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5/26/2020

Asakusa legends

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. Famous Places and Power spots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
. 浅草観音伝説 Legends from Asakusa Kannon Temple .
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Asakusa densetsu 浅草伝説 Legends from Asakusa
台東区元浅草 Taito ward, Moto-Asakusa and others

. Asakusa 浅草 district in Edo .

. 浅草観音伝説 Legends from Asakusa Kannon Temple .

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. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

.................................................................................　Tokyo 浅草 Asakusa

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浅草安部河町 Asakusa Abekawa district. Asakusa Abekawachō

. Asakusa Abekawacho　阿部川町 Abekawa district .
River Abe-Kawa 安倍川 / 阿部川 and Tokugawa Ieyasu

koonotori 鸛 Konotori, stork
In the year 1810, there was a temple of the Ikko sect 高田派一向宗, where a stork had put up his nest. Until then the stork had put up his nest at the temple 西福寺 Saifuku-Ji. In the same year in December, there was a fire and the temple Saifuku-Ji burned down. They say if a stork moves his nest, there might be a fire at the old spot.

- quote -
Ikkō-shū (一向宗) or "single-minded school" is usually viewed as a small, militant offshoot from Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism though the name has a complex history.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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浅草花川戸 Asakusa Hanakawado

. Asakusa Hanakawadocho　花川戸町 Hanakawado district .

marushime no neko 丸〆の猫 / 丸〆猫 / manekineko 招き猫 the lucky cat from Imado
. Imado yaki 今戸焼　 Imado ware and the Lucky Cat .

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浅草今戸町 Asakusa Imado district

In the year 1813, a man saw a strange woman and followed her. The way led to a graveyard in Imado, where the woman vanished in front of a grave.

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. 浅草駒形 Asakusa Komagata / Komakata district .

onna no ushi-oni 女の牛鬼 a female bull-demon
People have seen a female bull-demon running out of the gate to the Komagata district.

. ushi oni, ushioni, gyuuki 牛鬼 "bull-demon" .

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浅草南馬道竹門 Minami-Umamichi Takemon

. boozu 坊主と伝説 Legends about Bozu priests .
In the year 1810, on the 20th day of the 7th lunar month, there was suddenly a naked boy about 15 years old falling from the night sky at 竹門 Takemon. The boy was a retainer of a 京都安井門跡 Yasui, a samurai from Kyoto. He had climbed 愛宕山 Mount Atago on the 18th. Since it was very hot he had taken off his cloths. Just then an old priest appeared and said he wanted to show him something special. The boy did not remember any more.
But his 足袋 tabi socks were made in Kyoto.
- reference : edo.amebaownd.com... -
and 浅草北馬道町 Kita-Umamichi district

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浅草御蔵 Asakusa Okura

. hebi 蛇と伝説 Legends about snakes and serpents .
at Asakusa Okura there was a serpent coming out and ate all the rice in the fields. The farmers wanted to install a watchpost for snakes, but another man told them not to. Once this man had been shut in a storehouse for rice and had nothing to drink. A snake came along, took his hand towle and wetted it so that he could suck out the moisture and thus survive.
. . . . . another legend about
. mugiwara hebi 麦藁蛇 / 麦わら蛇 serpent made from wheat straw .

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牛込山伏町 Ushigome Yamabushi cho district

Tanaka 田中幸右衛門 Tanaka Koemon and the gate 田安門 Tayasumon
. Ushigome district 牛込 .

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ema 絵馬 votive tablet of a horse and a dragon

. 狩野元信 Kano Motobonu and 左甚五郎 Hidari Jingoro .
and the stray carved horse or dragon on the votive tablet

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. Kasha 火車 Kasha Demon "burning chariot" .

At 筑後守屋敷 the estate of the regent of Chikugo the 庚申 Koshin deity is venerated on the 7th day of the 4th lunar month.
In the evening they heard the noise of someone falling on the roof. It was the body of a drowned person. They say 火車 the Kasha Demon has dropped it there.
. kooshin 庚申伝説 Legends about the Koshin Cult .

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kitsune 狐 fox

. Yasuzaemon Inari 弥惣左ヱ門稲荷. .
A fox named 熊谷弥惣左ヱ門 Kumagaya Yasuzaemon got caught here in a trap and died.
The shrine was erected in his honor.
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Once a daughter was bewitched by the Inari fox from a nearby pond. A priest in a session asked the fox why. The fox said hw wanted to eat manjuu 饅頭 steamed buns and wanted them to be offered at a place where no dog would disturb him. The priest was well versed in the tales of Asakusa and got rid of the bewitchment with a special ritual.
. kitsune densetsu 狐と伝説 fox legends .

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kuchi-ire Inari 口入稲荷 Takadaya 高田屋

This shrine was located in the garden of the former employment agent Takadaya 高田屋 in the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters of Edo.
In 1701 it was relocated in the precincts of 浅草玉姫稲荷 Tamahime Inari Shrine in Asakusa.

. Kuchi-ire Inari shrine 口入稲荷神社 .

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Iinuma no tenjin 飯沼の天神 Tenjin from Iinuma in 下総国 Shimosa no kuni (Chiba)

The Temple 浅草報恩寺 Asakusa Hoon-Ji was formerly located in Shimosa no Kuni (now Chiba). When the temple was built, there came an old man listening to the sermon and then told the priest that he was the Tenjin deity from Iinuma. He would care for the priest from now on.
In a dream he told the priest he would make an offering of two koi 鯉 carp. But during the annual festival a large tree fell down and all the carp in the pond were killed by the angry deity.

Hoon-Ji 坂東報恩寺 6-13-13 Higashiueno, Taito Ward

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o-neko sama お猫さま the honorable cat

In Asakusa lived a poor family, making a living by selling vegetables. When the old father got ill, they became even poorer. His son mumbled about the cat, which should be killed and from that day on the cat did not show up any more. The son thought this strange and asked the old man about it. The old man told his son that the cat came every night and lay on the part of his body that was ill. That way he could get some sleep. And soon the ill old man was cured.
. neko 猫 / ねこと伝説 Legends about cats, Katzen .

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tamashi 魂 soul

A man who had been ill for a long time went to the temple of his family and asked the priest to be burried there if he would die. The next day he came again and the priest thought this was strange. The priest investigated the case and found that the man had already died.

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tanuki 狸 badger

. tanukubayashi 狸囃子 Tanuki procession .

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Taroo Inari 太郎稲荷 the Deity Taro Inari

. Tachibana Sakon 立花左近 and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Taro Inari Jinja 太郎稲荷神社

柳川藩立花家 Yanagawa han, Tachibana clan - Naka Yashiki 中屋敷

- quote -
..... one of these Edo Yashiki shrines in Tokyo’s Asakusa district, the Taro Inari Jinja (Shrine). This used to be the estate shrine of the Tachibana House of the Yanagawa clan, who ruled southern Fukuoka province on the Island of Kyushu. The estate and the shrine was established here around 1660. This is the only remains of the old estate, even though some of the lots are still in the hands of the original noble family members who seem to be in the hotel business.
..... the Torii, the red gate in front of all shrines and holy places, has actually been incorporated into the neighboring building when it was erected, a torii shaped hole has been made in the building wall itself!
No matter how crowded Tokyo gets, you can’t really ask the Gods to move!
- source : tokyobling.wordpress.com... -

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yakujin 疫神 Deities of Illness

. Yakubyogami 疫病神 / 厄病神 Deity of Diseases .

In the year 1848 in Autumn, a pandemic was in the city. An old woman from Asakusa was walking with a strange youg woman, who said she had not eaten for some days. The old woman cooked some soba そば buckwheat noodles for her. After the meal the young woman thanked her and said she was in reality ekijin 疫神 the Deity of Disease. She instructed the old woman that if she would feel ill, she should soon eat some dojoo どじょう loach to get better soon.

- - - - - ekibyoo 疫病 epidemic and 第六天神様 Dairokutenjin Sama
There was an epidemic in the village 宝木塚村 Hogizuka with many dead people. The reason was the missing faith in a protecting deity - or so they said. Finally they got a deity from 第六天神社 DairokuTen Jinja Shrine in Asakusa and the epidemy stopped.

. Dairokuten Ma-O 第六天魔王 Big Number Six Heavenly Deity .

.................................................................................　Yamagata 山形県
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山形市 Yamagata city // 浅草の慶養寺 Keiyo-Ji

. hebi 蛇と伝説 Legends about snakes and serpents .
The tutelary deity of the Temple 竜門寺 Ryumon-Ji was a dragon.
Once the stone wall of the temple collapses and when people came to check, they found a serpent coming out. They chased the animal and killed it. The man who had killed the serpent died the same night. The others became very ill for about two months.
The serpent was rather thick and had four legs. The body is preserved at the temple Keiyo-Ji in Asakusa.

慶養寺 Keiyo-Ji
台東区今戸1-6-22 / Taito ward, Imado
founded in 1653 by priest Ryokan 龍門寺十二世良寮和尚.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

. Edo, Tokyo　江戸 - 東京 - 伝説 Legends Index .

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Asakusa Kannon Legends

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Famous Places and Power spots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
. Legends from Asakusa .
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Asakusa Kannon densetsu 浅草観音伝説 Legends from Asakusa Kannon Temple
台東区元浅草 Taito ward, Moto-Asakusa

. Asakusa Kannon Temple 　浅草観音 .

. Kannon Bosatsu 観音菩薩伝説 legends about Kannon .

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. Asakusa 浅草 district in Edo .

In the compound is the temple
. Denboo-In 伝法院 Denboin, Denbo-In .

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Kannon 観音 / Kanzeon 観世音

A man named 土師臣中知 Haji no Nakatomo, an official during the Asuka period around 628, came to the Asakusa area. He heard the story of two brothers, 檜熊浜成 Hinokuma Hamashige and 武成 Takenari. They worked as fishermen. One day they fished a statue of Kannon out of the river, but threw it back. At another place in the river they again caught the Kannon statue in their net. Nakatomo realized it was a special statue and venerated it in his home, making it into a temple and he himself became a priet.
But the statue smelled very much like fish, so he used a lot of incense to get rid of the smell.

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ubagaike 姥ヶ池 the pond of the old woman
- quote -
In the old days this unremarkable park with its little pond was shallow marshland that grew smaller and smaller as the city of Edo (old Tokyo) grew around it. In 1891 the local government finally had the marsh filled in and the present day park was put in its place. The name of the pond comes from an old legend concerning a stone pillow housed at a nearby temple.
During the reign of Emperor Yomei (585-587 A.D.), in a place called Asajigahara, there was a small trail connecting Oshu and Shimofusa. It was the only trail in the area and along it there was only a single house, inhabited by an old woman and her beautiful daughter. Any traveler wishing to rest on his journey had to stop over at their house where the old lady would promptly bash his head in with a stone pillow and steal his clothes and belongings. The old lady would then dump the bodies in a nearby pond.
Naturally her daughter was not happy with this and pleaded with the old lady to stop the killings but there was no persuading her. The body count reached 999 and the daughter was desperate to stop the killing.
One day a young man came to stay over and the old lady, as was her habit, took the stone pillow and promptly split his skull open. Upon closer inspection though, the old lady found that she had killed her own daughter who had gone in disguise, hoping that this final sacrifice would persuade the old lady to stop the killings. As the old lady was going mad from the realization of her deeds she took her daughter’s corpse and threw herself and the corpse together into the pond.
Since that day, the pond has been knows as Ubagaike, the Pond of the old Lady
(old hag might be a better translation).
- reference source : tokyobling.wordpress.com.. ubagaike.. -
The daughter turned into daija 大蛇 a large serpent and became the protector deity of the area.
. daija, orochi 大蛇 the huge serpent, great snake - legends .

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. henjoo nanji 変成男子 a boy with a mysterious story .
was saved through the grace of Asakusa Kannon.

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. Ennin -　Jigaku Daishi 慈覚大師 / 慈覺大師 . - (794 – 864)
and the old man with a white beard

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. Legends about Jizo Bosatsu - 地蔵菩薩 .

Around 1760, there lived a priest near the Asakusa Temple, called Arigata Bo ありがた坊 "the thankful priest".
His other name was Rakushin 楽心 (rakuchin . . . to feel at ease), but he was deaf.
He had to make regular prayers at the Jizodoo 地蔵堂 Jizo Hall. When he recited his first prayer, he heard the voice of Jizo callilng him 楽心 Rakushin. Next Jizo called arigatoo gozaimasu 「ありがとうござります」 "thank you very much".
Since then he could hear again and also talk to people.

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. Kannon Bosatsu 観音菩薩伝説 legends about Kannon .
migawari Kannon 身代り観音 Kannon as a substitute
As the belief in Kannon spread, a man was walking along the Nihonzutsumi embankment when a robber stabbed him. All his money was stolen, but he did not get any wounds. This happened in 1806.

. Migawari ... the deities substitute for us .

Nihonzutsumi 日本堤 Nihon Embankment, Japan dike district in Taito ward

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raijin 雷神 God of Thunderstorm / 浅草寺雷神門 Asakusa temple Kaminari mon gate

. Raijin 雷神 God of Thunder .
. To protect a child from 疱瘡 Hoso smallpox .

- quote -
Raijin-mon gate at Sensō-ji Temple of Kinryū-zan
金龍山浅草寺雷神門之図

Kaminari-mon gate (Fū-Raijin-mon gate) is situated at the entrance to the grounds of Sensō-ji Temple.
It is said that the original was built in 942 (the fifth year of Tengyō) and located somewhere around Komagata, Taitō Ward.
It is said that Fūjin and Raijin (The gods of wind and thunder) statues were enshrined for the first time when the gate was moved to the current location after the Kamakura period.
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library -

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. uma 馬 koma 駒伝説　horse legends .
The horse painted on an ema 絵馬 votive tablet walks off to feed and cause trouble at night. To appese it, reins were painted.

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浅草仲見世 Asakusa Nakamise

. tanuki 狸 - mujina 狢－ racoon dog, badger legends .
tanukibayashi 狸囃子 "Tanuki Orchestra"
In 1877, at the home of the Ohashi family in 浅草仲見世 the Nakamise, Asakusa, for about half a year many weird things happened.
Well, this was a curse that goes back some time.
An ancestor of the Ohashi family was a Samurai attendant of 伝法院 the temple Denbo-In. He had to clear a bamboo grove in the temple compound, where tatari 祟り a curse was lingering. To appease the deity, a small Shrine was erected to appease the angry deity.
As a protector amulet against fire and disaster, the golden statue of a tanuki was erected.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

. Edo, Tokyo　江戸 - 東京 - 伝説 Legends Index .

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. Legends from Asakusa .

. Taitoo, Taitō 台東区 Taito Ward .

. Kaido 街道 Highways - ABC Index .

. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .

. Japanese Architecture - The Japanese Home .

. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #asakusakannonlegends #kannonlegends #kaminarimon #raijinmon - - - -
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5/20/2020

shokunin craftsmen legends

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Traditional Crafts of Edo - Tokyo .
. - - - - - ABC List of Edo craftsmen　江戸の職人 - - - - - .
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shokunin 職人と伝説 legends about craftsmen, artisans, Handwerker
watari shokunin 渡り職人 wandering craftsman

Edo no waza to takumi 江戸の技と匠 The skilled craftsmen of Edo

. takumi 匠と伝説 legends about master craftsmen .

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三十二番職人歌合絵巻 Sanjuniban Shokunin Uta Awase

source : suntory.co.jp...

- quote -
uta awase-e 歌合絵
A series of paintings, usually in handscroll format, arranged as if in a poetry contest utaawase 歌合, where poems composed on assigned topics by members of two opposing teams are judged. These poetry contests originated in the late 9c and became very popular among aristocrats during the 12c. The paintings usually are imaginary portraits of the poets or, occasionally, landscapes described in the poem. Utaawase-e are divided into the following three types. ...
3 Shokunin utaawase-e 職人歌合絵 Illustrations of A Poetry Competition among People of Various Occupations
is a generic term for an imaginary poetry contest in which the competing poets are depicted with the garb and tools of various occupations.
The term shokunin 職人, means craftsmen in modern Japanese,
but in the 13-15c, implied virtually any member of the urban population, as opposed to an aristocrat or a peasant. People such as physicians, fortunetellers, dancers, painters, metal-workers, woodcutters, and gamblers are depicted with poems attributed to them. It is a competition conceived by a single author, and the attribution to persons of various occupations is merely a device to allow artists to explore genre themes. Numerous versions and later copies of illustrations of several different texts of shokunin poetry contests, which were most popular in the late Kamakura and Muromachi periods, are extant.
Two outstanding examples are:
Illustrated Handscroll of The Touhoku'in Poetry Contest among Persons of Various Occupations, Touhoku-in shokunin utaawase emaki 東北院職人歌合絵巻 (early 14c; Tokyo National Museum),
and
Illustrated Handscroll of The Poetry Contest among Persons of Varions Occupations in Thirty-two Rounds, Sanjuuniban shokunin utaawase emaki 三十二番職人歌合絵巻 (Muromachi period; Tenri 天理 Library, Nara).
- source : JAANUS -

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. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

................................................................................. Aichi 愛知県
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北設楽郡 Kita-Shitara district 設楽町 Shitara town // 材木商の職人 - lumberjack －

. hebi 蛇と伝説 Legends about snakes and serpents .
A baby that had been put to sleep in a mountain hut suddenyl begun to cry. When they looked, a serpent had bitten into its right leg. They looked for the serpent, found it outside and killed it. But they feared the serpent might have been yama no nushi 山の主 the master of the mountain, so they built a small Shinto Shrine to venerate it.
Some time later 材木商の職人 a craftsman working for a lumber dealer damaged the painting of a blind serpent in the Shrine. The next day when he went to work people saw ryuu 龍 a dragon above his head. When they looked closer, it was just a piece of fujizuru 藤蔓 wisteria vine. The man died soon after.

. fuji 藤 wisteria vine .

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furudanuki 古狸 old badger
The trees from a special mountain sold very well. But then strange things happened and the lumberjacks did not work there for long.
Even now, late at night, when the lumberjacks sleep in the small mountain hut, a beautiful young woman appears.
One night a lumberjack took courage and slashed the face of the woman and all could see it was just an old badger.

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- kagiya 鍵屋 locksmith　－
hebi 蛇 serpent . 大きなヤマカガシ a big Rhabdophis tigrinus, tiger keelback
About 25 years ago, a man went to the charcoal maker's hut to fetch the coal. There he found a huge tiger keelback, surrounded by its children and many grand-children serpents.
Later many workers for a locksmith came to get the lumber but the serpent told them they would be killed if they stole anything.
After that the serpent disappeared.

................................................................................. Fukushima 福島県
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- 木挽や左官や製材職人 lumberjacks and plasterers (working at a Shrine) -

ningyoo 人形 a strange doll
About 3 years ago, a lumberjack found a small doll of about 15 cm at the foot of akamatsu 赤松 a Japanese red pine. It was bundled in blue wool and in its stomach a nail was sticking out.
After than the lumberjacks and plasterers begun to have injuries and a local priest took the doll, held special rituals and burned it.

kobiki 木挽職人 working with a special saw
shakan, sakan 左官職人 plasterer
seizai shokunin 製材職人 lumberjack

. Kobikichoo 木挽町 Kobiki district .
kobiki-noko 木挽鋸 special saw of a Kobiki worker

................................................................................. Gunma 群馬県
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太田市 Ota city / 建設職人 construction worker

Choorakuji rei 長楽寺鈴 the bell of temple Choraku-Ji *
At the temple Choraku-JI there is a treasure bell. If it starts to ring, there will be flooding.
During repair work of the hall, a construction worker rang it by accident. And suddenly the sky became dark, it rained heavily and flooding was everywhere.
The sound of the bell awakens the Dragon God . . .

- quote
(3) Miracle of Hasu-ike Pond
Hasu-ike Pond was created in the shape of the Chinese character “heart (心)”. It is said that this pond used to have a special power. If you threw a piece of paper with the thing you desired most written on it into the pond, it would give it to you. However, a long time ago, a monk asked for and received a mosquito net from the pond. But, it was so beautiful that he didn’t want to give it back. The thing was, if you didn’t return to the pond what it had given you, it would lose its special power.
Although he knew this, he never returned the mosquito net. And since then, no one has been able to get anything from the pond.
- reference and more : city.ota.gunma.jp... -

................................................................................. Hiroshima 広島県
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広島市 Hiroshima city // 職人

. Osangitsune オサンギツネ / 於三狐 O-San kitsune fox with three tails.
She liked to make fire with her tail, shape-shift into a raion ライオン lion and play tricks on humans.
But since she was so wicked, a shokunin 職人 craftsman took courage, caught her and wanted to burn her. She begged for help and promised she would show him daimyoo gyooretsu 大名行列 a Lord's procession. After he had seen the procession, the craftsman praised the fox. But since this was not an apparition but a real procession, the craftsman was caught and beheaded.

................................................................................. Hyogo 兵庫県
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神戸市 Kobe // 張子玩具職人 making papermachee dolls

obake ningyoo お化人形 monster dolls
A craftsman of papermachee dolls had moved from Takamatsu. To please the many foreigners in Kobe he started making monster-like dolls which moved, rolled the eyes, cut watermelons and more.

. Koobe ningyoo, Kobe Ningyo 神戸人形 mechanical dolls from Kobe .

................................................................................. Iwate 岩手県
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東磐井郡 Higashi-Iwai district 大東村 Ohigashi mura village // 畳職人 tatami straw mat maker

kitsune 狐 fox
A tatami maker was possessed by a fox and did not find his way home. He ended up at the home of someone else.

. tatami 畳職人 Tatami legends .

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Iwate 和賀郡 Waga district 東和町 Towa town // 藁細工の職人 making things of straw

kitsune きつね fox
A man was waiting for customers at watashibune 渡し舟 the ferry station.
A craftsman making things of straw came along, but he was afraid of fire.
Maybe the spirit of a fox had taken possession of him in the mountain forest.

. wara-zaiku 藁細工 things made of straw .

................................................................................. Kanagawa 神奈川県
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浦賀町 Uraga town // 職人

. yuurei 幽霊 Yurei ghosts .
A craftsman fell in love with a yuujo 遊女 prostitute, but his jealous wife killed the prostitute. From that day on, her ghost came to the room every night and rustled her hair along the shooji 障子 sliding doors. Her husband became all anxious and finally went on a pilgrimage. When he wanted to get a place for the night, he was always asked "For the two of you?"
Eventually he went to the temple 龍本寺 Ryuhon-Ji and died there.

................................................................................. Kyoto 京都府
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下京区 Shimogyo ward // 職人

hara no uchi yori mono iu mono 腹のうちより物いうもの
something talkes inside her intestines
The daughter of 近江屋吉 Omiya Kichi, a craftsman from 烏丸四条 Shijo Karasuma, went to marry a certain 藤 Fuji from 烏丸綾小路 Ayanokoji Karasuma.
She was a very good bride, but Fuji was in love with someone else and divorced her, marrying his love.
The daughter of Kichi went missing after the divorce. The new wife of Fuji became very ill. A large roundworm, 応声虫 Oseichu, begun to live in her intestines and talked. The woman had to answer if the worm asked something. They had exorcist rituals but nothing helped and eventually she died.
Fuji went crazy and died soon after.

source : cromagnon.jp..ouseichuu...

- quote -
Oseichu – The Mimicking Roundworm
It starts with a high fever and some stomach pains, and ends with a giant mouth poking out of your own stomach, speaking in your own voice demanding food and drink. It’s bad enough getting sick, but you don’t want to catch a yokai disease. Especially you don’t want to get infected by an oseichu, a mimicking roundworm.
- What Does Oseichu Mean?
Oseichu is made up of three kanji – 応 (O; affirmative, agreements ) + 声 (sei; voice) + 虫 (chu; worm, bug). The three kanji translate roughly into “Voice Mimicking Bug,” all though the word “bug” refers more to the infectious disease type than the insect type.
The term osei (応声) is really only used in relation to this yokai. In fact, sometimes the “chu” is dropped altogether and it is just called an osei.
- The Oseichu of Chusaburo
- Yokai Diseases and Mysterious Bugs
- source : hyakumonogatari.com... -

. yookai, yōkai 妖怪 Yokai monsters - ABC-List .

................................................................................. Miyagi 宮城県
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本吉町 Motoyoshi // 壁塗りの職人

kitsune 狐 deceived by a fox 狐
A kabenuri no shokunin 壁塗りの職人 plasterer had helped a farmer with his work and was on his way home. He had gotten some tako 蛸 octopus and iwashi 鰯 sardines and put them in a charcoal bag. But when he reached home, the bag was empty.
He found some leftovers of octopus and sardines scattered at the nest of a fox - aaa, he had been deceived by a fox.

. shakan, sakan 左官 kabe nuri shokunin plasterer, making walls .

................................................................................. Nagano 長野県
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南佐久郡 Minami-Saku district 川上村 Kawakami village // 職人

. kitsune densetsu 狐と伝説 fox legends .
The youngest child of a craftsman was bewitched by a fox. It begun to eat horse droppings and mimizu ミミズ earthworms, and then got lost.
The father got an amulet from 水天宮 the Shrine Suitengu, tore it to pieces and let it float down the river. When it stopped floating, they found the child.

................................................................................. Osaka 大阪府
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大阪市 Osaka city // 植木職人 ueki shokunin

In 大阪城内 the compound of Osaka castle there was a large pine tree whith 植木職人 a special gardener to take care of it.
Once he tried to trim a branch with sharp hasami 鋏 scissors, but he became very sick the same day.

. matsu 松と伝説 Legends about the pine tree / 松の木 matsu no ki .

................................................................................. Saitama 埼玉県
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秩父郡 Chichibu 吉田町 Yoshida town // 畳屋 Tatami straw mat maker

. Chichibu no Tengu 秩父の天狗さま The Tengu from Chichibu .
Once upon a time, it was customary for the local craftsmen to drink a cup of the when they had finished work and were on their way home.
There was one 畳屋 Tatami straw mat maker, who went home without drinking his tea.
After walking for a short while, he heard the sound of cutting wood and it became so dark he could not see the road. Unable to proceed he went back to borrow 提灯 a lantern.
The home owner told him this was the trick of the local Tengu. When he walked back again, it was so light, he almost did not need a lantern.

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所沢市 Tokorozawa city // 桶屋職人 craftsman making buckets

. fukunekozuka, fuku neko zuka 福猫塚 mound of the auspicious cat .

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

. Tengu 天狗と伝説 Tengu legends "Long-nosed Goblin" .
職人が木を伐るときには切り口をきれいにしておく。天狗が腰かけるのにじゃまになるから伐るのだという。

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文京区 Bunkyo ward // 弓職人 making bows

hikigaeru ひきがへる toad
At a place named 関口 Sekiguchi in Edo there was 水神の社 a Shrine for Suijin the Water Deity. Along the river in front of the Shrine there grew a lot of makomo まこも草 wild rice .
Once 弓職人 a craftsman making bows named Yahei 弥兵衛 passed there when he saw some large shining eyes, about as larte as one seating mat. This was a huge toad.
He was so afraid he run home and stayed in bed for seven days.

. yumi 弓 bow and 矢 ya arrow .

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豊島区 Toshima ward // 渡り職人の木挽き sawing wood

At the home of a lumber dealer there were often stones falling from the sky.
He had kaji kito 加持祈祷 exorcist rites performed, but nothing helped. Even large grave stones came falling down.
When a couple of wandering craftsmen, which had been sawing wood left the home, the stoned stopped falling.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

. Edo, Tokyo　江戸 - 東京 - 伝説 Legends Index .

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- quote
Fireman's coat (19th century)

decorated with a spider hovering over an abadoned Go board.
The scene is from the story of the warrior-hero Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948–1021) who,
once when sick, was visited by an evil priest in the guise of a giant spider.
Yorimitsu saw through the disguise and attacked the spider priest,
and his four attendants (who were playing a game of Go while guarding him)
leapt up to track the intruder back to his den
. source : collection/japanese-firemans-coats ,,, .

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4/01/2020

Kyogen theater

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. Famous Places and Power spots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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Kyoogen 狂言 Kyogen Theater - Legends

. Kyogen 狂言 Introduction .

- quote
What Really Happens in the Kyōgen Backstage

This material offers explanations mainly through picture on the tools and works, which were used for backstage devices of Kabuki. This helps us to learn about dramaturgy of Kabuki, including stage sets and theater properties.

With the growing popularity of ghost story-related plays since the Bunka and Bunsei periods (1804-1830), the large scale devices were developed by Hasegawa Kanpei, a professional set designer/producer, who handled all the stage sets at three officially recognized Kabuki theaters of Edo. This page is one of the scenes of "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" and describes the devise of "takiguruma (waterfalls wheels)" that expresses the Yoshino River. Usually, pale blue cloth is used to express the flow of a river. In this play, however, this devise was used to make it appear as if the water flew from the back of the stage to the audience seats.
In addition, this work includes the burning lantern entrance (chōchin nuke), the revolving door panel (toita gaeshi), the garden lantern entrance (tōrō nuke) of "Ghost Story at Yotsuya on the Tōkaidō", and the disclosure of a trick for a midair stunt feat of Ishikawa Goemon. The books for trick disclosure were a popular project to satisfy the curiosity of the audience, and many other books based on similar ideas were also published.
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library

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. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

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kamanari 釜鳴 the kettle makes auspicious noises
A 刀鍛冶 sword smith named 国員 Kunikazu wanted to make mochi 餅　rice cakes for the New Year at the end of December, when suddenly his kama 釜 kettle begun to make auspicious noises. Since then Kunikazu became famous.
If a kettle makes noises the family will become prosperous. Kunikazu changed his name store name to
Kamanariya 釜鳴屋.
If a kettle begins to make noise in the kitchen, the womenfolk use new underwear and place it on the kettle to make it quiet.

. Narikama 鳴釜 Narigama yokai / Kamanari 釜鳴 .

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. saru 猿と伝説 Legends about monkeys - Affen .
A ship carrying Kyogen actors from a tour to Yamaguchi became shipwrecked and the people, rescued on land, did not know where they are. There were no human houses on the island. But the monkeys on the island found the humans and many came to the beach to look at them. Since it was a ship carrying actors, the monkeys asked them for a performance of a 狂言 Kyogen. So one of them danced 三番叟 the Sanbaso. The monkeys liked that very much and threw some food at them. Then they climbed on a high tree and showed the actors the direction. When the actors started rowing that way, they finally reached 長門国 the Nagato province.

Sanbaso by Masayuki Kunisaki
. Sanbasoo 三番叟 The Sanbaso Dance .
It started in the ninth century as a dance to avoid earthquakes.
Later it was performed in Noh, Kyogen and even Kabuki.

.................................................................................　Kyoto 京都府
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中京区 Central ward

. Mibudera 壬生寺 Temple Mibu-Dera .

During the Kyogen performances in April at the 大念仏会 Great Nenbutsu Rituals there appear performers with masks.
The masks are of 牛若 Ushiwaka, 弁慶 Benkei, 土蜘蛛 Tsuchigumo, the Ground Spider, 鬼 Oni demons, 地蔵 Jizo Bosatsu and others.

.................................................................................　Nagano 長野県
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. Horaijima 蓬莱島 a mythical island of eternal youth .
In a Kyogen performance for 節分 Setsubun rituals in Spring, an Oni 鬼 demon comes from Horaijima Island. He is tricked by a woman who snatches his kakuremino 隠れ蓑 straw raincoat (which makes him invisible). Then she throws Setsubun ritual beans at him to drive him out.

.................................................................................　Nara 奈良県
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月ヶ瀬村 Tsukigase village

. Mount Konoyama 神野山 and koedame 肥溜め an area for fertilizer .

.................................................................................　Osaka 大阪府
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Osaka 堺市 Sakai city 少林寺町 Shorinji town

釣狐 Tsurigitsune (‘Fox Trapping’) - 狐釣り狂言 Kitsune tsuri

tsuri kitsune 釣狐 Tsurigitsune, Tsuri-gitsune "fox trapping"

Fox Dancing before a Fox Trap
the Kyôgen Play Tsurigitsune
Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重

- Tsuri-Gitsune - kyogen-in-english text -

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. The Fox Hakuzosu 白蔵主 / 伯蔵主 .
The legend of Hakuzōsu became a Kyōgen play "Fishing for a fox", 釣狐 Tsurigitsune (‘Fox Trapping’) / Konkai (‘The Cry of the Fox’)
In Tsurigitsune, an old fox who has lost all of his relatives to a hunter's trap assumes human form to try to convince the hunter to stop killing. In this story, a hunter is visited by his uncle, the priest Hakuzōsu, who lectures his nephew on the evils of killing foxes. The hunter is nearly convinced, but after the priest departs, he hears the cry of the fox and realizes it wasn't his uncle at all but a fox in guise.
The fox resumes his natural form and reverts to his wild ways, takes the bait in a trap and is captured.
- quote wikipedia -

sanbon ashi no kitsune 三本足の狐 a fox with three legs
Hakuzosu was a strong believer in 稲荷神 the Inari fox deity.
One day he found a fox with three legs. He thought this was a present of the deity and he brought it up with great care.
The fox became a wise animal and helped the priest to forecast disaster and bad luck.
The staff of the priest used in the Kyogen performance is made of bamboo taken from the bamboo grove at 少林寺 the temple Shorin-Ji.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

. Edo, Tokyo　江戸 - 東京 - 伝説 Legends Index .

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12/10/2019

Buzen Kaido Highway

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Kaido 街道 Highways - ABC Index .
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Buzen Kaido 豊前街道 Buzen Highway
Now part of Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Prefecture

From Kitagami in Kumamoto to Kokura in Fukuoka.

Mostly used for Sankin Kotai.

- Postal stations and spots on the road -
Kitagami 北上
Ueki 植木
Kao 鹿央
. Yamaga 山鹿 .
Nagomi 和水
Nankan 南関
Buzen 豊前
Kokura 小倉 - Fukuoka
. シュガーロード sugar road / 砂糖の道 sato no michi .
The road between Nagasaki and Kokura (Ogura) 小倉, then on to Kyoto during the Edo period.
A lot of Western cultural elements travelled this road, when even very expensive white sugar was only available at the island of Dejima.
Towns along this road were able to produce sweets with white sugar.

The road was used by the army during the Satsuma rebellion in 1877.

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- - - - - places of interest on the road - - - - -

mimage no kadogoya 御馬下の角小屋　
274 Yomogimachi, Kita Ward
A resting place for the Daimyo, after he left Kumamoto castle, passed the 山伏塚 Yanboshizuka Mound for Yamabushi priests.
The house is now a museum.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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Yanboshizuka 山伏塚（やんぼしづか）Mound for Yamabushi priests
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
The Yamabushi mountain priests who had performed special rituals after Kumamoto castle was finished were on their way home, but were killed here to keep the secrets of the castle.

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Mitori Kannon 味取観音
The wandering priest 種田山頭火 Taneda Santoka stayed here for some time.
Mitori, the postal station in the Edo period, flourished with tea stalls during Sankin Kotai.

. 種田山頭火 Taneda Santoka (1882 - 1940) .

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temple Zengyo-Ji 善行寺
Used by the lords of the Hosokawa and Shimazu domain for Sankin Kotai. There is a large room in the temple,
onari no ma お成りの間, where they rested.

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temple Kohei-Ji 康平寺
Kaomachi Shimono, Yamaga, Kumamoto
An old temple of the Heian period, with a statue of Kannon with 1000 arms, surrounded by many other statues.

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Somon gate 惣門
Along the river 菊池川 Kikuchigawa to supervise the people coming and going to 山鹿 Yamaga town. Iw was opened and closed at six in the morning and evening.
The town preserves its old features to our day.

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Yamaga Onsen 山鹿温泉 hot spring
- quote -
Yamaga Onsen was first documented as a hot spring town in the 倭名類聚抄 "Wamyo Ruijusho" a historical dictionary written in the Heian Period over 1,000 years ago.
Legends say that the hot spring was discovered by Shichiro Uno, a military commander of the Heian Period, who found an injured deer nursing itself in the water of the spring. The soft water is so abundant that a famous folk song claims ”A thousand homes in Yamaga, and not a tub in sight,” as back in olden times locals could wash directly in the water sources themselves.
- source : kumanago.jp/en/spots/hotspring... -
The hot spring was used by 細川忠利 lord Hosokawa Tadatoshi (1586 - 1641) and his warrior-friend 宮本武蔵 Miyamoto Musashi.

. Miyamoto Musashi 宮本武蔵 (1584 - 1645) .

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. Yamaga Yachiyoza　山鹿八千代座　Yachiyo-za Theater .

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Tanaka-jiro ato 田中城跡 remains of Tanaka castle
The lord was 和仁親実 Wani Chikazane (? - 1587).
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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harakirizaka 腹切坂 slope for "Seppuku ritual suicide"
The original meaning was according to the landscape : hara 原 a plain - kiri 端（切り : at the end of the plain
It was quite steep and difficult for the Sankin Kotai processions.

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Nankan town 南関町

Many old merchant houses are still preserved.
The Lords of Hosokawa stayed at the local tea shop during Sankin Kotai.

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Border stones for Bungo / Buzen

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豊岡の眼鏡橋 Toyooka arched bridge
（植木町 Ueki town）

Over the river 中谷川 Nakatanigawa, built in 1802.

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. Konoha saru 木の葉猿 monkeys from Konoha .
玉東町 Gyokuto town

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高瀬目鏡橋 Takase Meganebashi arched bridge
玉名市 Tamana city

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tawara korogashi 俵ころがし跡 remains of the stone slope for rolling rice barrels
玉名市 Tamana city

. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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繁根木八幡宮 Hanegi Hachimangu Shrine
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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蓮華院誕生寺本院 Temple Renge-In Tanjo-Ji
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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Shodai yaki 小代焼 Shodai pottery
荒尾市 Arao city
Mount Shodai with suitable earth for pottery
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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Onari mon 御成門 "Gate for the Lord"
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Built in 1831 for the Daimyo to rest.

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岩本橋 Iwamotobashi bridge

On the border between the 肥後藩 Higo domaine and 三池藩 Miike domaine.
Built by 橋本勘五郎 Hashimoto Kangoro (1822 - 1897).

. Iwamoto Bansho barrier 岩本番所 .

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野原八幡宮 Shrine Nobara Hachimangu, Arao city
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Built in the early Heian period.

- reference : kumanago.jp/contents/yonkaido... -

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The Miike Okan branched off at 植木町味取 Uekimachi, Mitori, Kumamoto .
This road was also called
豊前街道 Buzen Kaido
via
Konoha 木葉
Takase 高瀬
Iwamotobashi 岩本橋
Omuta Miike 大牟田三池
Enoura 江浦
Setaka 勢高（瀬高）
(Setaka (瀬高町 Setaka-machi) was located in the Yamato District, Fukuoka)

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- quote -
Buzen Province (豊前国 Buzen no kuni)
was an old province of Japan in northern Kyūshū in the area of Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called Hōshū (豊州), with Bungo Province. Buzen bordered on Bungo and Chikuzen Provinces.
The ruins of the ancient capital of the province were found near Toyotsu, Fukuoka. The castle town of Kokura was also in Buzen, and a seat of many feudal rulers.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Buzen 豊前国
- Now part of Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Prefecture

. Kappa legends from Kyushu 河童九州 .
When people crossed the wide rivers of Buzen, they often met a Kappa who wanted to do Sumo wrestling. Among the retainers of 小笠原信濃守 Lord Ogasawara from Shinano there was a strong man named 大つか庄右衛門 Otsuka Shoemon , who tried a bout with Kappa. But Kappa moves very fast and his body was slippery like an eel. He has spikes like needles on his body and Shoemon was hurt all over. He fell ill after the bout.
Another story tells about Shoemon and his friend せ川藤吉 Segawa Tokichi. When they walked into the river and the Kappa appeared, Tokichi drew his sword and killed the Kappa. The Kappa was small like a child, had a whitish skin and sharp nails like a cat.

- - - - -

. namazu なまず / 鯰 / 鮧 catfish - der Wels .
At the waterfall 千丈が滝 Senjogataki there is 観音堂 a Hall for Kannon Bosatsu.
When 大塚庄右衛門 Ozauk Shoemon and his dumb friend went to the bridge above it to cool down in summer, there is a catfish jumping up and churning the water. Almost like going to heaven, it soon begun to rain. So it must have been a ryuu 竜 dragon after all.
- - - - -
munagi むなぎ dialect for unagi, eel
At the waterfall 千丈が滝 Senjogataki in Buzen there lives a special Munagi eel in the river.
Its ears are large like a handfan and he is crawling in the riverbed. Its stomach is almost golden. It is about 24 m long, they say.

. unagi うなぎ /　鰻と伝説 Legends about the eel .

- - - - -

- quote -

早鞆明神社 Hayatomo Myojin shrine
Shows a Shinto priest carrying a firebrand and running to avoid a large wave. In his left hand he carries me, an edible seaweed which he has gathered. This ritual was carried out at night on New Year’s Eve at the Hayatomo Myojin Shrine, in northern Kyushu.
The shrine is seen, top right, beneath a black sky.
- source : japaneseprints-london.com... -

.................................................................................　Fukuoka 福岡県

. kishin, kijin, onigami 鬼神の伝説　Oni Deity Demon Legends .
During the time of emperor 継体天皇 Keitai Tenno (?450 - ?531) there lived kijin 鬼神 a Demon Deity on 求菩提山 Mount Kuboteyama in 豊前国上毛郡 the district Koge who played many bad tricks on the villagers. Through the power of the venerable 卜仙 Bokusen he was exorcised and put into a bottle, which was buried on the top of the mountain.
Its soul in now worshiped here.

Kuboteyama, 782 m

- - - - -

kobito 小人 a dwarf
In the 築城郡 Tsuiki district of Bungo there lived a farmer. His son 才次郎 Saijiro, who was 8 years old, was only 53 cm high. He was a decent boy and spoke politely, never causing trouble to others.
When he was born, he was so small he could be kept in the palm of both hands.

- - - - -

shiratori 白鳥 a white bird
The emperor 景行天皇 Keiko Tenno (大足彦天皇) had dispatched 菟名手（うなて）Unate (Unade), an ancestor of the Bungo regents, to Bungo, to the village 中臣村 Nakatomi.
He saw a white bird coming from the North and caught it.
The bird turned into mochi 餅 rice cakes, then into many thousand ietsuimo 芋草 plants.
So the Emperor named this area 豊国 Bungo "rich and plentiful land".

. Nakatsu Kaido 中津街道 Nakatsu Highway .

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Emperor Keikō (景行天皇, Keikō-tennō) (13 BC - 130)
also known as Ootarashihikooshirowake no Sumeramikoto (大足彦忍代別天皇) was the 12th Emperor of Japan
His son was Prince Ōsu" (Yamato Takeru).
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

Emperor Keitai (継体天皇, Keitai-tennō) (?450 - ?531)
was the 26th Emperor of Japan. reigned from 507 to 531
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

Bungo Province (豊後国, Bungo no kuni)
was a province of Japan in eastern Kyūshū in the area of Ōita Prefecture.
It was sometimes called Hōshū (豊州), with Buzen Province. Bungo bordered Buzen, Hyūga, Higo, Chikugo, and Chikuzen Provinces.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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- - - - - H A I K U and S E N R Y U - - - - -

神杉の根を踏み虞る梅雨豊前

井口荘子 Iguchi Shoko

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