灯の火を取られた。狐は物音も立てずに足元をグルグル回って火を取ったが、その人は気づかなかった。



............................................................................... Kanagawa 神奈川県
津久井郡 Tsukui district 城山町 Shiroyamamachi

. Bake-Jizo　化け地蔵　/ 化地蔵 Jizo as a yokai monster .



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

地蔵の宋安寺
京都二条川東寺町本正寺の僧に狐の事を質問したら狐は祈祷者をも欺くと答えた。また伊勢中の地蔵の宋安寺に逗留した時、寺僧がこの寺には古狸が住んでおり初めて来る客の眠りを妨げると語ったがそのような事はなかった。



............................................................................... Miyazaki 宮崎県
延岡市 Nobeoka city

. Irahara Jizo 伊良原地蔵 .
and 金剛院 the Temple Kongo-In.



............................................................................... Nagano 長野県
中野市

石地蔵 Stone Jizo
度胸のいい人が山で「おぶさるべ、おぶさるべ」と狐が言うので綱を持っていって、それをぶされと言い、おぶって帰ってきた。家に帰ると石地蔵をおぶっていた。
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ある人が野原にわく湯に入って提灯を持って帰っていると、近所の人がぼんやりたたずんでいた。近付くと地蔵であった。提灯を後へ差し出すと狐が鳴きながら飛び出し、薮の中へ逃げた。

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Nagano, 下高井郡 山ノ内町

狐を見届けてやろうと田へ行くと、子持ち女が赤子を背負って一軒の家に入った。家のものにその女は狐だというと、家の者は怒って男の首を切った。首を切られた男は菩提寺に行くと地蔵様が「我が乗る花はこれなるぞ」と言う。気付くと寺の菊畑をみんな踏んでいた。



............................................................................... Okayama 岡山県
勝田郡 Katsuta district

sode mogi Jizoo 袖もぎ地蔵
豊田村柿部落に袖もぎ地蔵がある。この地蔵の前で転ぶと袖を取られるので袖もぎ地蔵という。昔隣村からの帰り道にこの地蔵さんの前に来ると、坂から石臼が転がってくるので避けようとして転んだ。怪我もないので家に帰ったが、片袖がないことを妻に指摘された。翌朝地蔵の前に行ってみたが石臼はなく、狐の仕業かと村人は話し合った。

sodemogi san 袖もぎさん（そでもぎさん）または袖もぎ様（そでもぎさま）
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A2%96%E3%82%82%E3%81%8E%E3%81%95%E3%82%93



............................................................................... Shiga 滋賀県
蒲生町 Gamo town

. bake-Jizoo 化け地蔵 Bake-Jizo, the Monster-Jizo and the Fox .



............................................................................... Shimane 鳥取県
鳥取市 Shimane city

Oton Kitsune おとん狐 O-Ton Kitsune

おとん狐は江戸に出て、女郎に化け、ある恩義を受けた人に沢山のお金を送って報恩したという。

昔因幡国立見峠の古狐は里人を騙して頭をつるつる坊主にするというので恐れられていた。村の若い者がある日退治することとなり、2人で立見峠に出かけると黄金色の古狐がぶらぶら歩いていたが、やがて若い女に化けた。そして道端の石地蔵を抱き上げ川の水草をつけると赤子となった。それをおんぶして歩き出したので、後をつけると女は一軒の老夫婦を起こし、その子を抱かせた。老夫婦は孫だといって喜んでいたので、見てきた話を聞かせたが信じないので湯に赤子を投げ込んだが、赤子は死んでしまった。年寄り夫婦が怒っているところへ和尚が通りかかり、2人を剃髪して弟子とした。2人は一心に礼拝して木魚を鳴らした。夜が明けて村の人達が立見峠にくると、2人の若者が草野原に座り、竹櫛に馬糞を貫いたものを打ち振って騒いでいた。おとん狐のしわざである。



............................................................................... Yamagata 山形県
山形市 Yamagata town

. Jizo and his friend, Inari sama 稲荷様 Inari fox deity .



............................................................................... Yamaguchi 山口県
阿武郡 福栄村

石地蔵 Stone Jizo
金吉という男が狐を退治に行き、石地蔵を赤ん坊に見せかけたと思い殺したら、本物の赤ん坊だった。打ち首にされるところをお坊さんに助けられ、弟子になって粉挽きをしていると思っていた。金吉は最初から化かされており、森の中で木のうろに棒を入れてかき回しているのを村人に見つけられた。

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

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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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kitsune kuyo legends

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kitsune kuyoo 狐供養と伝説 Legends about Fox memorial service
and about Inari, the Fox Deity

. kitsune densetsu 狐　伝説 fox legends .
- Introduction -




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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :

.......................................................................... Aichi 愛知県
南設楽郡 Minami-Shitara district 長篠村 Nagashino

A fox welcomet the dead souls at the graveyard and asked them if the 供養 memorial service at their family was done well enough.
If they were content with their family offerings, the fox got angry, pooped on the ground and run off.
If they were unhappy with their family offerings and asked the fox to curse them, the fox was happy and went off to bewitch a family member.


.......................................................................... Aomori 青森県
北津軽郡 Kita-Tsugaru district

tanuki to kitsune 狸，狐 badger and fox
In the mountain behind 地蔵堂 the Jizo Hall there was another small hall with a few small stone statues.
People called this 賽の河原 Sai no Kawara, the Children's Limbo, waiting to go to the other world after death.
Before the Jizo Hall was built, a fox or a Tanuki roamed there and swindled people who wanted to pass. If this happened, such a person would soon die.
To appease their soul and hold 供養 memorial services for them, the Jizo Hall was erected.

. Jizo Bosatsu and Sai no Kawara 賽の河原 .
The Sai no Kawara at 恐山 Mount Osorezan in Aomori is especially famous.


.......................................................................... Fukushima 福島県
福島市 Fukushima city 飯坂町 Iizaka

This story was told at the end of the Edo period.
When the ancestors of the 安斎氏 Anzai family experienced a difficult birth, a fox appeared and died in front of their home. When they asked a shaman about the meaning of this, they were told that this fox was a messenger of the famous Fushimi Inari from Kyoto. The fox had carried the curse for a difficult birth.
Therefore they erected a small sanctuary and held a memorial service for the fox.
This is the 御仁稲荷 Gojin Inari.

. Fushimi Inari Taisha 伏見稲荷大社 - Kyoto .


.......................................................................... Kanagawa 神奈川県
横浜市 Yokohama 生麦村 Namamugi

daija 大蛇 huge serpent
Once upon a time, some few hundred years ago
a man from Namamugi village broke the promise to his dead wife and married again.
The jealous wife turned into a huge serpent, appeared in the local pond and attacked the man. He apologized to the soul of his dead wife and held a memorial service for her.
A few years later, an epidemic broke out in the village and many died. Some people saw a dream about a fox barking and running in front of 稲荷神社 the Inari Shrine or a huge serpent carrying a dead body from the Inari shrine to the sea.
The people followed the advice of a shaman, made a serpent of straw and purified it in a memorial service, then carried it around each home to appease the souls of the husband (fox) and his wife (serpent).


.......................................................................... Shiga 滋賀県
蒲生町 Gamo town

A fox shape-shifted into 地蔵 Jizo Bosatsu and did not let people pass the road.
People thought this was the curse of a fox and held a memorial service for the fox at the local 稲荷神社 Inari Shrine during the 地蔵盆 Jizo Bon rituals for the ancestors.
They made a special statue of Jizo, now called
bake-Jizoo 化け地蔵 Bake-Jizo, the Monster-Jizo.

. Bake-Jizo　化け地蔵　/ 化地蔵 Jizo as a yokai monster .

. Jizoo Bon 地蔵盆 Jizobon, Jizo Bon .
ancestor ritual on August 24, mostly in Western Japan.


.......................................................................... Tochigi 栃木県
上都賀郡 Kami-Tsuga district

kyuubi no kitsune 九尾の狐 a fox with nine tails
A favorite dish of the Tochigi region is shimotsukare シモツカレ.
Shimotsukare is usually made by simmering vegetables, soybeans, abura-age (あぶらあげ or deep fried tofu skins, a favorite of foxes) and sake kasu (酒粕, literally rice pulp from fermented sake). Common additional ingredients include grated raw radish and carrots.



- - - - - Once upon a time
there lived a fox with nine tails at 殺生岩 Sesshoseki who caused a lot of trouble. The villagers killed it after luring it with this dish of Shimotsukare.
To appease the soul of the fox this dish is now prepared in a memorial service on hatsu-u-no hi (初午の日, literally; first day of horse in the month of February) together with sekihan ritual red rice as an offering to appease the legendary fox deity, Inari-no-shin (稲荷の神) Inari no Kami.

- Matsuo Basho visiting Sesshoseki - Oku no Hosomichi　-
. - - Station 9 - Sesshoseki 殺生岩 - - - .
The fox is the spirit of Tamamo no Mae 玉藻前 - Tamamo Gozen 玉藻御前


source : prometheusblog.net/201
九尾狐 Kyubi-Ko fox

. Dishes from Tochigi - しもつかれ shimotsukare .



.......................................................................... Tokyo
墨田区 Sumida ward

. Mimeguri Jinja 三囲神社 / 三圍神社 Mimeguri Shrine .
三囲稲荷神社 Mimeguri Inari Shrine
..... Out of nowhere an old white fox appeared, walked around the statue three times (mi meguri)
and then fell down dead. This is the origin of the name.


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

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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 ! .

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unagi eel legends

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. Legends about Animals 動物と伝説 .
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unagi うなぎ /　鰻 と伝説 Legends about the eel


Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳

. unagi, 鰻 / うなぎ, eel, Aal - Anguilla japonica .
- Introduction -

It was customary to eat kabayaki 蒲焼 broiled eel on the special unagi no hi 鰻の日 Unagi Eel Day,
the day of doyoo 土用 Doyo in summer, to gain strength in the great heat.

. anago 穴子 / アナゴ / 海鰻 conger eel - Congridae family.

. hamo 鱧 pike conger eel - Muraenesox cinereus .

. Mizunokami to unagi 水の神とうなぎ / 鰻 Deity of Water and Eel Legends .

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. kami no o-tsukai 神のお使い the messenger of a Deity .

. Mishima Taisha 三島大社 Great Shrine at Mishima . - Shizuoka
Unagi is the messenger of the Deity.

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Ibaraki 茨城県 / 龍ヶ崎市 Ryugasaki city

There are many places which venerate the relationship between 虚空蔵 Kokuzo Bosatsu and the eel.
(See Gifu below.)
Eels in special ponds are seen as the messengers and never eaten.
. Kokūzō 虚空蔵菩薩 Akashagarbha Bosatsu and Unagi .

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Kagoshima 鹿児島県 / 大島郡 Oshima district 瀬戸内町 Setouchi town

At 勝浦 Kachiura there is a spring and many eels live there. The villagers see them as 神のお使い messengers of the deity and never catch and eat them. They have a special divine marking on the head.

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Shizuoka 静岡県 / 浜松市 Hamamatsu city
In 引佐郡 the Inasa district at 奥山村 Okuyama village there is unagi no ido うなぎ井戸 a well where very large eels live. It is one of the seven wonders of 遠江 the Totomi area. The eel live there all year round and are seen as the messengers of the deity.
Some say this well has a connection to the waters of 長野の諏訪湖 Lake Suwako in Nagano.

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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :


.......................................................................... Fukushima 福島県 ......................................
双葉郡 Futaba district 浪江町 Namie

One of the nana fushigi 七不思議 seven wonders of Namie is a 白ウナギ　/ 白鰻驪 　white eel.
蓮華院安楽坊には境内に、白鰻驪　、人を咬まない蝮、蛭、粟を食べない雀、3本足の雉、刈ったところから葉が出る杉、いつも実をつける茱の七不思議がある。




.......................................................................... Gifu 岐阜県 ......................................
郡上市の美並地区の粥川地区 Gujo, Minamimura, Kayugawa (Kaigawa)

unagi to oni 鰻 the Eel and yooki 妖鬼 the Monster Demon
Why the people of this area do not eat eel in Summer.


- Once upon a time
at mount 瓢ヶ岳 Fukubegatake (1,162m) there lived an oni 鬼 demon. Sometimes he came down the river 粥川 Kayugawa and caused great distress to the people living there, sometimes killing and eating them.
On orders of the Emperor the brave 藤原高光 Fujiwara no Takamitsu (c. 939 - 994) came here to drive out the Oni. But the Oni used his ability to become invisible and could not be found easily.
Takamitsu built four small shrines on mount Fukubegatake and 高賀山 mount Kogasan and prayed for help to 空蔵菩薩 Kokuzo Bosatsu. The deity granted him an arrow with pure white feathers.
Then 白鰻 one white eel appeared in the river and moved around as if he wanted to show the way to Takemitsu. Takamitsu followed the eel and found the Oni. With his strong bow and arrow he killed him with one shot.
After this, Takamitsu left his bow at the shrine Hoshinomiya Jinja 星宮神社, and the arrow at the side of the waterfall, which was then called
矢納ヶ淵 Yatogafuchi "the riverpool where the arrow was offered to the Gods".
From this time on, the villagers living along the river saw the eel as a messenger of the Deity and never ate a bite of eel.


Now there live a lot of eel happily in this "eel paradise".
They are protected as a 国の天然記念物 natural monument.


- 星宮神社 Hoshinomiya Jinja -
岐阜県郡上市美並町高砂1252 / 1252 Minamichō Takasago, Gujō-shi, Gifu


- 念興寺 Nenko-Ji -
郡上市和良町沢897 / 897 Warachōsawa, Gujō-shi, Gifu



Another version of the legend tells of Takamitsu cutting off the head of the Oni and when he washed his bloody sword in the river Kayugawa, it turned into an eel. The head of the Oni was taken to the temple Nenkooji 念興寺 Nenko-Ji by the villager 粥川太郎右衛門 Kayugawa Taroemon.
It is not shown any more, since if it were to come out, the weather would turn wild with storm and rain.)

- reference : Fujiwara no Takamitsu -
waka poet and Japanese nobleman.


.......................................................................... Gunma 群馬県 ......................................
安中市 Annaka

弘法大師 Kobo Daishi
At 東横野字上間仁田 Higashiyokono Kamimanita is a bridge called 鰻橋 Unagibashi, where fishing is not done.

Once when Kobo Daishi tried to cross a river here, he was in great difficulty and a huge eel made a bridge
to walk over and thus help him cross the river.
To express his gratitude, Kukai Kobo Daishi stomped his walking staff into the ground near the spot
and made a well which never got dry.




- and one more Kobo Daishi legend from 広島県 Hiroshima, Toyomatsu 豊松町

When Kobo Daishi tried to drink water from the river, a lot of eels were swimming around and made the water dirty. So he banned the eels from living in this spot, to teach them a lesson not to disturb thirsty travelers.

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


.......................................................................... Kagawa 香川県 ......................................
羽方(現高瀬町) Takase Hagawa

unagibuchi ryuuoo 鰻淵龍王 the Dragon King of the Eel Pool
is venerated on a rock with a shimenawa 注連縄 sacred rope around it.
There live 黒鰻 black eels and 白鰻 white eels.
If people saw a black eel, it would rain. If they saw a white eel, it would shine.. Many people came to find out about the rain in their region.

There are various places in Japan called - reference : うなぎ淵 unagibuchi -


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

昔々、娘を3人持った寡婦がいた。大水で帰れなくなった母親を鬼が助けるかわりに、娘をくれと言ってきた。末娘が嫁に行くことになったが、鬼は急流に流されて娘は助かった。その後、娘はアジガナシの妻となって華やかな生活を送ったが、嫉妬した姉に殺され、鰻になった後、夫に食べられてしまった。


.......................................................................... Miyagi 宮城県 ......................................
刈田郡 Katta district 蔵王町 Zao

不動滝の大鰻，三階滝の大蟹 waterfalls with Huge Eeel
不動滝のヌシの大鰻と、三階滝の大蟹の合戦。大鰻は美女に化けて遠刈田の籠山の猟師に加勢を頼んだが、臆病な猟師は約束を破って鰻が負け、澄川は七日間血に染まる。


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

Once upon a time
an old farmer wanted to prepare an eel for the Doyo no Hi in summer, but the eel escaped. The farmer ran after him, but the eel escaped and climbed up to 天道 Mount Tendo.
Up there was a great house where 大鬼 a huge demon lived. When the wife of the demon used her flint stone to make fire, there was lightning in the sky. When the demon hit his drum, there was a great rumbling in the sky. The Oni gave the farmer a small pot with water. When he spilled just a little of water, there would be 夕立 an evening shower.




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

. oo unagi 大鰻 the big eel causing earthquakes .




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

. Norota eel ノロタ（海鰻 umi-unagi) and Tsunami .
Muraenesox cinereus, also called anago アナゴ.

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庵原郡 Ibara district　 両河内村 Ryogouchimura

aka unagi 赤鰻 red eel
In the middle of the river 興津川 Okitsugawa was a huge meotoiwa 夫婦岩 "Rock for a Married Couple".
If water accumulated in one of the holes, this was a sign of bad fortune.
People said a red eel lived there.




.......................................................................... Tokyo 東京 ......................................



The owner of an eel restaurant in 麻布 Azabu suddenly became crazy and lay himself on the board for cutting the fish. He stuck the knife into his mouth and cut himself open to the stomach . . . then he died, obviously thinking he was an eel.
This was his divine punishment for cutting life animals all his life.

Owada eel restaurant: male staff cutting eel on right;
female staff grilling eel on left; female staff serving customers in the background.
Katsukawa Shuntei 勝川春亭 (1770 - 1824)




.......................................................................... Wakayama 和歌山県 ......................................
有田郡 Arita district 清水町 Shimizu

shirounagi, shiro-unagi 白鰻 white eel
Once upon a time, maybe 400 years ago
a young girl and a young man were travellilng together. But one night the young man disappeared. The young woman got crazy with worry and walked around looking for him. Eventually she threw herself in the pool of a waterfall and died. From that time on in the waterfall pool there lived a female and a male white eel.
People thought the young woman must have been pregnant and given birth to a male baby boy.
In the spooky hours of the night, sometimes a green-blue flame can be seen hovering over the water and the voice of a crying baby is heard.

.......................................................................
東牟婁郡 Higashi-Muro district 本宮町 Hongu town

. taki no nushi 滝の主 Master of the Waterfall .
is a 大蛇 huge serpent and also an unagi 鰻 eel.



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- reference : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -
17 うなぎ (00)
99 鰻 (00) (00) 滝のヌシ / 淵の主 / 沼の主
76 ウナギ (00)
14 鰻 蛇 (00) serpent
7 鰻 龍 (00) dragon
6 鰻鱺 manrei (00)
05 鰻 蜘蛛 (00) spider
4 鰻 蟹 (00) crab
- - - - unagi to oni / Fudo / -

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

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -
- Introduction -

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Kofun Osaka

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. ABC List of Heian Contents .
. kofun jidai 古墳時代 burial mound period - 250 to 538 .
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Kofun in Osaka - Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group

Mozu kofungun (百舌鳥古墳群)
is a group of kofun or tumuli in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture,
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

Furuichi kofungun (古市古墳群)
is a group of one hundred and twenty-three kofun or tumuli in Fujiidera, Osaka Prefecture,
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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- quote - Eric Johnston -
Osaka’s ancient burial mounds eyed for World Heritage status but clear explanations elude


Nintoku-tenno-ryo (the Nintoku Mausoleum) in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, is part of the Mozu-Furuichi group of ancient burial sites known as kofun, which the government has recently put forward for World Heritage status.

he government’s decision in late July to nominate a group of 49 ancient burial sites in southern Osaka Prefecture for UNESCO World Heritage status has raised local hopes for a major boost in international prestige and tourism appeal.

But the move also raises sometimes politically sensitive questions about what the sites, called kofun, really are, who are buried within, and how to explain their history and meaning.

The nominated sites are known as the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group. They lie in two areas, in the city of Sakai just south of the city of Osaka along the coast of Osaka Bay, and in Fujiidera and Habikino in the southeast part of the prefecture. They include the 486-meter Nintoku-tenno-ryo (Nintoku Mausoleum) kofun, one of the world’s largest burial mounds.

The Mozu-Furuichi kofun are believed to have been built from the late fourth to late fifth and early sixth centuries, during the Kofun Period, which lasted for about 400 years beginning in the second half of the third century. Kofun are found over much of Honshu and Kyushu and were built in many different shapes, including keyhole, square and circular shapes. Sizes range from 10 meters to over 400 meters.

Kofun also had slightly different designs. Some were surrounded by only one moat, while others had two or three. Burial mounds might have one, two or three tiers.

The generally accepted historical explanation for the kofun mounds is that, as Japan’s ancient Yayoi culture was based on wet rice farming, settlements around rice paddies grew, and with them, local political structures known as kuni (today’s word for “country”) arose. It was these local groups that began constructing kofun.

But for whom? History and legend are mixed. The Imperial Household Agency has designated 895 sites from Yamagata to Kagoshima prefectures as Imperial mausoleums and tombs, including 188 burial mounds for senior members of the Imperial family. Citing a need to preserve the “serenity and dignity” of the tombs, entrance by the general public is forbidden and access by archaeologists is severely restricted.

In December 2014, the agency offered a guided tour to academics and reporters around a previously off-limits kofun called Tannowa Nisanzai in the far south of Osaka Prefecture, not part of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group. While the Imperial Household Agency officially classifies it as an Imperial grave, some archaeologists believe it was built for a local chieftain.

Getting the tombs designated as a World Heritage site would likely lead to increased international interest in who, exactly, is buried in them.

It could also increase calls among archaeologists in Japan and abroad for better and more frequent access to carry out scientific studies on their contents, possibly leading to controversial discoveries and conclusions that would rewrite current official history.

For its part, Osaka Prefecture was careful in explaining the kofun in its English-language materials. Brochures and the English-language website promoting the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group introduce kofun in general as places where “people of high rank, that is the elite, in those days were buried in kofun tombs. Many powerful rulers, such as (the) great kings of the Yamato Government, had this type of mound constructed.”

In the case of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group, the explanation in one brochure is that it “is considered to be the tomb group where tombs for the ruling elites, including great kings and their vassals, were concentrated. It is said that the differences in the scale and form of mounds as well as the structure of burial facilities depend on the social status and family background of the deceased, representing the sociopolitical hierarchy of the time.”

In many kofun of the Mozu-Furuichi Group, burial goods similar to those found in other parts of Asia, such as earthenware figures known as haniwa, bronze accessories and weapons have been excavated over the centuries.

“These excavated artifacts show the influence of the Korean Peninsula and China, proving that Japan had active exchanges with other East Asian countries at that time,” the brochure reads. The English-language website for the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group goes further, saying they could be seen “as a collection of tombs of the Kings of Wa over seven generations, together with their family members and vassals. As such, they could rightly be called the ‘Royal Tumulus Complex.’ “

Announcing its decision that the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group had been selected as Japan’s World Heritage candidate for the current fiscal year, the Cultural Affairs Agency explained its choice by saying the group is centered on Nintoku-tenno-ryo, the largest keyhole-shaped kofun in the country, considered to be the grave of an ancient Japanese king, and that the group includes many kofun of different sizes and designs, thus representative of others around Japan.

There are seven giant keyhole-shaped kofun in the group, with five having a double or triple moat. They are thought to have been built by ancient sovereigns who were later known as tenno (emperors), the official Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group website reads, adding there was plenty of evidence to suggest that these seven kofun are the tombs of ancient Japanese sovereigns.

The agency also said its decision to nominate the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group was partially based on the belief that there was room to revise the details of the bid to reflect post-selection judgments and recommendations, although what those might be were not spelled out.

Asked about revisions to the bid, Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui said the recommendations and concerns of the agency need to be resolved. But now that the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group is Japan’s official candidate, attention is turning to what needs to be done to ensure that the group meets UNESCO’s requirements to become a World Heritage site.

“In the end, because it’s UNESCO that directs World Heritage sites, we have to get the structure of a bid past their eyes,” Matsui added.

To win its approval, UNSECO asks a number of questions about the proposed site’s uniqueness, creativity, connection to living events and traditions, and structural integrity. But what’s most important, the prefecture says, is value.

“To get on the World Heritage list, the candidate site must be of ‘Outstanding Universal Value,’ and meet certain criteria. A detailed written history of the site is less important to getting on the list than proving it has value,” said Hiroshi Yamagami, an Osaka prefectural official involved with the bid.

Yamagami said the plan was for a provisional bid to be sent by the central government to UNESCO this autumn. The final, official bid documents would be submitted to the U.N. agency by January.

“After that, representatives from the International Council on Monuments and Sites, which advises the World Heritage Committee, would visit in the summer and early autumn of 2018. They’d deliver their report on the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group in 2019, and the final decision to grant or reject World Heritage status would come from UNESCO around the summer of that same year,” Yamagami said.

For Sakai, getting the Mozu-area kofun listed is expected to lead to an economic windfall. A city estimate says the economic impact could be ¥100 billion for Osaka Prefecture, including about ¥33.8 billion for Sakai, mostly in the form of increased visitors. However, Sakai Mayor Osami Takeyama is also worried about how, exactly, to explain what visitors are seeing.

“Presentation (of the kofun) is becoming an issue. How do we present the kofun in the information center in a way that is convincing to those who have come?” asked the mayor in early August.

That question is likely to be answered over the coming weeks as Matsui, Takeyama and the prefectural government consult Diet members, the Cultural Affairs Agency and the Imperial Household Agency on what the final recommendation to UNESCO will look like. Given the sensitivities involved, what UNESCO officials are handed in January could make very interesting, and possibly controversial, reading indeed.
- source : Japan Times -


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- Reference in Japanese -
- Reference in English -

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

. Legends - Heian Period (794 to 1185) - Introduction .

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

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. kofun jidai 古墳時代 burial mound period - 250 to 538 .

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Hyoze no Matsuwaka - legend

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. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話 昔話 - Introduction .
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Hyooze no Matsuwaka 兵生の松若と伝説 Matsuwaka from Hyoze

Hyoze is a small hamlet in Wakayama, bordering to Nara, in the 果無山脈 Hatenashi Sanmyaku mountain range and 安堵山 Mount Andosan.
It can be reached from 福定 Fukusada and sometimes even bears roam in the deep forests surrounding it.


source : michi-oto.com/kodo/hyoze-sato1...

There used to be a sub-shrine of 春日神社 Kasuga Jinja in the forest and once a year the villagers come for special rituals.
The shrine is usually not visited by tourists.


source : michi-oto.com/kodo/hyoze-sato1...


. How Mount Hatenashi 果無山 got its name - Legend .

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兵生の松若 Hyoze no Matsuwaka

Once upon a time
there lived a very tall man in the forest of Hyoze, called 松若 Matsuwaka.
Once he went down to the village to get some salt. When he stretched out his hand a huge amount of salt would fit in.
During the 日露戦争 Russo-Japanese war (1904 - 1905) he was to be recruited by the army, but he never came to join.
Some other stories talk about a wolf who had bitten of one of his arms.

While Matsuwaka lived in the deep forest, he ate many strange things to survive and eventually 鬼になった became an Oni Demon.

. oni ni naru　鬼になる to become a demon .





Matsuwaka became known as the 山の妖怪 Yokai Forest Monster of Hyoze.
When he was born, the baby soon had all his teeth and long hair hanging down to his shoulders. He grew much faster then other babies and had a great appetite for any kind of food.
At age ten he realized that he would be a burden on his family and went off into the deep forest to live there.
Many years later a group of thieves haunted the village. Matsuwaka, who had become big like a demon, went down to the village to take care of the problem.
He soon killed all the thieves and thugs.

But after that, he was never seen again.
Sometimes villagers in Hyoze can hear him shout in the winter mountains - うおお～ UOOOOOOOO !

- reference source : nwn.jp/feature/20170722_wakamatu -



source : michi-oto.com/densetsu/hyoze-matsuwaka...

ある日のこと、山にこだまするほどの産声をあげながら、大きな男の子が産まれた。ひらいた口には歯がそろい、黒々した髪の毛が首筋まで伸びておったそうや。
「松若」と名付けられたその子は、ひと月もすると太い足をふんばって歩き始めた。それから数年、日ごとにたくましく育っていくが、誰もが驚くほどの大めし喰らい。家族の分まですっかり喰らってしまう松若に、親きょうだいはほとほと困り果てたんやと。

「わしが家におったら、みなが飢えてしまう」

松若は、そう思うたんやな。
だんだんと一人で山へこもるようになって、十歳になる頃には夜になっても帰らんようになった。村の男らは時おり、山の奥で獣を追いかける松若を見かけたそうや。裸の体はいっそう大きく育って、木々の間を走り抜けて巨岩を軽々と飛び越えていった。男らは目を見張って「ありゃ、松若じゃ」「鬼になったんじゃ」と言い合ったんやと。

ある夜、兵生に盗賊が押し寄せてきた。集団で荒しまわられて、村の衆は逃げまどうしかない。必死の思いで安堵山へ逃げ込んだ数人が、「松若よぉー、松若よぉー」とおがった（叫んだ）。すると「うおーい」という低い声とともに突風が吹いて、獣のような何かが転がるように走り込んできた。
松若や。

その大きな体は一瞬にして森を走り抜け、里にたどり着くと盗賊を次々となぎ倒した。松ヤニで塗り固められた松若の巨体は、刀さえはじき飛ばしたんや。

おかげで村は、難を逃れることができた。
村の衆はそりゃ喜んだ。松若に食わしちゃろと、米を持ち寄って餅をついてやったそうや。ほいたら松若は「餅はいらんさか、塩をくれよ。わしも塩がなけりゃ生きられんのや」と言うた。そこで、さっそく塩をかき集めて持たしてやると、茶色く節くれだった両手で大事そうに受け取った。

そして「なんぞあったら、安堵山でわしの名をおがれよ。助けにくるさか」って言うと、塩の袋を肩に担いで山に帰っていった。その背中が見えなくなるまで、村の衆はじっと見送っていたんやて。

それから、松若の姿を見た者はないんやが。
ただ、しんと冷えた冬の夜にな「うぉお、うぉお」っていう悲しそうな声が、山の方から響いてくることがあったそうや。
そんな時、すっかり年老いてしもた松若の母親は、「松若よぉ、松若よぉ」って家の前で声をふりしぼって呼んでたんやて。
source : michi-oto.com/densetsu/hyoze-matsuwaka...





Autumn festival at the Shrine Kasuga Jinja.


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- - - - - Hyooze, Hyoze - Not to mix with

. Hyōzu 兵主神 Hyozu no Kami - Deity of Wind and Weapons .


. 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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Empress Danrin Kachiko

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. ABC List of Heian Contents .
. Persons of the Heian Period .
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Danrin Koogoo 檀林皇后 empress Danrin Kogo
(786 - 850)
橘嘉智子 Tachibana no Kachiko
daughter of Tachibana no Kiyotomo 橘清友



- quote -
the empress consort of Emperor Saga.
According to some sources, she was involved in the conspiracy to accuse Crown Prince Tsunesada in 842 of attempting a coup, thus exiling him and making way for her own grandson Prince Michiyasu to take the throne as Emperor Montoku, in an event known as the Jôwa Incident.
Danrin
is said to have been extremely beautiful, and to have been distressed by the extent to which her beauty distracted Buddhist monks and others from their work or studies. According to legend, she committed suicide and left orders that her body be left unburied at a particular street corner, so that people would see her decaying body and be forced to think about the impermanence of life, beauty, and material desires.
- source : wiki.samurai-archives.com/index... -

She founded the Buddhist temple Danrin-Ji.

Danrin-ji (檀林寺) was Japan's first Zen temple, founded in Saga, Kyōto by order of Tachibana no Kachiko during the Jōwa era. The temple was destroyed by fire in 928, but was restored, and during the Muromachi period the temple was designated as one of Kyōto's five great Buddhist nunneries. The temple eventually fell into disrepair, and in 1339 construction of Tenryū-ji began on its grounds.
- source : wikipedia -

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"Nine Stages of Decomposition of the Heian Period Empress Danrin"
Danrin Koogoo Kusoozu 檀林皇后九相観 Danrin Kogo Kusozu
- source : commons.wikimedia.org/wiki... -
18th century Japanese scroll in the Honolulu Museum of Art, ex. Richard Lane Collection












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CLICK for more illustrations !

The nine stages are:

脹相（ちょうそう） - 死体が腐敗によるガスの発生で内部から膨張する。
壊相（えそう） - 死体の腐乱が進み皮膚が破れ壊れはじめる。
血塗相（けちずそう） - 死体の腐敗による損壊がさらに進み、溶解した脂肪・血液・体液が体外に滲みだす。
膿爛相（のうらんそう） - 死体自体が腐敗により溶解する。
青瘀相（しょうおそう） - 死体が青黒くなる。
噉相（たんそう） - 死体に虫がわき、鳥獣に食い荒らされる。
散相（さんそう） - 以上の結果、死体の部位が散乱する。
骨相（こつそう） - 血肉や皮脂がなくなり骨だけになる。
焼相（しょうそう） - 骨が焼かれ灰だけになる。
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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- Reference in Japanese 檀林皇后九相観 -
- Reference in English : empress danrin -

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

. Legends - Heian Period (794 to 1185) - Introduction .

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

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Yuge no Miya Osaka

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. ABC List of Heian Contents .
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Yuge no Miya 弓削の宮 / 弓削宮 - Osaka

- - - - - not to confuse with
Yugi no Miya 由義宮 and the temple 弓削寺 Yugedera, founded in 765
Yugi-no-miya in Kawachi province.
Both Yuge-no-miya and Yugedera are mentioned in “Shoku Nihongi".



由義神社 Yugi Jinja

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- quote - TAKASHI ENDO -
Dig offers 1st hint of second capital in Osaka in 8th century


The Higashi-Yuge archaeological site in Yao, Osaka Prefecture, where the remains of pillars and trench digs dating to the eighth century have been discovered (Provided by the Yao municipal board of education)

YAO, Osaka Prefecture--Evidence of structures dating back more than 1,000 years at an archaeological site here points to the existence of a "second" capital that is known only through eighth-century chronicles.

Archaeologists say pits dug in the ground for massive wooden pillars, along with evidence of an extensive trench, offer compelling indications that the Higashi-Yuge ruins hosted Yuge-no-miya, a site shrouded in mystery.

This other capital was purportedly built at the behest of female Emperor Shotoku, who ruled from 764 to 770 during the Nara Period (710-784).

Emperor Shotoku (718-770) is known to history for favoring a Buddhist monk named Dokyo, who died in 772 having attained great power under her patronage.

Dokyo won court favor through his devoted prayers for her health after she fell seriously ill. The emperor later promoted him to the extremely influential post of “hoo,” the highest rank among Buddhist monks.

The discovery of the sprawling complex at the Higashi-Yuge site was announced Aug. 16 by the Yao cultural property research council, which is affiliated with the Yao city government.

Masashi Kinoshita, professor emeritus of archaeology at Tokyo Gakugei University, is expecting that further excavation of the site will shed light on the second capital city.

“Few details are known of Yuge-no-miya. The recent discovery of the canal may help unravel the mystery,” he said, referring to the excavation of trenches, which experts believe were filled with water and used to transport building materials.

In February, archaeologists said they unearthed the first evidence of a huge pagoda for Yugedera temple at the Higashi-Yuge site. The temple was built by Dokyo there before his fall from grace following the death of the emperor.

Both Yuge-no-miya and Yugedera are mentioned in “Shoku Nihongi,” the imperially commissioned history text on the Nara Period, but there was no evidence to support this until recently.

A large section of the second capital got built, but the city was never finished due to Emperor Shotoku's death.

The latest excavations are being carried out 500 meters or so northeast of where the apparent pagoda foundations were unearthed.
The square-shaped pits measure between 60 centimeters and 80 cm. Experts believe that pillars 20-25 cm in diameter were sunk into the holes. The pits are lined up in the four points of the compass. That suggests Yuge-no-miya was constructed there, according to Masanobu Hirose, a member of the council.

“The site shows that there was very precise demarcation,” he said. “Yuge-no-miya, set out neatly in a grid pattern, must have sprawled to the area where archaeologists are now working.”

The trench is about 10 meters long, 16-20 meters wide and 1 meter deep.
Coupled with a 60-meter-long trench found nearby last summer, it is thought that they formed part of an artificial canal measuring some 600 or 700 meters in total length.

Archaeologists speculate that the canal was built to transport materials to build the second capital and Yugedera, or to serve as drain bypass for river works.

Kinoshita said he leans to the former theory.
“Workers need to transport building materials, such as large pillars and tiles, by water in short bursts, to efficiently construct key structures of a city based on meticulous planning,” he said. “I believe that the trenches were most likely a portion of the canal built to transport building materials for Yugedera and Yuge-no-miya."

In the finding announced in February, archaeologists said the possible foundations of the Yugedera's pagoda were found in a geological layer dating to the late Nara Period.

The foundations measure approximately 20 meters by 20 meters, which suggests the structure was at least seven stories high and rose to a height of more than 60 meters.
- source : asahi.com/ajw/articles... 2017 -




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由義宮（ゆげのみや、ゆげぐう）Yugenomiya, Yugeguu - wikipedia

- Reference in Japanese - 弓削の宮 -
- Reference - osaka yuge no miya -

- reference - yugi no miya osaka -


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- #yugenomiya #yuginomiya #yugedera #yugeosaka #osakayuge #osakayugi -
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Heian no Yami books

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. ABC List of Heian Contents .
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Heian no Yami 平安の闇 The Dark Side of the Heian Period

There are books and other material on this dark subject !
Book details are available at
https://www.amazon.co.jp

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平安の闇
樺島忠夫 Kabashima Tadao (1927 - )

In former times the nights in the capital were dark.
In the darkness were dangers for the human life, robbers and demons and other things not well known, but to be feared.


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平安の闇に、ようこそ
Welcome to the Dark Side of the Heian Period!

Onmyōji Dokuhon: Heian No Yami Ni, Yōkoso
『陰陽師』読本 ― from the series about Onmyoshi
夢枕獏 Yumemakura Baku

安倍晴明・源博雅コンビ誕生の謎を解く！?
the secrets of Abe no Seimei and Minamoto no Hiromasa
野村萬斎との対談、登場人物、作品詳解等で徹底解剖

Baku Yumemakura 夢枕 獏 Yumemakura Baku,
(born 1951 in Odawara, Kanagawa) is a Japanese science fiction and adventure writer.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !


. Abe no Seimei 阿倍晴明 (921 - 1005) .
- 陰陽道 Onmyo-Do - The Way of Yin and Yang

. Minamoto no Hiromasa 源博雅 (918 – 980) .
- a 雅楽 Gagaku musician -
and the magical aobabue 青葉笛flute with green bamboo leaves


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平安時代という闇の深い時代



- reference source : tihourekisimatome.blog.jp/archives... -

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. Legends - Heian Period (794 to 1185) - Introduction .

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

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wolf okuri okami legends

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. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話 昔話 - Introduction .
. ookami 狼 伝説 Okami, wolf legends .
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okuri ookami 送り狼 "a wolf following someone"

. madoo 魔道 - まどう Mado, road where monsters pass .
ma no toorimichi 魔の通り道 / mamono no toorimichi 魔物の通り道
masuji, ma-suji 魔筋 // nawasuji, nawa-suji 縄筋
- Introduction -



source : dostoev.exblog.jp

okuri ookami 送り狼 "a wolf following someone"
If people walk alone on a lonely mountain road,
sometimes they hear a strange sound like a tail hitting the ground and think, a monster wolf is following them.
In that case they should never turn around to have a look. Wolves often follow women, but sometimes also men.
And there are wolves which are kind and helpful at night.
This monster wolf is especially active at sunset. People call the twilight time オオマガトキ ooma ga toki.

If people begin to whistle there will be even more Mamono monsters gathering in the area.
Children have to be especially careful.


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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :



.......................................................................... Gifu 岐阜県 ......................................
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恵那郡 Ena district 山岡町 Yamaoka town

. wolf at the Tonosama Kaido 殿様街道 Highway of the Lord .




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

In Maniwa, 落合町 Ochiai, in the hamlet 栗原 Kurihara there was a woman walking along 城山 Shiroyama, Monster Road, to the next village, when a monster wolf was following her. She went straight home in a hurry, never daring to even look left or right. When she reached home and shut the main gate, she could see two eyes glowing outside and staring at her, then slowly disappearing.



.......................................................................... Tottori 鳥取県 ......................................
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岩美町 Iwami town

. the kannushi 神主 Shinto priest from 七村 Nanamura .


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- reference : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -
55 to collect (02)
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. ookami 狼 伝説 Okami, wolf legends - wolves .

. 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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