Japan - Shrines and Temples

05/11/2017

Saruhachi Bonno deity

At the temple Jikooji 都幾山慈光寺 Jiko-Ji
埼玉県比企郡ときがわ町西平386 / 386 Nishidaira, Tokigawa-machi, Hiki-gun, Saitama

This temple is Nr. 9 on the pilgrimage to 33 Kannon Temples in Bando (the Kanto region)
. Bando 33 坂東三十三観音札所 Nr. 9 .

The messenger of the deity Sanno Gongen 山王権現 is a monkey, and the animal is sometimes seen as a deity itself, protecting people from harm and bringing good health to the children.

The monkey is also the messenger of 山の神 Yamanokami.
The whole mountain around the temple Jiko-Ji is seen as the territory of Yamanokami, and the monkey is free to roam the fields and forests.
The local people call the monkey Saruhachi Buddhist King and protect it.

The monkey on the stone relief is clad like the dancing monkey of Sanbaso.
The stone dates back to 1786.

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. Sanno Gongen 山王権現 and the Monkey .
Sarutahiko deity 猿田彦, 猿田彦神 - Sarugami 猿神 Monkey Deity

. Hiyoshi Taisha 日吉大社 Great Hiyoshi Shrine .
and the deity Sanno, the "Mountain King"

. sanba sarugaku 三番猿楽, 三番叟 Sanbaso, Sambaso dance .
Sanbaso is an auspicious dance, often performed during the New Year season.

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- - - - - Yamanokami has some animal messengers :

. Sarugami 猿神 The Monkey Deity .

. yamainu 山犬 wolf - "mountain dog" .

. inoshishi 猪 wild boar .

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

Legends about Yamanokami and Sarugami 猿神 The Monkey Deity
Sarugami was known in various provinces, for example in 備前 Bizen and 備後 Bingo in Okayama.

Sarugami taiji 猿神退治 driving out the Sarugami - folktale
About the human sacrifice of a young girl
At the house where a white arrow was stuck, a girl had to be given as human sacrifice for Sarugami.
Then a 山伏 Yamabushi mountain priest came and tried to help. At 丑三つ時 a ghostly hour a monster came wandering from behind the Shrine and begun dancing around the carriage with the girl. When he tried to open the box, the Yamabushi let his dog run and kill the monster.
In the morning they came and had a good look at it - it was an old monkey.

- reference source : manga nihon mukashibanashi -

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.......................................................................... Ehime 愛媛県

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上浮穴郡久万高原町

Sarugami 猿神 Monkey Deity
Nue 鵺，Sarugami 猿神，hebigami (jashin) 蛇神，Inugami 犬神
The mother of Minamoto no Yorimasa (源頼政) (1106 – 1180) was severely ill.
源頼政の母の病が重かった頃、頭は猿、尾は蛇に似た鵺という怪獣が京都の紫宸殿に現れ、頼政が退治を命じられた。仁平3年4月7日、頼政は母から贈られた矢で鵺を射落とした。その夜、母は他界したが、鵺は現れなくなったという。退治された鵺は斬られて摂津の川尻へ流されたが、四国に流れ着いて祟りをなしたとか、頭は讃岐に着き猿神に、尾は伊予で蛇神に、手足は土佐、阿波に着いて犬神になったともいわれる。
- 頭が猿、足が犬で尾が蛇である怪獣を切ったところ、各部分が別のところに着き、蛇神・猿神。犬神となった。その後狐つき等も入ってきた。蛇神の憑く家系があったが蛇の嫌いなものを撒くと、帰るといって離れていく。

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今治市 Imabara 玉川町 Tamagawa

Sarugami Sama 猿神様
猿神様は竜岡下鍛冶屋部落にある。昔、村人が身ごもった猿を撃とうとしたところ、猿が両手を合わせて拝むようにして救いを求めたが、村人は猿を撃ち殺した。やがて部落内に様々な災いがあったので、宮を建てて猿神様として祀ることになったという。

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Sarugami Jinja 猿神神社 Sarugami Shrine
愛媛県大洲市豊茂 / Toyoshige, Ozu, Ehime
Deity in residence : 猿田彦神 Sarutahiko

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

Sarugami 猿神 Monkey Deity
An itinerant priest had come from the province of the other side of the waterfall. The villagers were quite happy to have him and gave him a young girl as a wife.
This priest even tried to make the girl a human sacrifice for Sarugami, the local Yamanokami.

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大野郡 Ono district 荘川村 Shokawa

Sarugami taiji 猿神退治 Getting rid of Sarugami
On the evening before the Shrine Festival, villagers had to offer a girl to 大猿 the Great Monkey. A monk came and tried to change the events by making the Great Monkey a living sacrifice.
But the Monkey cried terribly in great fear and eventually the monk took pity and let him run in to the mountain.

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

Yamanokami is seen as a monkey or as a woman.
Yamanokami of the 道地 Dochi region is called テングサン Tengu san.

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

Yamanokami 山の神
In the 土佐郡 Tosa district, 杣 forest workers have to observe certain taboos before entering the forest.
They must not use 不浄の火 improper fire. They should not use the words hari 針 needle, neko 猫 cat, saru 猿 monkey, or boozu 坊主 priest.
They also do not build a group of seven people.

. shichinin misaki 七人ミサキ "Misaki of seven people" .
who died together in an accident

................................................................... Kumamoto 熊本県

. 木葉猿 Konoha Saru 木の葉猿 monkey from Konoha village .

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

Takebera Taro 竹箆太郎 The Brave Dog Shippetaro
The story of a human sacrifice.
. Shippeitaro 竹箆太郎 / しっぺい太郎 - 早太郎 Hayataro, the spiritual dog .

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伊具郡 Igu district 丸森町 Marumori

Sanno Iwaya 山王岩屋，Sarutobi 猿跳 Monkeys Jumping
Near the smalles part of the gorge of river Abukuma there are two huge rocks facing each other.
The Deity from 霊山 Mount Ryozen was known as 山王権現 Sanno Gongen and his messenger, the monkey, could jump from one rock to the other, Sarutobi.
The warrior 安倍貞任 Abe no Sadato defended this area.

. 安倍貞任 Abe no Sadato (1019 – 1062) .
and Sakanoue no Tamuramaro 坂上田村麻呂 . (758 - 811)

Sanno Iwaya densetsu 山王窟伝説 Sanno rock at 骨寺村 Honedera mura "bone temple village".
and the legend of 山王の鬼 Sanno no Oni, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro 坂上田村麻呂 . (758 - 811)
source : hiraizumi-yukari.com...

- quote -
骨寺村 Honederamura Shoen Iseki

The map is drawn on four pieces of paper joined together, with the top of the map pointing west; the entire village is depicted. The boundaries of the village---Kagikake in the east, Sanno no Iwaya in the west, the Iwai River in the south, and the ridgeline from Mitakeato to Masaka Shindo in the north---are represented with bold lines.
..... Regarding the religious activities of the village, the Sanno no Iwaya in the west gives a strong impression that the village as a whole was formed as a foothold for the Sanno faith of the Tendai Sect; other religious elements are the Honedera Site and Monks’ Quarter Site on the western plateau, indicated with marks representing pillar sites. .....
- - Comparison with the Landscape Today
..... Sanno no Iwaya, drawn just below and more clearly than Komagatane on the Illustrated Map of Households, is on the western boundary of the village. To the east of it, the words “Honedera Temple Site” and “Monks’ Quarter Site” are marked with figures that appear to be pillar sites. On the Illustrated Map of Shrines and Temples “Hakusan” and “Terasaki” are written on a plateau slightly higher than the rice paddies in the western part of the village. "Rokusho no Miya" on the Illustrated Map of Households is drawn slightly apart from them, in the northern part of the plateau. Hakusan Shrine still remains in the same spot as the map, but Honedera Temple, for which the village was named, was already lost in the Kamakura period, and its site, including Monks’ Quarter, is yet to be found. .....
- source : city.ichinoseki.iwate.jp -

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栗原市 Kurihara City

Yamanokami 山の神
Yamanokami does not like the love song サンサシグレ "sansa shigure" , which is song for various rituals.
Forest workers are not allowed to hum the melody while working.
Hunters are not allowed to use the word MONKEY while they are in the moutains.

.......................................................................... Nagano 長野県
東筑摩郡 Higashi-Chikuma district 四賀村 Shiga mura

Tengu 天狗
Wolves, monkeys and wild boars are the messengers of Yamanokami.
Yamanokami is quite wild and the Tengu maybe an incarnation.

.......................................................................... Niigata 新潟県
中頚城郡 Naka-Kubiki district 吉川町 Yokawa

山の神，猿，犬 Yamanokami, monkey and dog
The 9th day of the second and 12th lunar month are set for rituals of Yamanokami.
If people go to the mountain forest and see a monkey running around riding on a dog, they are doomed to die.

.......................................................................... Saitama 埼玉県
入間郡 Iruma district 毛呂山町 Moroyama

Since the monkey is Yamanokami, people are not allowed to do forest work on 申の日 the days of the monkey.
If they do, they will have a lot of problems.

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

Sarugami 猿神
Once upon a time
a strange Yokai monster (the Nue) was flying in the sky. A brave samurai shot it down with three arrows.
The head became Inugami 犬神 the Dog Deity,
the body became Sarugami and
the tail became the plant suikazura スイカズラ / 吸葛 honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica (other versions say 蛇 a serpent).
- or in another version -
The head flow off to 讃岐国 Sanuki and became Sarugami.
The body flew off to 阿波国 Awa and became 犬神 Inugami,
the tail flew off to 備前国 Bizen and became the plant Suikazura.

. NUE, nue 鵺, 鵼, 恠鳥, or 奴延鳥 the Nue monster .
- - - - - The cursed Nue came floating in the sea to Shikoku.
Its head landed in Sanuki and became a monkey deity.
Its tail landed in Iyo and became a serpent deity.
Its hands and feet landed in Tosa and became a dog deity.

. suikazura スイカズラ / 吸葛 / 忍冬と伝説 Legends about honeysuckle .

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三好市 Miyoshi city

Sarutahiko 猿田彦
The makers of wooden tools and toys, kijiya 木地屋, venerate Yamanokami. If normal people go to their places of worship and make fire, they will find a cruel death.
Since Yamanokami is Sarutahiko, they are not allowed to use the word SARU (monkey) while they do their work.

................................................................ Wakayama 和歌山県
日高郡 Hidaka district 龍神村 Ryujin Mura (Dragon God Village)

sarusuberi 猿すべり
Once Yamanokami and 水の神 Mizunokami, the God of the Water, had a contest about which had more, trees in the forest or fish in the water. They called out each name and counted it. In the end Yamanokami seemed to have lost because he called two names, 猿すべり Sarusuberi and さるたの木 Saruta no ki, for the same tree.
They tore the records and tried to forget about it.
But for some reason, the 7th day of the 11th lunar month became
山の神の木数えの日 the day of Yamanokami counting trees.
If a person goes to the mountain forest on this day, he will be counted as a tree.

. sarusuberi 百日紅 Crape myrtle .
Even monkeys fall from trees! sarusuberi!

. Mizu no Kamisama 水の神様 God of Water .

A similar story of counting is told in Shiga
. The number of their kenzoku 眷属 followers and servants .

................................................................ Yamanashi 山梨県
都留市 Tsuru city

. do not say saru さる/ サル monkey in the forest .

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- reference : Nichibun Yokai Database -
17 猿神 (09)

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

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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 #saruhachi #saruhachibonno -
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04/11/2017

Yamanokami inoshishi wild boar

[ . 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 his messenger, the inoshishi 猪 wild boar

. Ta no Kami, Tanokami 田の神 God of the Rice Fields
and inoko 亥の子 / イノコ / 亥子　the "young wild boar" .

- - - - - Yamanokami has some animal messengers :

. Sarugami 猿神 The Monkey Deity .

. yamainu 山犬 wolf - "mountain dog" .

. inoshishi 猪 wild boar .

. shinshi 神使 divine messenger
kami no o-tsukai 神のお使い / 神の使い .
Inoshishi is the special messenger at Go-O Jinja 護王神社 and Wake Jinja 和気神社.

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. Misaki ミサキ / 御先 / 御前 / 御崎 Legends about the Misaki deity .
A deity that can bring misfortune or curses (tatari-gami 祟り神).
Yamanokami is also venerated as ミサキさん Misaki san in some regions, especially in Okayama.

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伊吹山の山の神は「白猪」White Wild Boar from Mount Ibukiyama

. Mount Ibuki 伊吹山 Ibukiyama .

Yamato Takeru was a legendary prince and warrior who traveled a lot and defeated his enemies. However, he met his demise at Mt. Ibuki when he battled an evil god disguised as a white boar.
Yamato Takeru defeated the boar, but not before the boar showered him with poisonous mist. He went to Isame no Shimizu in Samegai whose waters healed him.
Then he went on to Ise, but died soon afterward.
- source : photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails... -

. Prince Yamatotakeru 日本武尊 Yamato Takeru .

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下河辺行平 Shimokobe Yukihira
(around 1180) tried to shoot an Inoshishi, the alter-ego of Yamanokami,
but he missed the shot. He was cursed however and died that night.

Shimokobe Soshi Yukihira was a famous archer who taught archery to shogun Minamoto no Yoriie in 1189.
He was a descendent of Fujiwara no Hidezato, a famous archer of the Heian period.
- Koga Castle 古河城 Koga-jō
The fortification at Koga may date to the late Heian period or early Kamakura period, and the Azuma Kagami refers to a fortification in Koga built by Shimokobe Yukihira before 1180, although it is not certain if it was in this location.
... He reputedly had tremendous martial skill, particularly with the bow, demonstrating his skill frequently in yabusame archery, yumi-hajime (弓始) and deer-hunting.
He later taught archery to Minamoto no Yoriie.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.......................................................................　Ehime 愛媛県 .....

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南宇和郡 Minami-Uwa district 城辺町 Shobencho

Yamanokami 山の神 Misaki ミサキ
A member of the Konishi family had killed an Inoshishi and was cursed by Yamanokami.
They had killed an Inoshishi which had destroyed the rice fields in Autumn, dug a shishiana 猪穴 hole to throw in the dead body of a wild boar and were thus cursed.

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南宇和郡 Minami-Uwa district 城辺町 Shobencho 　御荘町 Mishocho

shishi misaki シシミサキ "Wild Boar Misaki Deity"
In 城辺町僧都 Tanabe Sozu there is a place called Shishi Misaki.
During the siege of Mount Heiizan in 1571, many people fled via 上岡 Kamioka. A soozu 僧都 high priest prayed and let them flee when a group of wild boar hunters came by. But a child cried and they were arrested and killed.
The priest and the wild boar had been an incarnation of Yamanokami and so the people now call this event Shishi Misaki.

. Misaki ミサキ / 御先 / 御前 / 御崎 Legends about the Misaki deity .

.......................................................................　Gifu .....

. Hoshinomiya Jinja 星宮神社 .
shishiana 猪穴 and shishigaki 猪垣 - holes and walls and wild boars

.......................................................................　Hyogo 兵庫県 .....
神崎郡 Kanzaki district 神河町 Kamikawa

山の神の祟り the curse of Yamanokami
On January 9, 1900, a hunter went hunting for Inoshishi. He had forgotten that this was 山神祭 the day of the festival for Yamagami.
When he rested at a spot where wild boars usually pass, one wild boar came trotting along. He took aim and wanted to press the trigger, when suddenly the wild boar became invisible and instead 黒牛 a huge black bull, like a monster, stood there. This beast became bigger and bigger. Going crazy with fear, he fled the spot and ran home, but never recovered.

山神祭 - おやまのかみさままつり O-Yama no Kami Sama Matsuri
. Yama no Kami matsuri 山の神祭り Yamanokami festivals .

. Yamanokami Koen 「山の神」公園 Park named Yamanokami .
福崎町 Fukusaki 西田原 Nishi-Tawara

There is a statue of a mother inoshishi イノシシ wild boar, a 妖怪 Yokai monster named Yamanokami.

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

. Monkey and wolf - messengers of Yamanokami .

.......................................................................　Yamanashi 山梨県 .....
富士吉田市 Fujiyoshida

山の神の天罰 divine punishment of Yamanokami
A skilfull hunter almost shot down a wild boar at 富士の裾野 the foot of Mount Fujisan. When the animal came closer, he prayed to Yamanokami to help him win this battle and said it would be the last Inoshishi. And indeed, he could shoot the animal and carry it home. He begun boasting about his "deal with Yamanokami".
But then he went out hunting again and never came home.
When they looked for him, they found him stuck in the snow.
This was the divine punishment of Yamanokami.

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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -

. inoshishi 猪と伝説 Legends about the wild boar, Wildschwein .

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. coping with Inoshishi in my mountain area .
October 2017

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

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

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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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #yamanokami #godofthemountains ##inoshishi #wildboar -
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24/10/2017

Kumano Junisha Gongen

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Shinto Shrines (jinja　神社) - Introduction .
. kami　神　Shinto deities .
. Legends and Tales about Kumano 熊野伝説 .

. Kumano Gongen 熊野権現 Legends about Kumano Gongen .
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Kumano Juunisha Gongen 熊野十二社権現 12 Kumano Shrines
Kumano Junisha Gongen

. Kumano Jinja 熊野神社 Kumano Shrines .
There are many Kumano shrines in Japan.

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- quote
Kumano Junisha Gongen 熊野十二社権現 Twelve Avatars of Kumano
Kumano Sansho Gongen 熊野三所権現 Three Avatars of Kumano.
The Kumano triad is composed of three Shintō deities and their Buddhist counterparts.
There is also a larger gongen group called the Kumano Jūnisha Gongen 熊野十二社権現 (Twelve Avatars of Kumano), which includes the main three plus nine lesser deities.
A 13th deity, named Hirō Gongen 飛滝権現 (also read Hiryū Gongen), deifies the Nachi Waterfall in the Kumano area. The three main shrines are Hongū 本宮 (Kumano Nimasu Jinja 熊野座神社); Shingū 新宮 (Kumano Hayatama Jinja 熊野速玉神社); and Nachi 那智 (Kumano Fusumi Jinja 熊野夫須美神社).
All three are located near the southern edge of Wakayama prefecture. To learn more about the famed three shrines of Kumano, plus other deity associations at Kumano, click here.
- - Hongū, Ketsumiko-gami 家都御子神 = Amida Buddha
- - Shingū, Hayatamamiya 速玉神 = Yakushi Buddha
- - Nachi, Fusumi 夫須美 or Musubi no Kami 結びの神 = 1000-Armed Kannon Bodhisattva
- source : MarkSchumacher

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- quote -
Kumano Sanzan
The three Kumano Sanzan shrines are the Sōhonsha ("head shrines") of all Kumano shrines and lie between 20 to 40 km from each other. They are connected to each other by the pilgrimage route known as "Kumano Sankeimichi" (熊野参詣道).
The great Kumano Sanzan complex also includes two Buddhist temples, Seiganto-ji and Fudarakusan-ji.

The religious significance of the Kumano region goes back to prehistoric times and therefore predates all modern religions in Japan. The area was, and still is, considered a place of physical healing. Each shrine initially had its own separate form of nature worship, but in the 10th century, under the influence of Buddhism, the three came to be worshiped together as the three deities of Kumano.
Because at the time Japanese kami were believed to be emanations of buddhas (honji suijaku theory), the three came to be associated with the Buddhas.
Kuniyasutamahime became associated with Avalokiteśvara sahasrabhūja (Senju Kannon, "Thousand-Armed Avalokiteśvara"), Bhaisajyaguru (Yakushi Nyōrai) and Amitābha (Amida Nyōrai).
he site became, therefore, a unique example of shinbutsu-shūgō or the fusion between Buddhism and Japanese indigenous religion. Thereafter the Kumano Sanzan site attracted many worshipers and became a popular pilgrimage destination. In the 11th century pilgrims were mostly members of the Imperial family or aristocrats, but four centuries later they were mostly commoners.
The visit was referred to as the "Kumano ant pilgrimage" (蟻の熊野参り) because they could be seen winding through the valleys like so many ants.
- source : wikipedia -

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- quote -
熊野速玉大社の社殿・祭神・本地仏
上四社 - Top four shrines
第一殿結宮 Isamiya - 熊野夫須美大神（熊野結大神）Kumano Fusumi - 千手観音 Senju Kannon
第二殿速玉宮 Hayatama - 熊野速玉大神 Kumano Hayatama - 薬師如来 Yakushi Nyorai
第三殿証誠殿 Shojoden - 家津美御子大神・国常立尊 Ketsumiko - 阿弥陀如来 Amida Nyorai
第四殿若宮 Wakamiya - 天照大神 Amaterasu - 十一面観音 Juichimen Kannon
第四殿神倉宮 Kamigura no Miya - 高倉下命 Takakuraji - （本地仏なし）No Buddha

中四社 - Center four shrines
第五殿禅児宮 - 天忍穂耳尊 Amenooshiomimi - 地蔵菩薩 Jizo Bosatsu
第六殿聖宮 - 瓊々杵尊 Ninigi - 龍樹菩薩 Ryuju Bosatsu (Nagarjuna)
第七殿児宮 - 彦火火出見尊 Hoori - 如意輪観音 Nyoirin Kannon
第八殿子守宮 Komori no Miya - 鵜葺草葺不合命 Ugayafukiaezu - 聖観音 Sho Kannon

下四社 - Bottom four shrines
第九殿一万宮 - Ichiman no Miya - 国狭槌尊 Kunisatsuchi - 文殊菩薩 Monju Bosatsu
第九殿十万宮 Juman no Miya - 豊斟渟尊 Toyokumune - 普賢菩薩 Fugen Bosatsu
第十殿勧請宮 Kanjo no Miya - 泥土煮尊 Wahijini - 釈迦如来 Shaka Nyorai
第十一殿飛行宮 Hiko no Miya - 大戸道尊 Otonoji - 不動明王 Fudo Myo-O
第十二殿米持宮 Yonemochi no Miya - 面足尊 Omodaru - 多聞天 Tamonten (Bishamon Ten)

- reference source : wikipedia -

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熊野十二社権現御正体 Kumano Junisha Gongen Mishotai - Bronze mirror

Mirror from the Kamakura period

Center : 阿弥陀如来（本宮）Amida Nyorai
Left of center: 千手観音（那智）Senju Kannon
Right of center : 薬師如来（新宮）Yakushi Nyorai
Top line center : 釈迦如来（勧請十五所）Shaka Nyorai
文殊菩薩（一万宮）Monju Bosatsu
地蔵菩薩（禅師宮）Jizo Bosatsu
龍樹菩薩（聖宮）Ryuju Bosatsu (Nagarjuna)
不動明王（飛行夜叉）Fudo Myo-O
毘沙門天（米持金剛）Bishamon Ten
聖観音（子守宮）Sho Kannon
如意輪観音（児宮）Nyoirin Kannon
普賢菩薩（十万宮）Fuden Bosatsu

- Look at the map with the 12 shrines
- reference source : bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages... -

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江戸の熊野十二社 Kumano Junisha in Edo

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神奈川県　Kanagawa 鎌倉　Kamakura　十二所 Juniso

Juniso Jinja　十二所神社
This shrine is located up in the mountain, at the foot of Asahina pass.

幻の梅酒 - a special present in a white bottle.

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. Legends and Tales about Kumano 熊野伝説 .

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- Reference : 熊野十二社権現

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. jjūni sama 十二様 Juni Sama, "Honorable 12" deities .

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

. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

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- #kumano #kumanojuniso #kumano12shrines -
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12/10/2017

Yamanokami juunisama

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Yama no Kami 山の神 - Introduction .
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Yama no Kami 山の神 God of the Mountain
and juunisama, jūni sama 十二様 Juni Sama
"Honorable 12" deities,
another name for this male / female mountain deity
In some regions, Juni Sama is seen as two deities, husband and wife.

His / her messengers are Okoze, the stonefish and Okojo, a kind of weasel.

. Tanokami 田の神 and legends about
okoze 虎魚 / 鰧魚 / オコゼ stonefish and オコジョ Okojo weasel.
with legends from Gunma and Nagano.

hondo okojo ホンドオコジョ Mustela erminea nippon

The name of this deity varies from region to region,
十二山の神 Juni Yamanokami, 十二山神 Juni Yamagami . . .
Shrines in his / her honour are called 十二神社 Juni Jinja, 十二大明神 Juni Daimyojin,
大山祇十二神社 Oyamazumi no Mikoto Juni Jinja . . .
These deities are often venerated at 12 stone memorials or in 12 small shrines.

The explanations of the name are various too, some from a Shinto and others from a Buddhist background as a group of 12 honorable deities :

1 - A deity giving birth to 12 children in one year (one for every month)
2 - A deity that has given birth and raised 12 children.

3 - A place where 12柱の神 12 deities are venerated.

4 - . 12 incarnations of Amida Nyorai - 十二光仏 / 十二光佛 Juni Kobutsu .

5 - . 12 zodiac animals 十二支 Juni Shi .

6 - . 12 Kumano Junisha Gongen Avatars from Kumano 熊野十二所権現 .

7 - . 12 Ten Deities, 12 Devas 十二天 Juni Ten, Jūniten .

8 - . 12 Heavenly Generals 十二神将 Juni Shinsho .
12 Warrior Generals . 12 Divine Generals of Yakushi Buddha
Each of them represents one heavenly direction, one of the twelve hours of the day and one of the twelve months of a year.

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heisoku 幣束（へいそく） ritual paper wand
Yamanokami venerated as Juni Sama has given birth to 12 children in one year.
He is venerated as a mountain deity that brings 山の豊穣 a rich mountain harvest.

source : kan*an1*57

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熊野十二社　（くまのじゅうにそう) Edo Kumano Juniso
Kumano Juniso Gongen no Yashiro Shrine
Kumano no Yashiro, Juniso Gongen no Yashiro

This began during the Oei Era (1349-1427), when a man called Suzuki Kuro came from Kishu and he enshrined deities the Juniso of his hometown Kumano. The name of the surrounding area is called Juniso.
The Juniso Pond which was located at the west side of Kumano-jinja Shrine, was used as a reservoir for the town of Tsunowazu, and there is a legend that a woman drowned herself and became a giant serpent. There was a waterfall on the eastern side and it was popular as a scenic spot.
- source : national diet library -

. Twelve Shrines at Tsunohazu in Yotsuya .
Yotsuya Tsunohazu Jûnisô ike Kumano yashiro

. 12 Kumano Junisha Gongen Avatars from Kumano 熊野十二所権現 .

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.......................................................................　Fukushima 福島県 .....
南会津郡 Minami-Aizu

十二山神 Juni Yamagami
Juni Yamagami is seen as husband and wife. Near the hamlet is the shrine 山神神社 Yamagami Jinja.
It houses two statues, a husband and wife.

toorigami 通り神 Kami passing by
Once a woman felt very ill and had an itinerant shaman look at her problem.
He told her she had peed on a spot where Juni Sama uses to pass by. He performed ablutions and soon the woman was healed.

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Minami-Aizu 檜枝岐村 Hinoemata

山の神 Yamanokami and 十二大明神 Juni Daimyoji
At the hut for the hunters it is customary to take water ablutions every morning before entering the forest and pray to Juni Sama.
He is also called 十二大明神 Juni Daimyojin or 大山祇命 Oyamazumi no Mikoto.

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fuchikari 貂 / フチカリ，heko ヘコ weasel, marten
If someone dies in the mountains, his soul can be transferred to a weasel.
At the foot of the mountain, Juni Sama and Fuchikari are venerated every morning and evening.
Fuchikari gets special food offerings.

.......................................................................　Gunma 群馬県 .....
There are quite a few legends about Juni Sama in Gunma.

Komochiyama 子持山 Mount Komochi "having children" 1296 m
渋川市 Shibukawa town

- Long Japanese explanation is here
- reference source : 偏平足 -

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Gunma 吾妻郡 Azuma district

hitotsu manako ヒトツマナコ "one eye"
Juni Sama is a female deity who gave birth to 12 children in one year, one in every month.
This is most probably the same as the deity called Hitotsu Manako, who comed to the village on the 30th day of the 11th lunar month.

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Gunma 吾妻郡 Azuma district 六合村 Kunimura

Okojo オコジョ weasel
Dried Okoze fish is called okojo オコジョ. If it is offered to Juni Sama, the Weasel, there will be a good hunting season.
But the offerings have to be made in the correct way. If they are placed with both hands, the hands might disappear with the offering.
The Weasel often stays with one family and watches over their well-being.

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Gunma 倉渕村 Kurabuchi

yamainusama 山犬様 Yama-Inu Wolf Deity
Once upon a time, the Wolf Deity had given birth in the shrine of Juni Sama. People then brought special rice offerings to celebrate.

. Yamanokami messenger, the inugami 犬神 Wolf Deity .

O-Tengu sama お天狗様
On the night of the tenth people prepare special mochi餅 ritual rice cakes and make offerings to the small shrines of 八幡様 Hachiman Sama, 十二様 Juni Sama, 道陸神 Dosojin, the Wayside Deities and O-Tengu sama, the local Tengu.
The Mochi for the Tengu are especially long and narrow, called
O-Tengu Sama no Obi お天狗様の帯 Belt of the Tengu.
They are placed on the roof of the small sanctuary, cut in 108 small stripes.
Other offerings are long radish and chrysanthemums.
In some regions, people take the Mochi home after making an offering and eat them.
In 三ノ倉 Sannokura they are called Tengu no Sawa Mochi 天狗のサワ餅. People either place them on the sanctuary and leave or they take home an offering that had been made by a person before them.
This is called Tengu Sama no Omigoku 天狗様のオミゴク　Offering for the Tengu.

. tookanya 十日夜 night of the tenth .
tenth day of the tenth lunar month, with special rituals

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Gunma 沼田市 Numata city 利根町 Tone village

In Tone they make offerings to Juni Sama, because in former times a goze 瞽女 blind itinerant woman had been killed there and cursed the region.

. goze 女盲, ごぜ, ゴゼ, 瞽女 blind woman .

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Gunma 利根郡 Tone district 片品村 Katashina

inukuguri イヌクグリ plant, Veronica polita, Grey Field-speedwell
inu kuguri 犬潜り - "a dog walks through it"
This is a plant / tree, which is not allowed to be cut down in the mountain forest. It has two stems and the branches become one as it grows. Yamainu ヤマイヌ the Mountain Dog, messenger of Juni Sama, walks through this.

Tengu sama 天狗様
Trees with two-pronged roots sticking out on a mountain road or at a swamp are sacred to Juni Sama.
Tengu also like to rest on them. So they are not to be cut down.

Juunisama no shimeharigi 十二様のシメハリギ Sacred tree of Juni Sama
The 注連縄 ritual Shimenawa rope is fastened around this tree, which is sacred to Juni Sama (Yamanokami) and thus not te be cut down.
If someone cuts it, he will be crushed by 十二様の鳥居 the torii Gate of the Shrine for Juni Sama.

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Gunma 碓氷郡 Usui district 松井田町 Matsuida

In this region on the border to 上越国 Joetsu, Yamanokami is called "Juni Sama".

.......................................................................　Kanagawa 神奈川県 .....
藤野町 Fujino

The ubugami 産神 deity of birth is called Juns Sama in the hamlet of 藤野町名倉 Nagura in Fujino.

. ubugami 産神 "deity of birth" .
guardian deity of pregnant women, newborn babies and one's birthplace

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Kanagawa 鎌倉　Kamakura　十二所 Juniso

Juniso Jinja　十二所神社
This shrine is located up in the mountain, at the foot of Asahina pass.

- quote -
Beyond a stone shrine gate, of a myojin-style torii (明神鳥居), lies the main building directly ahead. To the right of the main hall are three small shrines: Yamano Jinja (山の神社), Hoso Jinja (疱瘡神社) and Usa Hachiman Jinja (宇佐八幡神社).
A large, heavy-looking stone to the right of the torii is called Hyakukan-ishi (百貫石, or Hyakkan-ishi). The stone, long neglected, weighs roughly 110 kilograms and was once a popular object of weightlifting at shrine festivals. Further to the right stands Kaguraden Hall (神楽殿), for sacred music and dances.
... Early in the Meiji period (1867-1912), under a government policy of separating Shintoism and Buddhism, the shrine was moved from the grounds of Kosokuji Temple (光則寺) in the neighborhood to its present site and dedicated to
seven deities in Heaven and five deities presiding on Earth.
At the same time, the name was changed to Juniso Jinja Shrine　from
Kumano Juniso Gongensha (熊野十二所権現社).
- source : kcn-net . org - Juniso Jinja　十二所神社 -

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

. juunikko ジュウニッコウ（十二講) Junikko .
prayer groups

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中魚沼郡 Naka-Uonuma district 川西町 Kawanishi

Juni Sama is a male mountain deity who protects women giving birth. He also helps with a good harvest.
The 12th day of the second lunar month is dedicated to this deity, when he leaves the mountains to go to the fields as Tanokami.
He comes back in Autumn after the harvest.

Yamanokami 山の神
Wheat bran (karako, カラコ, 麩) is offered to Yamanokami and then given to children to help them grow up healthy. JuniSama descends to the fields in spring and comes back after the harvest.

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長岡市 Nagaoka 成願寺町 Joganji

山の神 Yamanokami and 十二神社 Juni Jinja
Once the deity of 十二神社 the Shrine Juni Jinja, Yamanokami, fell down in a field of garlic and lost one leg,
looked at the ears of wheat and lost one eye.
So he is now known as 片目片足の神様 the Deity with one Eye and one Leg.
Since then it is forbidden in the village to eat ニンニク garlic or 麦 wheat.
Children born in the village of Joganji are often born with one eye much smaller than the other.

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

Yamagami Jinja to fuufu katsura 山神神社の夫婦カツラ
and the "Husband-and-Wife Katsura tree
katsura 桂 Japanese Judas tree, Cercidiphyllum japonicum

The trees are about 26 m high.
In 新庄市北部 the North of Shinjo is 不動山 Mount Fudoyama (546 m). At the entrance of the shrine are two large Katsura trees.
These two 門カツラ Katsura trees at the gate keep any Oni demons from entering the compound.

- 山形県新庄市萩野土内 Tsuchiuchi Hagino, Shinjō-shi
- reference source : hitozato-kyoboku.com/yamagamijinja... -

.......................................................................　Yamanashi 山梨県 .....
北都留郡 Kita-Tsuru district

. 十二天様 Juni Ten Sama，十二天神 Juni Tenjin .

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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -
- reference : 十二様 -
tba

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

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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 #juunisama -
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tanokami inoko legends

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. Ta no Kami 田の神 - Table of Contents .
. Yama no Kami 山の神 - Table of Contents - .
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Ta no Kami, Tanokami 田の神 God of the Rice Fields
and inoko 亥の子 / イノコ / 亥子　the "young wild boar"

Tanokami is also called inokami, i no kami 亥の神 God of the Boar

. inoko, i no ko 亥の子 (いのこ) young wild boar .
observance kigo for early winter - and Marishi-Ten

The day of the boar in the tenth lunar month. In 2017, it is the 8th of November.
This month is also called inotsuki 亥の月 month of the boar.
Rituals on this day are more common in Western Japan.

inoko, i no ko 亥の子 (いのこ) young wild boar
i no hi matsuri 亥の日祭（いのひまつり）festival on the day of the boar
i no kami matsuri 亥の神祭 festival for the deity of the wild boar

inoko mochi 亥の子餅（いのこもち）rice cakes for the wild boar festival
They were prepared in the hour of the boar and eaten as a harvest thanksgiving. This a custom coming from China. Here the deity honored is also seen as the God of the Fields (ta no kami).
Many tea masters close the summer hearth on this day.

inoko ishi 亥の子石（いのこいし）Inoko stone
inokozuki 亥の子突（いのこづき）hit the ground
gencho 玄猪（げんちょ） / gogenjoo 御厳重（ごげんじゅう）
..... genshoo 厳祥（げんしょう）
onarikiri おなりきり

Inoko is a festival on 旧暦10月の亥の日 the day of the wild boar in the tenth lunar month.
On this day 田の神 the Ta no Kami - God of the Fields goes back to the mountains.
While pounding the earth with a special mallet on long strings, the children sing the Inoko song:

祝わんものは鬼うめ蛇うめ、角の生えた子うめ

Today we celebrate, bury the Oni demons in the ground,
bury the snakes in the ground,
bury demon children with horns in the ground."

On this day people are also not allowed to go to the fields to pick daikon 大根 large radish.

. oni 鬼 the Demons of Japan .

Interpreting Japanese Society: Anthropological Approaches - edited by Joy Hendry
- books.google.co : inoko -

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inoko mochi, i no ko mochi 亥の子餅 rice cakes for the boar festival

They were prepared in the hour of the boar and eaten as a harvest thanksgiving. This a custom coming from China.
They were thought to prevent illness, especially the common cold in winter and would bring many children to the family.
Here the deity honored is also seen as the God of the Fields (ta no kami).

Festival of the Goddess 摩利支天 Marishi Ten and her animal, the Wild Boar.

. kaze no kami 風邪の神 Deity of the common cold - Legends .

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inoko ishi 亥の子石 Inoko stone

at 峠条 Taojo, Hiroshima

The stone looks almost like a matsutake 松茸 mushroom. Its head has a diameter of 20 cm and the length is 40 cm.
It is 11,5 kg heavy. It is decorated with colorful paper ornaments and a lot of ropes.
While singing the inoko uta 亥の子唄 Inoko song,
it is carried to all the homes and hit on the floor of the entrance.
This purifying ritual is also called (as a pun)
inoko mochi o tsuku 亥の子餅をつく preparing Inoko mochi.

In 船越 Funakoshi this ritual was called
kenka inoko ケンカ亥の子 fighting of the Inoko

inoko uta 亥の子唄 Inoko song - with many versions - and further information
- reference source : 13.plala.or.jp/discover-fnks...-

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inoko iwai 亥の子祝い celebrating Inoko

- reference source : K.やまだ in SAGA　 -

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. toshitokujin 歳德神 Toshitoku Jin, God of the Year .
Another name for Tanokami.
Toshitoku san トシトクさん in Hiroshima (see below)

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

Some legends are related to taboos concerning the daikon 大根 radish.
The common theme is:
People should not cut radish on the day of Inoko, because if someone hears the sound of cutting, he will die.
Farmers are also not allowed to go into 大根畑 the radish fields to pull radishes.

. daikon 大根 radish legends .

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hebi 蛇 snakes and oni 鬼 demons
On the evening of the Inoko day, young men walk around the village to homes where a baby boy was born this year.
If the family does not give them some money, they shout:

亥の子の晩に祝わん者は鬼産め蛇産め
Families who do not celebrate the Inoko evening
will have a Demon child, will have a Snake child !

.......................................................................　Ehime 愛媛県 .....

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今治市 Imabara 玉川町 Tamagawa

The Kotatsu heater is first used on the day of Inoko.
If people celebrate Inoko, they will be blessed for one year.
If people eat eggplants on this day, 風邪の神様 the Deity of common cold disease will come to stay in the house.

. kotatsu コタツ　炬燵　こたつ,　おこた　heatable table .

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北宇和郡 Kitauwa district

愛媛県北宇和郡日吉村下鍵山 - ほんとは幟もある
- reference source photos : lupus.is.kochi-u.ac.jp/shiota... -

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松山市 Matsuyama

hi no tama 火の玉 ball of fire
On the evening of the day of Inoko, children were walking around when someone called out to be careful of a ball of fire. It was almost blue and had a tail, passing slowly over the roofs of the village.

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南宇和郡 Minamuuwa district 愛南町 Ainan

yamainu, yama-inu 山犬 wolf
The wolves from the hamlet 油袋 Yutai.
If children bring Mochi after a birth and on the Inoko day, the wolves walk between their legs or jump over their heads as a blessing.
In 三瓶町 Mikame the wolves also just follow the children.

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越智郡 Ochi district 魚島村 Uoshima

nobori 幟 flag on a pole
On the day of Inoko fermers pray to the deities to prevent bad luck and offer them seeds of mugi 麦 barley.
If they do not do this, all their barley seeds will be lost, they will get ill and even die.

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温泉郡 Onsen district

On the day of Inoko, children walk past the homes and sing the Inoko song about snakes and demons.
- 亥の子亥の子、亥の子の晩に餅搗いて祝わぬ者は、鬼うめ蛇うめ、角の生えた子うめ -

.......................................................................　Hiroshima 広島県 .....

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因島市 Innoshima

Toshitoku san トシトクさん Deity of the Year
He comes on the day of Inoko, therefore people leave the door open and also the kotatsu コタツ heated table for him to come and sit in the home.

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庄原市 Shobara 東城町 Tojo

daikon 大根 radish taboos

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

On the day of Inoko, people are not allowed to eat gokoku 五穀 the five grains:
soy, wheat, barley, proso millet, and foxtail millet.

.......................................................................　Nara 奈良県 .....
大柳生町 Oyagyucho

kitsune キツネ fox
Before the war on the day of Inoko there was an exhibition of the village harvest of the year.
But the foxes built a long procession with lanterns and stole all the food.

.......................................................................　Niigata 新潟県 .....
南魚沼郡 Minami-Uonuma district 六日町 Muika machi

留守居の神 rusui no kami，恵比寿様 Ebisu sama，便所の神 benjo no kami
On the day of Inoko people prepare Inoko dango 亥の子ダンゴ round rice dumplings.

When most of the Kami left for Izumo, only Ebisu and the Benjo no Kami of the Toilet stayed back in the homes. They were the rusui no kami, Gods keeping back home. For them, the round rice dumplings were an offering. Also called
inokori dango 居残りダンゴ round rice dumplings for those left behind.

. kannazuki, kaminazuki 神無月かんなづき "Gods are absent" month .
The tenth lunar month (now November), after the harvest when the Japanese gods had done their duty, they left their local shrines for a bit of a vacation and went to the Izumo Shrine.

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

On 亥の日 the day of the wild boar day in Northern Okayama, the weather usually turns bad with cold and rain.
This is called - inoko are 亥の子荒れ.

.......................................................................
勝田町 Katsuta

亥の子 inoko，産の神 san no kami，若年様 wakadoshisama，年神様 toshigamisama
The nando 納戸 storeroom of a house is often used as a bedroom for the young couple and a place to give birth. In the hamlet of 富坂 Tomisaka it is customary to have a shelf in a corner of this room and put offerings for Inoko there.
On another shelf san no kami 産の神 the Deity of Birth is celebrated.
In such a home, the deity of the new year is also celebrated as 若年様 wakadoshisama or 年神様 toshigamisama.

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真庭郡 Maniwa district 久世町 Kuse

oni オニ demons
On 亥の子の日 the day of Inoko, the farmers walk around the fields calling
イノコノヨウサ、イワワンモンハ、オニヲウメ、ジャヲウメ、ツノハエタコヲウメ
(The same song as given above.)
On the evening of this day people do not go to the radish fields . If someone hears the sound of a radish cut, he will die soon.

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新見市 Niimi city 哲西町 Tesseicho

daikon 大根 radish taboos

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総社市 Soja town

oni 鬼 demons
On the day of Inoko, when Tanokami goes back to become Yama no Kami, people sing the Inoko song
祝わんものは鬼うめ蛇うめ、角の生えた子うめ
(The same song as given above.)
and
daikon 大根 radish taboos

.......................................................................　Saga　佐賀県 .....
唐津　Karatsu

- quote -
Inoko Matsuri (young boar festival)
handed down to the Kitahata-Kamihirano region of Karatsu City is held on the day of the Boar of the lunar calendar. By around the end of the Meiji era, the Inoko-ishi (stone) was pounded around in each region but this tradition gradually faded and presently, in the Kamihirano region only, the event is handed down. At the time of the first Inoko, the people were glad at the birth of a boy while at the time of the second Inoko, the birth of a girl was welcomed. Children holding the inoko-ishi stone visit each home of the region, sing a festive song, and pound the stone.

Inoko Tsunahiki (tugs-of-war of young boars)
handed down in Uwaba, Chinzei-machi, Karatsu City was originally performed in order to boost the morale of the people of the region on the October day of the boar, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi dispatched troops to Korea, and the event has since been performed to date in order to celebrate the harvest. Sixty to ninety pieces of agricultural rope are twisted together to make two ropes 60 cm in diameter and 60 meters long, which are bound together at the center to form a rope with a total extended length of about 100 meters. After holding divine service, the people are divided into upper and lower groups and engage in a tug of war. Presently, three tugs of war are held at the signal of fireworks.
(Event-holding date: Second Saturday of November)
- source : bunkashisan.ne.jp/search -

.......................................................................　Shimane 島根県 .....
大田市 Oda city 安濃郡 Ano district 富山村 Tomiyama mura

daikon 大根 radish taboos

The Kotatsu heater is first used. This will protect the home from fire and disaster.

.......................................................................　Tokyo 東京都 .....
多摩村 Tama

daikon 大根 radish taboos

botamochi ボタモチ rice cakes

Botamochi are given to エビス様 Ebisu.

On the day of Inoko, a frog puts some Botamochi in a box and carries them on his back to the Daikon fields. The Daikon are already waiting and stick out their heads, calling
moo inoko ka もう亥の子か "Is is already Inoko time?"
(a pun with moo ii kai? in a children's game).

. botamochi ぼた餅 / 牡丹餅 "peony cakes .
round rice cakes covered with sweet anko powder.

.......................................................................　Tottori 鳥取県 .....
東伯郡 Tohaku district 琴浦町 Kotoura

inoko san 亥の子さん，Tanokami san 田の神さん
Inoko san is another name for Tanokami. In February on 亥の日 the day of the boar it comes down from 神棚 the Shelf of the Gods in the home and goes out to the fields.
On the day of the boar in the 10th lunar month, people offer fresh 餅 mochi rice cakes on the Shelf to welcome it back. The mortar for making Mochi must be washed clean and kept outside until the morning so that the "Young Wild Boar" can touch it and make sure it is his own home.

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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -

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inoko matsuri 亥の子まつり Inoko festival
The story about a boar who died through a ruse of the landlord
Once upon a time in a village in 天草 Amakusa
There lived a mean landlord and his mean daughter. The landlord used to lend money to people. On his land there was a huge boulder, which he could not move away by himself.
So he spread the word he would give his daughter as wife to anyone who would move the boulder.
But, well, the daughter of the mean landlord, nobody wanted her.
There came only one boar willing to do the job. The angry landlord spread another message "I give my daughter all all my riches to the one who moves the boulder!"
Now a few men came, but
not even the strongest man could move the boulder and in the end it was the boar who moved the boulder.
The landlord had to keep his word and let the daughter go as bride with the wild boar.
The happy boar put the bride on his back and gallopped back to his mountain. But as he was running, the mean daughter took a fire stone and straw, lit a fire and burned the back of the animal. Jumping in pain the boar fell from a cliff and died on the spot.
This episode made the rounds in the village and all felt sorry for the boar.
So they decided to have a festival for it on the Day of the Boar in October.

Nihon Mukashibanashi from the Oniike area, Amakusa Kumamoto 鬼池エリア
- reference source : nihon.syoukoukai.com/module -

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. 12 Zociac animals 干支　eto, kanshi .
signs of the zodiac in Chinese astrology
. i (inoshishi) 亥 Boar (wild boar) .

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. Ta no Kami 田の神 - Table of Contents - .

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

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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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