Amaterasu Omikami Legends

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. Shinto Shrines (jinja　神社) - Introduction .
. kami　神　Shinto deities .
. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .
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Amaterasu Omikami 天照大神 - Legends

. The Deity Amaterasu Omikami 天照大神 - Introduction .
. Shinmeigu 神明宮 Shinmeigu Shrines .
Shrines where the deity 天照大御神 Amaterasu Omikami is venerated.

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. Shrine, Shinto Shrine (jinja　神社) - Introduction .

. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .


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. 阿弥陀如来 Amida Nyorai .
During the times of 後光厳天皇 Gokogon Tenno (1338 - 1374), the priest 覚乗上人 Saint Kakujo from 西大寺 the Temple Saidai-Ji held a ritual for 阿弥陀如来 Amida Nyorai as honjibutsu 本地仏 the original Buddhist identity of 天照大神 the Deity Amaterasu Omikami at 伊勢内外宮 the Shrines of Ise.
Then he had a dream vision:
At 二見浦 Futamiura he saw the golden figure of a 龍蛇形 Ryuja Dragon Serpent.
Kakujo threw his Buddhist robes into the sea, but did not see the figure of the deity.
Soon he had another dream vision:
At 無量寿寺 the Temple Muryoju-Ji he saw himself carving Amida Sanzon 阿弥陀三尊 Amida Sanzon Statues.
When he went to the temple, he saw that the statue of Amida was wearing the Buddhist robe he had thrown into the sea.
. ryuuja 竜蛇と伝説 Legends about Ryuja / Ryuda - a Dragon Serpent .

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dozoku tsubuteishi 土俗礫石 / ドゾクツブテイシ special pebbles

On the beach of 伊勢山 Iseyama there is a huge boulder.
All the rocks nearby are of a different stone material.
It came here because 天照大神 the Deity Amaterasu Omikami played with rocks and pebbles and this one landed here.




.......................................................................　Aichi 愛知県 .....
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西尾市 Nishio city 寺部町 Terabe town

The younger sister of 天照大神 the Deity Amaterasu Omikami is 栗島大明神 Kurishima Daimyojin.
When she married 摂州住居明神 the Deity Settsu Jukyo Myojin she became ill.
She was thrown into the see and floated away.
She landed at （かた） 蚊田の浦 Kata no Ura in Kishu (Wakayama).
The people who saw her venerated her as 蚊田の栗島大明神 Kata no Kurishima Daimyojin.
She promised to protect all women from diesases.
Even now many women come here to prey for healing.

.......................................................................　Akita 秋田県 .....
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仙北市 Senboku city 西木町 Nishiki town

. kamidana 神棚　household Shinto altar, "shelf for the Gods" .
A woman named 田口イシノ Taguchi Ishino used a stone to perform uranai 占い fortune telling. She was called イシガミサマ Ishigami Sama.
and the kamidana 神棚 shelf for 天照大神 the Sun Godess Amaterasu Omikami
. Ishigami 石神 Stone Deity .




.......................................................................　Fukushima 福島県 .....
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南会津郡 Minami-Aizu district 南会津町 Minami-Aizu town

. mochi 餅と伝説 Legends about rice cakes .
On day 16 of January and July the hunters hold a special festival, otoki matsuri おときまつり/ オトキ祭 .
They put a shimenawa しめなわ sacred rope in the living room
and make offerings of mochi 餅 rice cakes to 天照大神 the Deity Amaterasu Omikami.
The rice cake offerings are then brought to the mountain and can prevent avalanches.




.......................................................................　Kyoto 京都府 .....
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福知山市 Fukuchiyama city 大江町 Oe town

麻呂子親王 Prince Maroko Shinno carving seven statues of Yakushi Nyorai.
. Yakushi Nyorai 薬師如来 and legends from 京都 Kyoto　 .
. kishin, kijin, onigami 鬼神 - Legends .

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京都市 Kyoto city

yata no kagami 八咫の鏡 "The Eight Ta Mirror"
When 天照大神 the Deity Amaterasu Omikami was hiding in 岩戸 the Iwado rock cave,
her features were reflected in this mirror.
So the Deity tried to go up to the sky.
The mirror was caught in the robe of an attendand and remained on earth.

Yata no Kagami (八咫鏡) is a sacred mirror that is part of the Imperial Regalia of Japan.
Its name literally means "The Eight Ta Mirror," a reference to its size and octagonal shape.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !




.......................................................................　Nagano 長野県 .....
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長野市 Nagano city 戸隠 Togakushi

Tajikarao no mikoto 手力雄命 The Deikt Tajikarao
When 天照大神 the Deity Amaterasu Omikami hid in Ame no Iwado 天岩戸 the Iwado cave,
the Deity 手力雄命 Tajikarao no mikoto tried to open the cave.
But he could not and fell down to earth. The place where he landed is
Togakushiyama 戸隠山 Mount Togakushi (1904).
Surprized by the noise, Kuzuryu no Kami 九頭龍神 the Dragon Deity with Nine Heads appeared.
Where he landed is now called Kuzuryuyama 九頭龍山 Mount Kuzuryu,
one of the peaks of 戸隠連峰 the Togakushi Mountain Range.

Ame-no-tajikarao アメノタジカラオ is written as 天手力男神 in Kojiki, and 天手力雄神 in Nihon Shoki.
手力雄命 Tajikara o no mikoto / 手力男神 Amenotadikaraonokmi
Tajikarao's name means heaven hand power.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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. ryuu, ryū 龍　竜　伝説　Ryu - dragon legends .
九頭龍神 Dragon Deity with Nine Heads - legends from Nagano
Kuzuryu Okami 九頭龍大神 / 九頭竜大神

A local officer went to 九頭龍山 Mount Kuzuryu.
He was told the dragon lived in 種ヶ池 the pond Tanegaike and said:
"Dragon, if you are real, hide me in the water!"
Soon a swirl came up and drew the officer into the water.
Later when the descendants of the officer came to the pond, they were told to pray all night
and then look at the mountain.
Next morning they saw a dragon with nine heads wrapped aroung the muntain is seven rolls.

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Nagano 下伊那郡 Shimo-Ina district 阿南町 Anan town

If a worshipper of 天照大神宮 the Shrine Tenshokotai Jingu becomes very ill,
he makes a wish to ujigami 氏神 the Clan deity and becomes well soon.
Such a person will be reborn as
ubusuna sama no ko うぶすな様の子 a child of the Ujigami deity.
. ujigami　氏神 clan KAMI deities .

天照皇大神社 Shrine Tenshokotai Jinja
長野県下伊那郡天龍村神原森3884 Nagano, Shimoina, Tenryu, Kamihara Mori




.......................................................................　Okinawa 沖縄県 .....
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那覇市 Naha city

uishi no tera ウイシの寺， uisu no tera ウイスの寺
During the construction of the Chokotei causeway, the sea was too deep to build anything.
People prayed two nights and two days to 天照大神 Amaterasu Omikami.
The water receeded and they could built a bridge between 安里町 Asato town and 若狭町 Wakasa town.
They also build a Shrine at each town, calling it
uishi no tera ウイシの寺， uisu no tera ウイスの寺.
This is probably the local dialect for O-Ise no Tera オイセ （お伊勢）の寺 "Temple from Ise".

- quote -
長虹堤 Chokoutei Causeway

Chokoutei is one kilometer inter-island causeway connecting Naha and Asato, built in 1451.
Naha used to be an island and there was no bridge to connect the island to shore. Therefore when the Chinese envoys came to Okinawa, ships were lined up to between Naha and Asato to used them like a bridge.
King Sho Kinpuku ordered State Minister Kaiki to build a road connecting Naha and Asato. As water was deep and waves were high on this area, Kaiki thought the construction must be protected by the god. He erected an alter and prayed for a long time.
Eventually, water became low and the seabed appeared which let construction start. The road consists of seven bridges constructed from Sogen-ji Bridge to Ibegama (prayers' site surrounded by a stone wall in Kumoji).
When Kosei, a member of the Chinese investiture delegate, came to Okinawa in 1633, he noted this road in his poem that " "looks like a long rainbow from a distance".
Later this causeway started to be called Chokotei.
Chokotei causeway was the primary road linking Shuri and Naha from 1451 till Meiji era.
However traffic volume was dropped as train service started between Shuri and Naha in 1914 and a new Prefectural Road (current Kokusai-dori street) was opened to traffic.
Much of the Chokotei was lost in the Battle of Okinawa and to later development but parts of the causeway still remain.
- source : naha-contentsdb.jp ... -




.......................................................................　Shimane 島根県 .....
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. daija, orochi 大蛇 a huge serpent, great snake .
The Deity 素戔嗚尊 Susanoo no Mikoto killed a huge serpent with eight tails and eight heads in Izumo
with his sword totsuka no tsurugi 十握剣.
In the fourth tail, he found a great sword inside the body of the serpent which he named
天の叢雲 "Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi".
He offered the sword to the goddess Amaterasu.

Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi 天叢雲剣 "Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven"
Kusanagi no Tsurugi 草薙剣
. Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi 草薙の剣 .

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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- ##amaterasu #omikami #amaterasuomikami #kuzuryu -
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Ametsuchi Tenchi Heaven Earth

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. Shinto Shrines (jinja　神社) - Introduction .
. kami　神　Shinto deities .
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Ametsuchi 天地 Tenchi - Heaven and Earth
the world, the universe

A quote from 古事記 the Kojiki
自天地開闢始、以訖于小治田御世。故、天御中主神以下、日子波限建鵜草葺不合尊以前、爲上卷、神倭伊波禮毘古天皇以下、品陀御世以前、爲中卷、大雀皇帝以下、小治田大宮以前、爲下卷、幷錄三卷、謹以獻上。臣安萬侶、誠惶誠恐、頓首頓首。

ほろびのほのお　湧きいでて
つちとひととを　つつめども
こはやすらけき　くににして
ひかりのひとら　みちみてり
ひかりにみてる　あめつちは


. zooka no sanshin (sanjin) 造化の三神 three Deities of creation .
Kotoamatsukami 別天津神

Ame no minaka nushi no kami
天之御中主神（あめのみなかぬしのかみ）
- 至高の神

Takamimusuhi no kami 高御産巣日神
（たかみむすひのかみ）
- 征服や統治の神

Kami musuhi no kami 神産巣日神（かみむすひのかみ）
- 生産の神

. Tenjin Sama, Tenshin Sama 天神様 Honorable Deity of Heaven .
The Kami of the Sky, as expressed in 天神地衹 Tenshin Chigi.

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天の神と地の神 the Deity of Heaven and the Deity of Earth
天津神・国津神（あまつかみ・くにつかみ）
「つ」は現代語の「の」のことで、天の神・国の神という意味
- wikipedia

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- quote -
Amenominakanushi (天御中主 or 天之御中主神,
"Heavenly Ancestral God of the Originating Heart of the Universe")
is, according to the Shinto Kojiki, the first kami and the source of the universe. In Japanese mythology, Amenominakanushi is described as a "god who came into being alone" (hitorigami), the first of the zōka sanshin ("three kami of creation"), and one of the five kotoamatsukami ("distinguished heavenly gods").
- Origin
Amenominakanushi had been considered a concept developed under the influence of Chinese thought, but now most scholars believe otherwise. With the flourishing of kokugaku the concept was studied by scholars. The theologian Hirata Atsutane identified Amenominakanushi as the spirit of the North Star, master of the seven stars of the Big Dipper. The god was emphasized by the Daikyōin[clarification needed] in the Meiji period, and worshipped by some Shinto sects.[2] There are also scholars who believe that the Amenominakanushi concept was introduced in Japan sometime in the 7th or 8th century by the Nestorian or the Keikyo believers, underpinning its Christian origin.
- Kami concept
The god manifests in a duality, a male and a female function, respectively Takamimusubi and Kamimusubi. In other mythical accounts the originating kami is called Umashiashikabihikoji ("God of the Ashi [Reed]") or Kuninotokotachi (the "God Founder of the Nation"), the latter used in the Nihon Shoki. Some sources identify these deities as the three Kamis called (three creator-Kami", a conceptualization that also reflect the so-called Kami of the threefold whirl (Amatsu uzu-uzushiyatsunagi) in Yamakage Shinto. These three gods, identified as a third of the three versions of the cosmogonic myths involving the kami, appeared in Takamanohara or the "domain of heaven" during the birth of the cosmos.
According to The Ancient Shinto Deity Ame-no-minaka-nushi-no-kami Seen in the Light of Today, by Professor Katō Genchi, no authentic shrines dating from antiquity were dedicated to this deity, though two "recent" shrines, Wada-jinja (founded in A.D. 1659) and Okada-jinja, are allegedly dedicated to this god. Shinsen Shōjiroku mentioned only two families as descendant of Ame-no-Minaka-Nushi-no-Kami: Hattori-no-muraji and Miteshiro-no-Obito.
With the shinbutsu bunri separation, the deity of Buddhist origin Myōken, the "North Star", which was worshiped at many shrines, was changed to Amenominakanushi.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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天之御中主神（あめのみなかぬしのかみ、あまのみなかぬしのかみ）
Ame no Minakanushi no Kami
日本神話において最初に登場する神。天地開闢の際に、別天津神・造化三神の初めの1柱として宇宙に生成された存在であるとされる。
神名は
天の真中を領する神を意味する[1]。『古事記』では神々の中で最初に登場する神であり、別天津神にして造化三神[2]の一柱。『日本書紀』の正伝には記述がなく、異伝（第一段の第四の一書）に天御中主尊（あめのみなかぬしのみこと）として記述されている。『古事記』『日本書紀』共にその事績は何も記されていない。そのため天之御中主神は中国の思想の影響により創出された観念的な神であるとされるが、これに否定的な論もある。
平安時代の
延喜式神名帳』には天之御中主神を祀る神社の名は記載されておらず、信仰の形跡は確認できない。この神が一般の信仰の対象になったのは、近世において天の中央の神ということから北極星の神格化である妙見菩薩と習合されるようになってからと考えられている。現在、天之御中主神を祀る神社の多くは、妙見社が明治期の神仏分離・廃仏毀釈運動の際に天之御中主神を祭神とする神社となったものである[3]。また水天宮も天之御中主神を主祭神の一つとしている。
天之御中主神は
哲学的な神道思想において重要な地位を与えられることがあり、中世の伊勢神道では豊受大神を天之御中主神と同一視し、これを始源神と位置づけている。江戸時代の平田篤胤の復古神道では天之御中主神は最高位の究極神とされている。 ...
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

- quote -
天地初発之時 - - 天地初めて発りし時に、
高天原に 成る神の名は、
- reference source : kojiki.kokugakuin.ac.jp... -

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Another meaning is given in
- Kotobank -

書物・荷物などの、上と下。「紙の天地」
the top and bottom of things, for example books or parcels.


大辞林 第三版の解説
① 大空と大地。宇宙。てんち。 「 －のともに久しく言ひ継げと／万葉集 814」
② 天の神と地の神。 「 －の堅めし国そ大和島根は／万葉集 4487」
① 天と地。空と大地。
② 宇宙。世界。 「 －創造」
③ 自分の存在・活動の場として認識している、限られた範囲。 「新しい－を求める」
④ 本や紙の上と下。また、荷物などの上面と下面。
⑤ 相違のはなはだしいこと。 「実力の差は－ほどもある」 「以前に替る事－也／浮世草子・桜陰比事 1」

〘名〙
① 天と地。乾坤(けんこん)。宇宙、世界の全体。
※万葉（８Ｃ後）五・八一四「阿米都知(アメツチ)の共に久しく言ひ継げとこの奇御魂(くしみたま)敷かしけらしも」
② 天の神と地の神。天地の神。天神地祇。
※万葉（８Ｃ後）二〇・四四八七「いざ子どもたはわざなせそ天地(あめつち)の固めし国そやまと島根は」
※古今（905‐914）仮名序「ちからをもいれずして、あめつちをうごかし、めに見えぬ鬼神をも、あはれとおもはせ」
③ 「あめつち（天地）の詞(ことば)」の略。
※口遊（970）書籍門「大為爾伊天奈徒武和礼遠曾〈略〉衣不禰加計奴 謂之供名文字、今案世俗誦阿女都千保之曾、里女之訛説也、此誦為勝」
④ 天地の詞を書くのに主として用いた字体の意か。万葉がな字体とも、行書体ともいわれ、諸説がある。
※宇津保（970‐999頃）国譲上「青き色紙に書きて松に書きたるはさうにてなつの字。赤き色紙に書きて卯の花につけたるはかな。はじめにはをとこにてもあらず、をんなにてもあらず、あめつちぞ。そのつぎにをとこで、はなちがきに書きて」
[1] 〘名〙
① 天と地。あめつち。天壌。また、天の神と地の神。
※大仏殿西曼荼羅銘（756）「等二日月一而貞明、同二天地一而長久」
※源氏（1001‐14頃）明石「ここら、横ざまなる波風には、おぼほれ給はむ。天地、ことわり給へ」 〔礼記‐曲礼〕
② 宇宙。世界。世の中。
※太平記（１４Ｃ後）二九「三間芳屋千株松風、ことに人間の外の天地也けりと」
③ ある限られた生活の場を比喩的にいう。
※油地獄（1891）〈斎藤緑雨〉一「下宿屋秋元の二階を、登って左りへ突当りの六畳敷を天地(テンチ)とする」
④ 天と地ほどの大きな差違があること。天地の相違。天地懸隔。
※蔭凉軒日録‐延徳二年（1490）閏八月一七日「月翁事者、西山与二東京一相隔天地也」
⑤ 紙、本、荷物などの上部と下部。うえした。
※洒落本・通言総籬（1787）一「ひゃうぐもようござりやした。天地はやっぱりふとじけだが」
⑥ (━する) 上下をひっくりかえすこと。
※滑稽本・早変胸機関（1810）「裾廻しは天地(テンチ)するだよ」
⑦ 算盤の桁より上の玉が一個ある所（天）と、その下の玉が五個ある所（地）。江戸時代、上方でいった語。
※新板なぞづくし（1830‐44）五「天地の大算用（とかけて）あづさみこ（ととく心は）くちをよせる」
⑧ 雑俳の折込みの一種で、同一の漢字を頭と尾に置くもの。たとえば、「戸」の題で、「戸袋は戸隠山か引く雨戸」の類。
[2] 「てんちまる（天地丸）」の略。
※雑俳・柳多留‐六六（1814）「和歌のみか天地の動く御船唄」


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. Shrine, Shinto Shrine (jinja　神社) - Introduction .

. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

. Tenjin Sama - Sugawara Michizane Legends 天神菅原道真伝説 .
天神様 Tenjin Sama refers to a shrine for Michizane.
Legends about his shrines are collected here.


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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .


.......................................................................　Fukui 福井県 .....
Tenshin chigi天神地衹 The Kami of the Sky 天の神
During the New Year he comes down from heaven and is venerated as Toshigami 年神.

. toshigami 年神 God of the Year .




.......................................................................　Hokkaido 北海道 .....
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. kaminari 雷と伝説 Legends about Thunder and Lightning .
The trees Chisakini チサキニ (Chikisani) and Ohyo (Atoni) おひょう（アトニ).
akadamo あかだも（チサキニ chisakini）




.......................................................................　Kagoshima 鹿児島県 .....
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大島郡 Oshima district // Ten no Kamisama 天の神様

hijama 火玉 / ヒジャマ ball of fire - in local dialect
Once 天の神様 got an order and went to burn a home with a hijama ヒジャマ（火玉）fire ball.
But the qheen of the house was very careful and did not get burned.
She never left the lid on the water jar outside and when it begun to make a strange sound, she kenw that a hijama would fall down soon.

. hinotama, hi no tama 火の玉と伝説 Legends about fire balls / 火玉 .
- - - - -
天の神様 Ten no Kamisama
On special days people are not allowed to thatch a roof. If they do Ten no Kamisama will come and cause fire or a flash of lightning.
Once this happened to a home and a blue fire came fallilng from the sky, burning the roof.




.......................................................................　Kochi 高知県 .....
.......................................................................
香美郡 Kami district 物部村 Monobe village

tachi 太刀 long sword
During 天の神の祭 the festival for Ten no Kami they use tachi 太刀 a long sword during a dance where a mortar is hit by it. Sometimes this causes sparks and a fire starts.
Once a man stole this long sword but his home burned down and he brought the sword back to the owner.




.......................................................................　Nara 奈良県 .....
.......................................................................
吉野郡 Yoshino district 上北山村 Kami-Kitayama village

oni 鬼 demon / Yamanokami 山の神
A fisherman named 六兵衛 Rokubei came to get some material for a new net. At night to came to the cave 大蛇嵓 Daijagura and lit a fire. There came a woman of about 40 years, ate rice with him and drunk his sake 酒 rice wine. They met there regularly until a 天地鳴動 loud sound from heaven and earth was heard and Rokubei lost conciousness.
When he came back to his senses, there was the woman and an old man with white hair.
The woman turned out to be the local Oni and the old man the Yamanokami of Odaigahara.

Odaigahara 大台ケ原

This spectacular hiking course features a moss-draped forest, a beech forest, wild animals including deer and views as far as the sea. Some have compared the views to the scenery in the movie “Avatar."
From the summit is a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside that in the autumn bursts with the rich colour of turning leaves. The best time to visit is mid-October to early November when the various tree species are at their most brilliant.
- source : vill.kamikitayama.nara.jp/kanko... -


. 山の神 Yamanokami in Nara .

. Oni densetsu 鬼伝説　Regional Demon Legends .




.......................................................................　Oita 大分県 .....
.......................................................................
東国東郡 Higashi-Kunisaki district 安岐町 Aki town

. Yamanba, Yamauba 山姥 the Mountain Hag .




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

. tenaga ashinaga 手長足長 "long arms, long legs" Yokai .
and the island 飛島 Tobishima.




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


sanshichuu 三尸虫 / サンシチュウ the thre worms
. san-shi no mushi, sanshi no mushi 三尸の虫 The Three Worms .


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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
天の神 OK
22 地の神
30 天地 collecting

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- #tenchi #ametsuchi #kojiki #sanshi -
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Abukuma river

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Shinto Shrines (jinja　神社) - Introduction .
. kami　神　Shinto deities .
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Abukuma Jinja 阿武隈神社 Abukuma Shrine, Fukushima



田村市滝根町菅谷字東釜山 / Higashikamayama Takinemachi Sugaya, Tamura, Fukushima

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The name Abukuma was already known in the Heian period and used in Waka poetry.
The name of the riverwas also spelled
Ookumagawa 大熊川 / 逢隈川 / 合曲川 Okumagawa,

The name refers maybe to oo-kuma 大熊 a type of huge bear, which lived in the mountains of
白河郡の西甲子岳 Fukushima in the Shirakawa district.
kuma 隈（クマ / 曲) may also refer to the many bends of the river

- quote -
人知れず　濡れにし袖の　乾かぬは　阿武隈河の　水にや　有るらむ　　　　　　　
古今和歌六帖　紀貫之　Ki no Tsurayuki
阿武隈に　霧たてといひし　から衣　袖の渡りに　夜もあけにけり　　　　　　　　　
重之集　　源　重之 Minamoto no Shigeyuki
思ひかね　つまどふ千鳥　風さむみ　合曲河の　名をやたづぬる　　　　　　　　　
夫木和歌集　　藤原定家 Fujiwara no Teika
名にしおはば　阿武隈川を　渡りみん　恋しき人の　影や映ると　　　　　　　　　　　　
堀河百首　源 顕仲 Minamoto no Akinaka
阿武隈の　霧とはなしに　よもすがら　立ち渡りつつ　よをもふるかな　　　　　　　
後撰和歌集　藤原輔文 Fujiwara no Tsunesuke
ぬれ衣と　いふにつけてや　流れけん　あぶくま川の　名こそ惜しけれ　　　　　　　　　
堀河百首　永縁 Eien
かくしつつ　世をやつくさむ　陸奥の　逢隈川を　いかでわたらむ　　　　　　　　　　　　
中務歌集　中務 Nakatsukasa
- reference source : t-aterui.jp/fukushima。。。 -

Lord Kanemune
君が住む阿武隈河は名のみしてよそながらのみ戀や渡覧
kimi ga sumu abukumagawa wa na nomi shite
yoso nagara nomi koi ya wataruran

My darling dwells by
Abukuma River – known for meeting –
But that is all:
Simply far apart
Will our love ever be?


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. River Abukumagawa 阿武隈川 / 阿武隈河 .



During the Edo period travel along the river Abukumagawa 阿武隈川 was frequent and together with the tax rice Daruma dolls were shipped around.

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

- - - - - The river caused incredible damage in October 2019.
. Typhoon Nr. 19 台風19号 Hagibis - 2019 October 06 .

- - - - - Another river overflowing during the typhoon was
. River Chikumagwa 千曲川, Nagano .



- quote -
The Abukuma River (阿武隈川 Abukuma-gawa),
with a length of 234 km (145 mi), is the second longest river in the Tōhoku region of Japan and the 6th longest river in Japan. It runs through Fukushima Prefecture and Miyagi Prefecture, rising from springs in the peaks of the Nasu mountains, collecting water from tributaries leaving the Ōu Mountains and the Abukuma Highlands (阿武隈高地 Abukuma-kōchi), then emptying into the Pacific Ocean as a major river. It has a 5,390 km² area watershed, and about 1.2 million people live along its basin.
The Abukuma River
flows north through Fukushima Prefecture's Nakadōri region, past the cities of Shirakawa, Sukagawa, Kōriyama, Nihonmatsu, Date, and Fukushima. The portion of the river flowing between Nihonmatsu and Fukushima forms a deep ravine called Hōrai-kyō (蓬莱峡).
Crossing the northern edge of the long but low Abukuma hills, the Abukuma River then flows into Miyagi Prefecture, past the city of Kakuda and between Iwanuma and Watari before reaching the Pacific. Abukuma has a tributary called the Arakawa River.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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- quote -
Abukuma-do 阿武隈洞 - Abukuma Cave
is a limestone cave located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The cave was discovered on August 15, 1969, northeast of the city of Tamura and was originally named Kamayama Shonyu-do (釜山鍾乳洞). It was designated a natural heritage of the town on February 7, 1971, and renamed Abukuma-do on June 1, 1973.
Visitors can traverse a 600-metre-long path inside the cave as well as a 120-metre-long exploration course to view the stalactites and stalagmites. Each stalactite has taken more than eighty million years to form. Beyond the public areas lie about 2,500 metres of cave that are not open to the public. Nearby Abukuma Cave is the smaller Irimizu Shonyu-do (入水鍾乳洞 - Irimizu Limestone Cave), discovered in 1927. Irimizu Limestone Cave was designated a National Natural Treasure on December 28, 1934. The temperature inside Abukuma-do is around 15 °C and the humidity is above 90%.

- - - History
Abubukuma-dong was discovered in September 1969 from the present Busan quarry site in an area called Abukuma Highlands (阿武隈高地), or Harachitai highlands(原地帯), in the middle of a plateau of geologic formation of irregular limestone deposits, on the west side slope of Mt. Otakine. Since ancient times mining for marble and limestone has been popular in that area. Limestone was also discovered at Abukuma-do. At the year of Abukuma-do's discovery mining in that area was suspended, and a limestone outcrop remains to this day near its parking lot.
The initial discovery of an entrance to the cave is now near the exit of the modern day tourist destination. The cave itself consists of a 12m deep hole, a tunnel running 60m north, and a tunnel running 15m southwest. In March 1970 the Japanese university 's expedition team explored the inside of the cave, and found a main cave ahead of the air hole in the northern end that was regarded as the end point until then. In 1973, four years after the discovery, the inside of the cave was developed for observation and it was opened to the public.
..... A notable feature of Abukuma-do is the existence of boxwork, a rare cave formation composed of thin blades of the mineral calcite that project from cave walls and ceilings, forming a honeycomb or box-like pattern. Boxwork can also be found in Shimukugama in Okinawa and Sugawatari-do (氷渡洞 - Ice Cross Cave) in Iwate Prefecture, but because Abukuma-do is currently the only limestone cave in Japan open to tourists, it is subsequently the only cave in Japan in which you can see boxwork. ...
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Abukuma kyoo 阿武隈峡 Abukuma gorge
福島県中通り地方に連なる福島盆地と郡山盆地の間を流れ阿武隈川により形成される阿武隈高地と奥羽山脈の間の蛇行・狭窄部の峡谷。阿武隈川の浸食により形成された絶壁の峡谷や奇岩、怪岩などが連なる。蓬莱ダム（飯野ダム）より信夫ダムまでの下流側の峡谷部は蓬莱発電所、信夫発電所の発電用に取水されるため河川流量は少ない。
- wikipedia

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Abukuma koochi 阿武隈高地 / Abukuma sanchi 阿武隈山地 Abukuma highland
宮城県南部の阿武隈川右岸山地（亘理町と岩沼市の境）を北端、茨城県北部の久慈川左岸山地（日立市と東海村の境）を南端として南北170km以上[1]にわたって連なる山地である。その大部分が福島県に属し、おおむね阿武隈川を中心とする盆地である中通り地方と、太平洋沿岸部である浜通り地方との境界線となっている。阿武隈川・久慈川・太平洋に囲まれた紡錘形をした比較的なだらかな山地である。

山容は隆起準平原で北上山地と同様に高地部は全体的に比較的なだらかな地形が続く。阿武隈高地は海底で堆積した大変古い地層が隆起して陸地となり、はじめは日本アルプスのような大山脈だったと考えられるが、その後の長年の浸食作用で老年期のなだらかな地形となり、さらに隆起が進み隆起準平原となったと考えられる。阿武隈高地には侵食による残丘である硬い地質の独立峰が各所に残る。阿武隈高地中央部から西部のなだらかな山容とは対照的に阿武隈高地東部は、更なる隆起と再侵食により深い渓谷を刻む川も多く、阿武隈高地を西から東に抜ける道路の多くは、隆起した高地東部の「畑川断層」・「双葉断層」など断層による断崖状の壁面の急勾配を下っていく[2]。阿武隈高地がかつて海底にあったことを物語るものに、田村市滝根のあぶくま洞などの鍾乳洞、いわき市四倉のアンモナイト、フタバスズキリュウなどの化石産出地などがある。
阿武隈高地は活断層調査結果などより比較的安定な地盤と考えられ、また従来地震による被害の少ない地域でもある。
- wikipedia

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- - - - -　 H A I K U　 - - - - -

. Matsuo Basho in Sukagawa 須賀川 .

. Abukuma Haiku by Yosa Buson .


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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .


.......................................................................　Fukushima 福島県 .....
.......................................................................
伊達町 Date town



furu-usu, furuusu 古臼 an old wooden mortar to pound rice
During the flooding of river Abukumagawa an old mortar was flowing past.
A poor villager picked it up and thought he could use it as firewood. Then he saw blood flowing from the mortar, which had not been broken.
He bowed to it in prayer when the mortar spoke:
"I am the deity to help with birth, so please pray to me in this region!"
The villagers purified some lumber and built a small sanctuary.
This is now the Shrine 水雲神社 Suiun Jinja (Water-Cloud Shrine).



. Ubusunagami, tutelary kami of one's birthplace .

. pounding rice in a wooden mortar .



There are various Suiun Jinja Shrines in Date, Fukushima.


.......................................................................
福島市 Fukushima city 松川町 Matsukawa

In the year 1121, a daija 大蛇 huge serpent came to live in the river Abukumagawa at the waterfall あゆ滝 / 鮎滝 Ayutaki, and brought great harm to the local people.
A courageous villager went to the shrine 黒沼神社 Kuronuma Jinja in retreat until the serpent was gone.
This is the origin of the retreat 羽山ごもり Hayama Gomori.

黒沼神社 Kuronuma Jinja
福島市松川町金沢 Fukushima, Matsukawa, Kanezawa



. Shrine Kuronuma Jinja 黒沼神社 .
and Hayama Jinja 葉山神社 Hayama Shrine, Soma, Fukushima, with the retreat Hayama Gomori.

. daija, orochi 大蛇 the huge serpent, large snake .

.......................................................................
石川郡 Ishikawa district 平田村 Hirata

henge ヘンゲ / 変化 another form of the Deity
To be able to see another form of a deity, there is a spell to chant:
「宵之間や都の空にすみもせで心津くしの有明の月　袖ノ下ヨリ　三度　　ロイ」




.......................................................................　Miyagi 宮城県 .....
伊具郡 Igu district 丸森町 Marumori

The boulders of Sanno Gongen, Sanno Iwaya 山王岩屋 are at the very narrow part of the Abukumagawa gorge, where a huge boulder hang on each side.
The messenger of Sanno Gongen, a saru 猿 monkey comes here often and his footprints are in the rock.
The warlord Abe no Sadato 安倍貞任 used this place for the defense of his territory.

. Sanno Gongen 山王権現 and the 日枝神社 Hie Jinja shrines .

. Abe no Sadato 安倍貞任 (1019 - 1062) .

- - - - -

yama no sei kurabe 山の背比べ comparing the size of the mountains
In the 阿武隈山地 Abukuma Highlands there is one high mountain. One day this 次郎太郎山 Mount Jirotaroyama (529 m) wanted to compare its size with ツボケ山 Mount Tsubokeyama (487 m).
Tsubokeyama tried to cheat and stood on his toes, but could only make it to 487 m high.



- Tsubokeyama

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
15 丸森町 (01)

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- #abukuma #abukumagawa #abukumariver #hagibis #marumori #tsubokeyama #abenosadato -
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kami no ashiato

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Shinto Shrines (jinja　神社) - Introduction .
. kami　神　Shinto deities .
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kami no ashiato 神の足跡 / あしあと footprints of a Kami
kamisama no ashiato 神様の足あと

There are some boulders and rocks with this name.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

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越前海岸の奇岩の伝説
Legend about a strange rock-formation on the Echizen coast
The footprint is about 5 m long and 2 m wide.
Once upon a time, farmers came here during a long period of drought and prayed for rain.
There was a voice promising "There will be water!" and from behind the cliff the footprints were visible.



- reference source : blogs.yahoo.co.jp/syoukousi4... -

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Legend says that 琵琶湖 Lake Biwako started as a footprint of the Kami.

日本の神話には、神様の足跡として琵琶湖は描かれている。
- reference source : www.2724.com/biwako... -


- reference source : sirokuronekotokuroneko...-


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There is a festival in the town of 塙町 Hanawa in Fukushima,
伊香おすわ様 Ika Osuwa Sama
It has a history of more than 200 years and was introduced to drive out illness like the plague.
About 10 young men 20 years of age get a purification ritual from the Shrine and then run around the village in the evening for about 4 hours. They wear white Tabi socks.
The young men prepare 餅つき Mochi rice cakes. When it gets dark they take 獅子頭 a lion's head and the rice cakes.
They enter each of the about 120 homes through the veranda of the living room and run out through the main door, leaving dirty footprints on the floor.

But since they are the messengers of the "Deity", this dirt may only be cleaned away until the next morning.
The family is sitting in the living room cheering when they come.
Mid-July.


- quote
神様の足あと ー 伊香おすわ様

福島県の南東部、茨城県との県境にある塙町の集落、伊香・古宿地区で、毎年 7 月中旬に行われる祭りです。
地区で流行した疫病の厄払いが起源とされ、200 年以上の歴史があるとも言われています。主役は二十歳前後の男たち。...
- source : twellv.co.jp/program

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青銅の神の足跡
谷川健一 Tanigawa Kenichi
古代鍛冶氏族の役割と足どりを詳細に追跡。徹底した実証と鋭い感性で銅鐸の謎に文化史の視線を当て、記紀成立以前の社会を大胆に復元し、日本文化の基底をなす金属神から農耕神への逆転を明示。
- at amazon com -


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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.......................................................................　Niigata 新潟県 .....
古志郡 Koshi district

. Yamanokami Legends from Niigata 新潟県 .
Yamanokami is a woman with a rather wild character. She has only one eye and one leg.
There is a boulder with one footprint and one imprint of a walking stick,
Yamanokami no ashiato 山の神の足跡石.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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. Shrine, Shinto Shrine (jinja　神社) - Introduction .
. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #ashiato #footprints #kaminoashiato -
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Yamanokami Regional 33 Akita

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Yama no Kami 山の神 Yamanokami - Introduction .
. Ta no Kami 田の神 Tanokami - Introduction .
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Yama no Kami 山の神 God of the Mountain
and Legends from Akita 秋田県

. Legends about Yamanokami 山の神と伝説　.


source : forbesjapan.com/article...

. Namahage なまはげ / 生剥げ demons of Akita .
The servants of Yamanokami, the demons from the Oga peninsula, are allowed to come down to the local families on the 15th day of the first lunar month.


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田の神，山の神 Tanokami becomes Yamanokami
On the 16th day of the 10th lunar month,
Tanokami goes back and becomes Yamanokami. Pepopletake a rest and celebrate with offerings of konamochi 粉餅 rice cakes powdered with walnut powder.
On this day it is not allowed to go to the forest and work.
- - - - -
Inside a mine it is not allowed to whistle or clap your hands. If you do, Yamanokami, who supports the ceiling with his hands, becomes happy and pulls his hands away.
- - - - -
. Okojo, Okoze オコゼ a short-tailed weasel or ferret .
the messenger of Yamanokami.


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. matagi 又鬼 - マタギ と伝説 Legends about bear hunters .

In Akita there are many bear-hunter communities.
On the festival day of the female Yamanokami, who is very jealous, their womenfolk do not dare to go outside all day.




.......................................................................　秋田市 Akita city .....

kuri no ki 栗の木 sweet chestnut tree
Deep in the mountain forest is a huge sweet chestnut tree, where Yamanokami is venerated. Even if cut down it will soon be up again.
Once a man named 弥兵衛 Yahei tried to cut this tree down, but blood came sprouting from the tree and a boy of 5 years came out. The child had a strange figure and looked very angry, picking up Yahei and throwing him on the ground, telling him never to cut this tree again.

. kami no ki, kaminoki 　神の木、神ノ木 tree of the deity, tree of Yamanokami .




.......................................................................　平鹿郡 Hiraka district .....
山内村 Sannai mura village

. Hihi 狒々/ 狒狒 / 比々 Hihi Baboon Monster .
About 400 years ago a samurai named 大次郎 Daijiro moved to the village from 仙台 Sendai. His younger brother left his wife and child behind and said he would go hunting.
A monster baboon came and ate the daughter of his brother. The poor younger brother was very angry and with the consent of Daijiro went out to kill the baboon.
Later they burried the body of the baboon and all their old weapons in the ground of a local school. They started to venerate Yamanokami at that place.



.......................................................................　上小阿仁村 Kamikoani village .....
in 北秋田郡 Kita-Akita district

In the village of Kami-Koani there was one area where Yamanokami was seen as 男神 a male deity and one where she was 女神 a female deity.
After a wedding ceremony husband and wife were not allowed to go into the mountain forest for a few days, because Yamanokami was very jealous.
So young couples went to work in the fields, made tools from straw and performed other work inside the house.
- - - - -
A couple went to the mountain forest to make charcoal. The husband cut a tree from a dangerous place. His wife observed him from below and saw a woman supporting his hips. The wife thought he was being unfaithful and called out "Shame on you!" The figure of the supporting woman disappeared on the spot and the husband fell deep into the valley.
The female Yamanokami had been helping him.



.......................................................................　鹿角郡 Kazuno district .....

Nanzoboo 南祖坊 Priest Nanzobo and Hachitaroo, 八太郎 Hachitaro
The Lord of 十和田湖 lake Towadako was called 八太郎 Hachitaro.
One day a strange priest named Nanzobo came and told him to hand the lake over to him. Both begun to fight and Hachitaro lost.
So he begun to block the river 米代川 Yoneshirogawa and built a new lake.
Now Yamanokami came and threw stones at him, so Hachitaro had to flee again.
He run very far away and became the Lord of 八郎潟 Hachirogata.


- CLICK for more photos of the Hachirogata area !

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Hachirōgata (八郎潟 Hachirō-gata) is a lake in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan.
Its formal name is Lake Hachirō (八郎湖 Hachirō-ko), but it is also called Hachirōgata Regulating Pond (八郎潟調整池 Hachirō-gata chōseichi). At 4 meters below sea level, Hachirōgata is the lowest point in Japan. . . .
According to a legend,
a man called Hachirō was transformed into a dragon and chose the lake for his home after wandering a long time. Thus, the lake was named Hachirō-gata (-gata means "lagoon").
Later, he was attracted to a woman who owned Lake Tazawako, another lake in Akita Prefecture, and moved to be with her. After that, Hachirōgata became increasingly shallower.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !


...... Iwate 岩手県　 .....
imori 井守 (いもり) newt, eft, kind of salamander
In the area of 九戸郡 Kunohe there are legends about 八郎太郎 Hachirotaro, Hachiro-Taro. He once attacked the guardian dragon of Lake Towada.
A young man from 大川目村荒津平 Okawame village drank water from a spring and swallowed a newt by accident.
When the boy became older, be grew up to be quite a giant and never lost a fight.
Later he became the Lord of Hachirōgata.
. Legends about eels and newts .

14 legends to explore




.......................................................................　北秋田郡 Kita-Akita district .....
荒瀬村 Arasemura village

Once on a snowing night Yamanokami took the form of a pregnant woman and asked for shelter at the hut of seven woodcutters, but she was turned away.
At the next hut of six woodcutters she was taken in cordally. So Yamanokami gave them four 大熊 great bears as a present.
Then Yamanokami turned the group of seven into 小鼠 small mice with no special color.




.......................................................................　仙北市 Senboku city, Semboku .....

. takezaiku 竹細工 legends about craft from bamboo .
If a child is born, Yamanokami spends the whole night at the Shrine to decide the fate of the baby.
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Once a wife took some lunch to her father working in the mountain. But the female Yamanokami became jealous and when the father cut a tree, he fell below it and died.
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Yamanokami becomes Tanokami in spring and is seen as female. The deity likes
. okoji オコジ（虎魚）and Yamanokami .
Yamanokami is usually helping with a birth . . . . .


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Senboku 西木町 Nishiki town

大石岳 Mount Oishidake (1,059 m)
On the 10th day of the second lunar month, it was not allowed to go to the mountain.
Yamanokami was sewing seeds for trees on this day.
Others say they should not go to the mountain and should not bring Natto fermented beans as food, lest Yamanokami would let them slip and fall.
They also should not wash their dishes in the river because Yamanokami might want to swim down the river on that day.

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Senboku 西仙北町 Nishi-Senboku town

bakko sugi バッコ杉 Bakko cedar
On the 9th day of the second lunar month, on the day of Yamanokami, a man went to the forest to make charcoal, although it was forbidden.
On his way home he saw his bakko バッコ（末娘） youngest daughter, who was supposed to be home. He called her but she did not turn around, so he started running after her, but could not catch up. When he came to
kugikake no oo-sugi 鉤掛けの大杉 the big cedar tree further down the valley, he lost sight of her. When he came home, his daughter had been home all the time, waiting for him. Since then the name of the tree changed to
Bakko Sugi, cedar of the youngest daughter.


about 38 m high, 7,4 m circumference, about 300 years old
source : hitozato-kyoboku.com/bakko-sugi...



.......................................................................　山本郡 Yamamoto district .....
二ツ井町 Futatsui machi town

Around 1940, there was a huge fire in the village. In front of 山神神社 the Shrine for Yamanokami there stood a beautiful young woman.
This must have been Yamanokami, taking refuge from the fire.


Yama Shrine, Haraikawa-59 Futatsuimachi Kogake, Noshiro

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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -

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. Legends about Yamanokami 山の神と伝説　.

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. Yama no Kami 山の神 - Table of Contents - .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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sangaku shinkoo　山岳信仰 religion of the High Mountains is a different matter.

. Shrine, Shinto Shrine (jinja　神社) - Introduction .

. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

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- #yamanokami #godofthemountains #tanokami #akita #bakkosugi -
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Amewakahiko

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. kami　神　Shinto deities - Introduction .
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Amewakahiko, Ame-Waka-Hiko 天若日子 / 天稚彦　 / あめわかひこ
Ame wakahiko / Ame no wakahiko



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The child of Amatsukunitama. In preparation for the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild (tenson kōrin), Amenohohi was first sent from the Plain of High Heaven to the residence of the earth kami Ōkuninushi, to pacify the Central Land of Reed Plains and engage in negotiations for its transfer to the Heavenly Grandchild. Amenohohi did not return, however, with the result that Amenowakahiko was entrusted with bow and arrow from the heavenly kami, and dispatched with the same mission. According to Kojiki, this appointment was at the recommendation of Omoikane, while Nihongi states that it was at the recommendation of all the heavenly kami.

Amewakahiko, however, took to wife Shitateruhime, the daughter of Ōkuninushi, and made plans to rule himself over the Central Land. Like his predecessor, Amewakahiko sent no report back to the Plain of High Heaven, with the result that Takamimusuhi and others convened a council of the heavenly kami; upon deliberation, they decided to dispatch the pheasant Nakime to inquire of Amewakahiko's true intentions. But Amawakahiko, urged on by Amenosagume, used the bow and arrow received from the heavenly kami to shoot the pheasant Nakime. The arrow pierced Nakime and continued to climb to heaven where it was found by Takamimusuhi; discerning the false heart of Amewakahiko, he flung the arrow back down at the Central Land where it struck Amewakahiko mortally in the breast.
Nihongi records that at the time he was killed, Amewakahiko was resting after observing the festival of first fruits (Niinamesai), while Kojiki states that he was lying in bed one morning. The histories relate that this event was the origin of the maxim, "fear a returning arrow," and the story is also touched upon in the "norito for the exorcism of a vengeful deity" (Tataru kami utsushiyarau).

Amewakahiko's name is mentioned in the fragmentary records of the Settsu no kuni fudoki, the Utsubo monogatari, Sagoromo monogatari, as well as the later Otogi zōshi. His name appears to have been widely used as a generic reference to male deities who descended from heaven to earth.
Deities called Amewakahiko are worshiped at some shikinaisha in the province of Izumo.
- source : Mori Mizue 2005 - Kokugakuin -

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A Demon in the Sky:
The Tale of Amewakahiko, a Japanese Medieval Story
By Reider, Noriko T.
In most cultures demons and dragons reside at the heart of the supernatural, where their distinct status reflects their various cultural roles. This is also true of Japanese culture and folklore, where these creatures play prominent roles.
For present-day Japanese, oni (demons or ogres) typically reside in Buddhist hell to punish mortal sinners, but for their medieval counterparts, the oni's role and the space oni occupied were much more flexible. Perhaps a prime example of this is Amewakahiko söshi (Tale of Amewakahiko; fifteenth century), a fictional story that recounts one legendary origin of Tanabata (Festival of the Weaver, the Star Festival), the celebration of the annual meeting of the Weaver Maid and the Cowherd, who represent the stars Vega and Altair, respectively. In this version of the Tanabata story, an oni is standing in the beautiful serene sky. This oni turns out to be the father of a kairyüö (Kairyu-O, a dragon king of the ocean) who also lives in the sky. This dragon king calls himself Amewakahiko (sometimes Amewakamiko), hence the title.

The plot of The Tale of Amewakahiko
is similar to "Cupid and Psyche" by Lucius Apuleius (second century CE). Some scholars in Japan recognize "Cupid and Psyche" as the source of The Tale of Amewakahiko, and others read the dragon king's tale as indigenous to Japan. Although there is no finally persuasive evidence that the Japanese tale was influenced by "Cupid and Psyche," it is worthwhile to examine the Apuleian tale's connection to The Tale of Amewakahiko and to share these different scholarly perspectives from Japan in an English-language publication. Thus in this essay I discuss the various possible origins of the tale. Thinking of The Tale of Amewakahiko in a Japanese folkloric and literary context reveals a specifically medieval Japanese view of space boundaries (or lack thereof) of underground, earth, and heaven that oni and a dragon travel; it also suggests that studies of ancient and classical Japanese literature (periods of ancient and classical literature, 645-1185 CE) by medieval Japanese scholars influenced the choice of the characters' names and their actions in this tale.



--- Plot and Genre of The Tale of Amewakahiko
One day a huge serpent appears in front of a wealthy family's house. The serpent demands one of the family's three daughters for his wife or, he threatens, he will destroy the whole family. The two older daughters refuse, but the youngest daughter consents. A huge house is built near a pond as part of the wedding preparations requested by the serpent, and there, alone, she awaits her snake husband. When the gigantic serpent appears, he asks the girl to cut off his head. As she does so, a handsome, young gentleman appears, and they live happily in their newly built house. After a while, the husband reveals his true identity as a dragon king of the ocean and tells the girl that he must go to the sky to do some business. He tells her how to find him in the sky if he does not come back. He then orders her not to open a certain treasure chest-if the chest is opened, he tells her, he will not be able to return to earth. While he is away, her two older sisters visit her and become jealous of her wealth and happiness. They open the treasure chest from which only smoke arises. When the girl learns that her husband cannot return anymore, she goes to Kyoto as instructed by her husband before he left and buys a gourd whose vine grows to the sky in one night.

Climbing the vine up to the sky, the girl journeys in search of her husband, whose name, the reader has learned, is Amewakahiko (or Amewakamiko). With great difficulty, she finally finds him. Although they are happy together, Amewakahiko expresses his concern that if his father, an oni, becomes aware of her, there could be trouble. So whenever his father visits him, the dragon king changes his wife into a pillow or fan. But the secret is finally revealed one day, and the oni-father takes her away and imposes on her four difficult tasks. …
- source : questia.com/library/journal -

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

. Ryuu-oo 竜王 Ryu-O - The Dragon King .


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Amewakahiko Jinja 天稚彦神社 Shrine Amewakahiko



Built during the 戦国時代 Period of the Warring States by 高野瀬氏 Lord Takanose to protect his castle, the town and his people.
Many people come here on the 17th of each month to celebrate and attend rituals.

- reference : 天稚彦神社 -


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Amewakahiko Sooshi, sōshi 天稚彦草子 Amewakahiko Soshi scroll
Scroll of the Tale of Amewakahiko
painter: Tosa Hirochika (Japanese, c. 1439-1492)







- reference source : amewakahiko soshi -

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Klassische Weisheiten aus Japan: Mit der Bilderrolle 'Amewakahiko no soshi'
Kurzer, Michael

Beim Büchlein “Klassische Weisheiten aus Japan” handelt es sich um eine äußerst überschaubare Sammlung von japanischen Sprichwörtern, Märchen und poetischen und religiösen Texten. Dazwischen sorgt die Bilderrolle “Amewakahiko no soushi” des Malers Fujiwara Tosa Hirokane für Abwechslung.
source : japaninfo.at/news/buch


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- Reference : 天稚彦 / アメノワカヒコ
- Reference : Amewakahiko


. Shrine, Shinto Shrine (jinja　神社) - Introduction .

. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

. Tanabata 七夕 The Star Festival .


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- #amewakahiko #amenowakahiko -
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