12 Nov 2019

SHINTO - Kawanokami water legends

https://japanshrinestemples.blogspot.com/2019/07/kawanokami-legends.html

Kawanokami legends

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. Shinto Shrines (jinja 神社) - Introduction .
. kami 神 Shinto deities .
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kawa no kami 川の神と伝説 Legends about the "River Deity"

Kappa 河童 is a"Kawa no Kami" 川の神 / 河の神 (lit. River Deity)
. Kawa no Kami, 水神 Suijin and Kappa .
- Introduction -
Kappa カッパ is often seen as Kawanokami or Mizunokami.

. Mizu no Kami, Mizunokami 水の神 Deity of Water .


- quote -
Kappa
mentioned in the Nihon Shoki 日本書紀 (Chronicles of Japan), one of Japan's earliest official records, compiled around 720 AD.
Other names: Kahaku (Nihongi)
A generic name for kami of rivers and streams.
The lineage of this kami is not described in the classics. Nihongi's record of Emperor Nintoku's reign contains an anecdote regarding the offering of human sacrifices (hitobashira) to the river deity called "Lord of the River" (Jp. kahaku; Ch. Hebo) at the occasion of constructing a riverbank, and Nihongi's record of Empress Kōgyoku likewise notes that during a great drought, prayers were offered without effect to the "Lord of the River." The Man'yōshū includes poems indicating that the river kami serves the emperor, and numerous records from the Nara period reflect the offering of prayers to the kami of famous mountains and great rivers.
- reference source : Kokugakuin - Nakayama Kaoru -





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kahaku, kawa no kami 河伯 River Deity, "river chief"
Kahaku Shushin 河伯主神




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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :


. ryuujin 竜神 /龍神 と伝説 Ryujin, Legends about the Dragon Deity .
Kawanokami is often seen as the same as the Ryujin Dragon Deity.
When he is offshore in the sea his wave pattern can sometimes be seen. In that case the fishermen sit down and pray to the deity.




......................................................................................... Akita 秋田県
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山本郡 Yamamoto district 二ツ井町 Futatsui town

Once upon a time, there was a year with not enough rain and water, people say the Kappa has come out and eaten all the cucumbers.
Since then farmers take the first two cucumbers of the harvest and throw it into the river shouting:
"川の神 Kawanokami, this is our offering!"




......................................................................................... Chiba 千葉県
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夷隅郡 Isumi district 夷隅町 Isumi town

Kappa is seen as Mizunokami, Kawanokami and an incarnation of a dragon deity.
If children are drowning in a river, this is the malicious deed of Kappa.




......................................................................................... Hyogo 兵庫県
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豊岡市 Toyooka city 竹野町 Takeno town

kawasoso, kawa soso 川ソソ Kamakami is called Kawasoso
He usually suppresses the Kappa 川コ Kawako, but lets him go on the last day of the sixth lunar month.
If someone goes into the river on this day, Kawako will take out his inner organs through the anus. He uses some iron tools to do that.




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

Before peeing into a river, people ask Kawanokami to forgive them, to avoid his wrath.




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


. Yama no Kami 山の神 God of the Mountain .
and Kawanokami, Kappa legends




......................................................................................... Kumamoto 熊本県
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熊本市 Kumamoto city

Kawanokami no tatari 川の神の祟 the curse of Kawanokami
Once there lived a man in the city called 平川円蔵 Hirakawa Enzo.
One he went to the local shrine and went to cut down the shinboku 神木 sacred tree, saying it was superstition not to cut such a tree.
Soon his wife became bewitched by the Kawanokami from the river 球磨川 Kumagawa and many strange things happened.

. shinboku 神木, shinju 神樹 sacred tree, divine tree .




......................................................................................... Nagasaki 長崎県
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On the 29th day of the 11th lunar month, Kawanokami comes walking along the road.
There is a strange noise like hyuuhyuu heard along the side of the pond.
It looks like a chidori 千鳥 plover with a long, red beek.
Sometimes it more looks like a man with a high hat, followed by many others. If people try to peek at the procession to see it clearly, it becomes invisible.


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


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- Reference : 川の神

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

. kami 神 Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

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- - - - -  H A I K U  - - - - -

焼米を炒るや川の神見そなはす

長谷川零餘子 Hasegawa Reiyoshi (1886 - 1928)


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- #kawanokami #rivergod #riverdeity #flussgott #mizunokami #kappa #yamanokami -
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MINGEI -chocho butterfly art and legends

https://omamorifromjapan.blogspot.com/2019/11/chocho-butterfly-art.html

chocho butterfly art

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choochoo 蝶々 Chocho, butterfly art motives - and legends

. WKD : Butterfly and Haiku .


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. ema 絵馬 votive tablets .


from the shrine 三光稲荷神社 Sanko Inari Jinja, Inuyama, Aichi

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. kokeshi こけし wooden dolls .





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. tako 凧 kite .



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. temari 手まり、手毬 hand ball, round decoration ball .


source : creema.jp/item...
絹てまり「蝶乱舞」

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. tsurushibina つるし雛 / 吊るし雛 small hanging hina dolls .



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. kimono 着物 robes and obi 帯 sash .



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. ukiyo-e 浮世絵 "pictures of the floating world" .


魚屋北渓 Totoya Hokkei - Cat and Butterfly

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- Kkites and butterflies art motives from the Prefectures - this blog

Sakurai no tako 桜井の凧 butterfly kite from Sakurai, Aichi
chodako 蝶凧 butterfly kite from Isehara, Kanagawa
fuutan フータン butterfly toy from Okinawa


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chawan 茶碗 tea bowls and rice bowls with a butterfly


田の浦窯作


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yakimono 焼物 pottery with a butterfly


瀬戸蝶絵馬の目皿(江戸後期)Seto ware
at aucfree . com


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. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
- Introduction -

........................................................................................... Fukushima 福島県 
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石城郡 Iwaki district 田人村 Tabito village

A large butterfly came into the house and fluttered around grandmother.
When she chased it away to the kitchen door, in changed to a dead person for a moment and then left the house.




........................................................................................... Hyogo 兵庫県 
尼崎市 Amagasaki city

O-Kiku mushi お菊虫 O-Kiku becomes an insect

The story of the Sara Yashiki is also tole in Amagasaki.
O-Kiku became a Kiku-Mushi insect and finally a butterfly.

. Sara yashiki 皿屋敷 "the Dish Mansion" .
where the ghost of O-Kiku comes out of a well.



.......................................................................................... Niigata 新潟県 
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中頚城郡 Nagakubiki district 吉川町 Yokawa town

At a nadare 雪崩 avalanche of a steep mountain, many people died. Their souls came back to the homes as butterflies and danced around the main pillar of the home.




.......................................................................................... Tokushima 徳島県 
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那賀郡 Naka district 上那賀町 Kaminaka town

. hebi 蛇と伝説 Legends about snakes and serpents .
Above the jabuchi 蛇淵 "serpent river pool" there is a house, where there has been no ill or wounded person in many years.
There lived a beautiful daughter in the house. At night she would leave the door open and sleep with any man coming near her. But his body was always cold.
One night she stuck a needle with a string into the robes of the man and then followed the lead, to the river pool.
Later she became pregnant and was ready to give birth. When they placed her bloody robes into a barrel of water, there were all small serpents in the water.
They emptied the barrel into the bamboo grove nearvy and a beautiful butterfly flew away.
The daughter had died.



.......................................................................................... Yamanashi 山梨県 
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南都留郡 Minami-Tsuru district 平野村 Hirano village

Someone killed a girl of 8 years. This year during the Bon rituals for the ancestors a butterfly came and sat on the ritual rice offerings.
The butterfly just did not want to leave the home. It was the soul of the girl.

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- source : nichibun yokai database -

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9 Nov 2019

EDO - Tokugawa michi road

https://edoflourishing.blogspot.com/2019/09/tokugawa-michi-road.html

Tokugawa michi road

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. Kaido 街道 Highways - ABC Index .
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Tokugawa michi 徳川道 Road for Tokugawa

This road is a branch road of the
. Sanyo Kaido 山陽街道 Sanyo Highway and 西国街道 Saigoku Kaido .



To avoid accidents with foreigners coming from Kobe Harbour on their way to Edo during
he Bakumatsu 幕末 final years of the Edo period.
The harbour of 神戸市 Kobe city was opened to foreigners in 1867.


- - Starting station : Branching off from the 西国街道 Saigoku Kaido
present day 灘区御影石町 Kobe, Nada ward, Mikage-Ishimachi
石屋川 - River Ishiyagawa
阪急六甲駅南 - South of the Rokko Station (Rokkosan 六甲山 Mount Rokko)
八幡町 - Yahata
神戸護国神社 - Gokoku Shrine, Kobe
杣谷登山口 - Somadani - along the valley Somadanizoi (杣谷沿い)
杣谷峠 Somadani toge pass
摩耶山北斜面 Northern slope of 摩耶山 Mount Maya san
桜谷分岐 Sakuradani branch divide
生田川沿い - along the river Ikutagawa
森林植物園東門 - East entrance of the Kobe Municipal Arboretum
弘陵学園高校正門前 - Main entrance of the Kobe Koryo Gakuen High School
北区山田町小部 - Obu hamlet, Yamada town, Kita ward, Kobe
鈴蘭台 - Suzurandai
白川 - Shirakawa
高塚山 - Takatsukayama
- - Final station : Branching back to the Saigoku Kaido
present day 明石市大蔵谷 Hyogo, Akashi city, Okuradani




under construction
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. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .


................................................................................. Hyogo 兵庫県
神戸市 Kobe city / 摩耶山 Mayasan / 杣谷 Somadani

. kitsune densetsu 狐と伝説 fox legends .
At the pond near the graveyard in the valley Somadani at the food of mount Mayasan there lived a fox called 兵五郎 Heigoro. Once a man visiting a grave peeked into the hole where the fox lived. He head the animal growling and the man became very dizzy. He hardly found his way home.

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source : city.kobe ...

. Temple 仏母麻耶山忉利天上寺 Butsumo Maya San Toriten Jo-Ji .
Near the top of Mount Rokko in Ashiya, Kobe
Maya mode 摩耶詣 pilgrimage to the Maya temple
chi no ike jigoku 血の池地獄 blood-red pond of hell
A special purification ritual before the pilgrimage was performed at the 不動の瀧 Fudo Waterfall near the bridge 観音橋 Kannon-bashi over a small river.
If a woman had died during giving birth, she will fall into the blood pond of hell. Her relatives make small scoops out of white cloth and scoop the water of the river. If the cloth will get holes soon, the dead woman will soon be able to go to Paradise.


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六甲山 Mount Rokkosan


source : yamahack.com...

- quote -
Mount Rokko is close to the cities of Osaka and Kobe and to the hot springs of Arima Onsen.
From the top of Mt. Rokko one has a panoramic view of Osaka Bay or the wonderful night view over the city of Kobe.
In every season Mt. Rokko offers a spectacle of nature, along with places for dining and shopping.
- source : rokkosan.com... -

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. Ebisu えびす / 恵比寿と伝説 Legends about Ebisu .
Ebisu at Mount 六甲 Mount Rokkosan, Shrine Nishinomiya 西宮.

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Hidarugami ひだる神 the Hunger God / Hidarubo ひだるぼう
If someone walks along Mount Rokkosan, the gaki 餓鬼 hunger gods bewitched him, his hands begun to tremble and he had to sit down.
In winter, even if there is snow, he begins to drip sweat from his hands and can not go on further.
If he gets a raw egg to eat, he will soon come back to his senses.
One can also just drop one grain of raw or cooked rice and say "Ahh, this was delicious" to be healed.
.....
In the back of the temple 鷲林寺 Jurin-Ji near Nishinomiya there is the pass Kuragari toge 暗峠 (小暗峠). At the top is a small place to rest, but if a person drinks from the water flowing down the valley, he will get bewitched by Hidarugami and can not walk any more. Eating a bento 弁当 lunch will heal him.
Once upon a time, when 武田信玄 Takeda Shingen had been defeated by 信長 Oda Nobunaga, he was hiding here, but since he had no food, he died of hunger. His spirit became ひだるぼう Hidarubo
.....
A zatoo 座頭 Zato, blind minstrel was on his way to a cure at 有馬 Arima Hot Spring, but he died on the way.
If anyone passes this valley, 座頭谷 Zatodani, he will be bewitched by Hidarubo.


座頭谷 Zatodani valley

. Hidarugami ヒダル神 / ひだる神 / ヒダルカミ .
- Hidarubo ひだるぼう

. gaki 餓鬼 hunger ghosts .
The Hungry Ghosts are part of the Six Realms of Existence, rokudoo 六道 of the Buddhist religion.

. zatoo 座頭 Zato, blind minstrel .

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shoojiwan ショージワン Shoji bowl
At 六甲山 Mount Rokkosan there is an old pond in the form of a gourd.
The villagers from 上唐櫃の村 Kami-Arato say:
If one goes to the edge of the pond, there will be bowls coming afloat.
When they built a new pond for the village, the same thing happened.


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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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. kaidoo 街道と伝説 Legends about the old Kaido highways .

. Kaido 街道 Highways - ABC Index .

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

. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売 - Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳 Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - The Japanese Home .

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EDO - Sanyodo Saigoku Kaido


https://edoflourishing.blogspot.com/2019/09/sanyodo-saigoku-kaido-highway.html

Sanyodo Saigoku Kaido Highway

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Sanyo Kaido 山陽街道 Sanyo Highway and 西国街道 Saigoku Kaido
San'yōdō 山陽道 Sanyodo
"on the sunny side of the mountains"


The first part of the Sanyo Kaido 山陽街道 runs from Kyoto to 西宮 Nishinomiya in 兵庫県 Hyogo
Also called 山崎通り Yamazaki-dori.

The main Saigoku Kaido 西国街道 Highway to the Western Provinces
runs from Nishinomiya to 下関 Shimonoseki in 山口県 Yamaguchi.
- also called
西国路(さいごく〈さいこく・せいごく・せいこく〉じ)Saigokuji
or
Chugoku Kaido 中国街道, Chugokuji 中国路, Sanyoji 山陽路



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- quote
San'yōdō (山陽道) is a Japanese geographical term.
It means both an ancient division of the country and the main road running through it. The San'yōdō corresponds for the most part with the modern conception of the San'yō region. This name derives from the idea that the southern side of the central mountain chain running through Honshū was the "sunny" side, while the northern side was the "shady" (山陰 San'in) side.
The region was established as one of the Gokishichidō (Five provinces and seven roads) during the Asuka period (538-710), and consisted of the following eight ancient provinces: Harima, Mimasaka, Bizen, Bitchū, Bingo, Aki, Suō and Nagato. However, this system gradually disappeared by the Muromachi period (1333-1467).
The San'yōdō, however,
continued to be important, and highly trafficked through the Edo period (1603-1867). Running mostly east-west, its eastern terminus, along with those of most of the medieval highways (街道, kaidō), was at Kyoto. From there it ran west through Fushimi, Yodo, Yamazaki, and Hyōgo; from there it followed the coast of the Seto Inland Sea to Hagi, near Shimonoseki, the western terminus of both the San'yōdō and the San'indō, and very near the westernmost end of the island of Honshū. It ran a total of roughly 145 ri (approx. 350 miles).
As might be expected,
the road served an important strategic and logistical role in a number of military situations over the course of the years. Emperor Go-Daigo in the 14th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 16th century, and many others used it to flee from conflict, to return to the core of the country (kinai), or to move troops. Many daimyō also used this road as part of their mandatory journeys (sankin kotai) to Edo under the Tokugawa shogunate. The road also served the more everyday purpose of providing transport for merchants, traveling entertainers, pilgrims and other commoners.
The modern national highway, Route 2, the San'yō Expressway, and the San'yō Main Line of the West Japan Railway Company, follow the approximate route of the San'yōdō.
- source : wikipedia

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京都 - 西宮(山崎通り Yamazakidori )- Yamazaki Kaido 山崎街道
Starting in Kyoto.
The part from Kyoto to Yamazaki is called called
唐街道 Kara Kaido

Often used for Sankin Kotai to avoid Osaka.

- six postal stations along the road

山崎宿(大山崎町・島本町) - Yamazaki
芥川宿(高槻市)- Akutagawa
郡山宿(茨木市)- Koriyama
瀬川宿(箕面市)- Segawa
昆陽宿(伊丹市)- Koya
西宮宿(西宮市)- Nishinomiya

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- A small by-road from Nishinomiya to 宝塚Takarazuka is called
Nishinomiya Kaido 西宮街道 Nishinomiya Highway
The last station is called
Kohama juku 小浜宿 Kohama

This road was also called
Uma Kaido 馬街道 "road for the horses"

Along the road were some famous spots :

Mukogawa 武庫川 river Mukogawa
Iwashizu Jinja 伊和志津神社 Shrine
Heirinji 平林寺 Temple Heirin-Ji
Takarazuka Jinja 宝塚神社 Shrine
Monkoten Jinja, Monko Tenjin Sha, (Monto Tenjin Sha) 門戸天神社 Shrine



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The Saigoku Kaido 西国街道 Highway to the Western Provinces
from 西宮 Nichinomiya to 下関 Shimonoseki

- 50 postal stations along the road

-- 京都東寺 - 起点 - starting station Kyoto Temple To-Ji
01 山崎 (大山崎町・島本町)- Yamazaki
-2 芥川 (高槻市) - Akutagawa
03 郡山 (茨木市)- Koriyama
04 瀬川 (箕面市)- Segawa (能勢街道との結節点)
05 昆陽 (伊丹市)- Koya
06 西宮 (西宮市)- Nishinomiya

07 大蔵谷 (明石市)- Okuradani
08 加古川 (加古川市)- Kakogawa
09 御着 (姫路市) - Gochaku
10 姫路 (姫路市)- Himeji
11 正條(たつの市)- Shojo
12 片島(たつの市)- Katashima
13 有年(赤穂市)- Yunen
14 三石(備前市)- Mitsuishi
15 片上(備前市)- Katakami
16 藤井(岡山市)- Fujii
17 岡山(岡山市)- Okayama
18 板倉(岡山市)- Itakura
19 川辺(倉敷市)- Kawabe

20 矢掛(矢掛町)- Yakake
21 七日市(井原市)- Nanukaichi
22 高屋(井原市)- Takaya
23 神辺(福山市)- Kannabe
24 今津(福山市)- Imazu
25 尾道(尾道市)- Onomichi
26 三原(三原市)- Mihara
27 本郷(三原市)- Hongo
28 四日市(東広島市) Yokkaichi - (also called 西条 Saijo)
29 海田市(海田町)- Kaitaichi

30 広島(広島市)- Hiroshima
31 廿日市(廿日市市)- Hatsukaichi
32 玖波(大竹市)- Kuba
33 関戸(岩国市)- Sekido
34 玖珂(岩国市)- Kuga
35 高森(岩国市)- Takamori
36 今市(周南市)- Imaichi
37 呼坂(周南市)- Yobisaka
38 久保市(下松市)- Kuboichi
39 花岡(下松市)- Hanaoka

40 徳山(周南市)- Tokuyama
41 福川(周南市)- Fukugawa
42 富海(防府市)- Tonomi
43 宮市(防府市)- Miyaichi
44 小郡(山口市)- Ogori
45 山中(宇部市)- Yamanaka
46 船木(宇部市)- Funaki
47 厚狭市(山陽小野田市)- Asaichi
48 吉田(下関市)- Yoshida
49 小月(下関市)- Ozuki
50 長府(下関市)- Chofu
-- 下関(下関市) - - final station - Shimonoseki




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- - - - - Connecting Kyoto with Osaka

京街道 Kyo Kaido - 大坂街道 Osaka Kaido
Also connected to the 東海道 Tokaido Highway。

Chugoku Kaido 中国街道 / 中国路 Chugoku ji / Chugoku Hama Kaido 浜街道
From the center of Osaka 大坂城下高麗橋 connecting to the 西国街道 Saigoku Kaido.
via 難波橋 Naniwabashi,
十三の渡し Juso no watashi,
神崎の渡し Kanzaki no watashi,
大物浦 Daimono Ura,
尼崎城下 Amagasaki castle town
. hamakaido, hama kaido 浜街道 coastal roads, "road along the beach" .

. 京街道 Kyōkaidō - Kyo Kaido Kyoto Highway .
an old name for the Osaka Kaido.


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. Tokugawa michi 徳川道 Road for Tokugawa .
A branch road of the Sanyodo.
Starting from present day 灘区御影石町 Kobe, Nada ward, Mikage-Ishimachi
back to the Sanyodo at
present day 明石市大蔵谷 Hyogo, Akashi city, Okuradani


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. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .

................................................................................. Aichi 愛知県
知多郡 Chita district / 中国道 Chugoku do Road

. Kōbō Daishi Kūkai 弘法大師 空海 - 伝説  Kobo Daishi Kukai Legends .
migawari Daishi 身代わり大師 Kobo Daishi substitutes for us

Once a man was on his way home from a trip to the Ise Shrine. On the 中国道 Chugoku road a truck came the wrong way, hit his car and he was thrown out. He climbed out of his car and checked his body for injuries, but he did not even have a small scratch.
When he came home and checked his pocket, he found an amulet of Kobo Daishi substituting for humans - that has helped him !





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

- - - - - Legends from the essay 旧山陽道周辺の山伏寺
(Temples for Yamabushi mountain priests along the old Sanyodo Road)

by 中山薫 Nakayama Kaoru

.......................................................................
吉備郡 Kibi district 足守町 Ashimori town

. kitsune densetsu 狐と伝説 fox legends .

At many temples where Yamabushi come to practise, they perform rituals to protect people from illness or misfortune.
Often malicious foxes are responsible for this.
At the temple 神福寺 Shinpuku-Ji there is a fox revered as
. ushirogami ウシロ神 Kami in the back .
who can also help to protect people

- - - - - Ushirogami 後神 / ウシロ神 "behind spirit"
- quote -
Ushirogami looks like a ghost with long black hair, and a large single eyeball located on the top of its head. It doesn't have feet, but instead has a long, twisting body which allows it to leap high into the air.
... Ushirogami is thought to be a kind of okubyogami — a spirit that causes cowardice, or that specifically targets cowardly people. Its name comes from the words ushiro (behind) and kami (spirit).
However, there is a hidden pun in its name: ushirogami also means the hair on the back of your neck, and the phrase ushirogami wo hikikaeru (to have the hairs on the back of your neck pulled) means to do something with painful reluctance. It describes a person who has to do something that they really don't want to do. As they search for some way out of it, they turn around and look behind them as if the hairs in the back of their head were being metaphorically pulled. The pun is that the ushirogami (spirit) is pulling on your ushirogami (hair), causing you to become cowardly and not want to do something. You turn around to see who pulled your hair, but there is no one back there. Thus the ushirogami can be explained as both an external entity which causes fear, or as the internal personification of your own cowardice or reluctance.
- source : yokai.com/ushirogami... -


.......................................................................
井原市 Ibara 東江原 Higashiebara

. Tengu 天狗と伝説 Tengu legends "Long-nosed Goblin" .

At the Yamabushi Temple 福寿院 Fukuju-In they perform byooki kitoo 病気祈祷 rituals to ward off illness.
People bewitched by a fox also come here for help.
At the graveyard of the temple a Tengu is venerated, there is even a special 天狗腰掛の松 pine tree where the Tengu comes to sit.



..............................................................................................................................................
Mukogawa 武庫川 River Mukogawa / Hyogo 兵庫県



- quote -
... The Muko River originates at Mount Shirakami (白髪山 Shirakami-yama) in the Tanba Highland. It flows through the Sanda Basin, and creates the Mukogawa Keikoku Ravine between Sanda and Takarazuka. It continues into Osaka Plain at Takarazuka, and flows in the Osaka Metropolitan Area to create the borders between Takarazuka and Itami as well as between Nishinomiya and Amagasaki. This river flows into Osaka Bay, and was used to transport the Kohama style of sake from the Kohama-juku (小浜宿) in Amagasaki Domain of Settsu Province during the Edo period. ...
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

- - - - -

hotaru 蛍 fireflies along the river Mukogawa
The fireflies along the river Mukogawa are said to be the "demon fires" in memory of the Samurai 明智光秀 Akechi Mitsuhide and his family.

. onibi 鬼火 / kika キカ "demon fire", "devil's fire" .
. Akechi Mitsuhide 明智光秀 (1528 - 1582) .
. hotaru 蛍 firefly legends .

- - - - -

obame オバメ ghostly fire
Near the river 武庫川 Mukogawa there is 石塚 a stone mound with the inscription Kameido no Hokora 亀井戸の社 "Shrine of Kameido".
In former times criminals were executed there (ishikozume 石子詰め) by burring them in the ground with the head sticking out.
On summer nights a ghostly fire is flickering above this stone.



- - - - -

rooshoo 老樟 the old camphor tree
At the bank of the river 武庫川 Mukogawa there is an old camphor tree with two main trunks.
If someone cuts it down, there will be a large fire and the man will be cursed.
During some repairs to the riverside the tree was cut down. The man who did it broke his nokogiri 鋸 saw and he developed a high fever.

. kusu no ki 樟の木 camphor tree, Cinnamomum camphora .



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Takarazuka 宝塚 Hyogo 兵庫県

takara zuka 寶塚 a mound full of treasures
This name refers to the treasures burried by Jingu Kogo. If people find something worth picking up on this mountain, they will be lucky.

. Empress Jingu Kogo 神功皇后 / 神宮皇后 .
AD 170 - 269, Regent from 201 - 269

- - - - -

- quote -
This town has a long history.
In 825, the Sumiyoshi Shrine was built.
Between 1492 and 1500: Kohama town was established as a temple town for Koushou-ji.
- Now it is best known for the Takarazuka Grand Theatre (宝塚大劇場 Takarazuka Dai Gekijō)
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

- - - - -

ryuume 竜馬 "dragon horse"
Minamoto no Mitsunaka 源満仲 (912 - 997) had been asked by 竜女 Ryujo, a Dragon Lady, to kill a daija 大蛇 huge serpent.
As a reward he got a ryuuma 竜馬 "dragon horse" with horns.
Its skull is buried at the temple 普明寺 Fumyo-Ji. The bones are useful for amagoi 雨乞い rain rituals.

. amagoi 雨乞いと伝説 Legends about rain rituals / Regenzauber .

- - - - -

. ryuujin 竜神 /龍神 と伝説 Ryujin, Legends about the Dragon Deity .
To perform amagoi 雨乞い rain rituals, the head of ushi 牛 a bull is offered on the side where the waterfall comes down at the ryuujin-iwa 龍神岩 Dragon-God Boulder.
The fresh blood of the animal falls down along the boulder.
If the Dragon God feels the blood, he gets angry and makes rain to fall and storm to blow.


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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
山陽道 / 中国道 / 武庫川 / 宝塚

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- - - To join me on facebook, click the image !

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. Sanin Kaido 山陰街道 Sanin Highway, San'in Highway .
San'indō 山陰道 Sanin-Do, Sanindo / そとものみち Sotomono Michi
"in the shade of the mountains"

. kaidoo 街道と伝説 Legends about the old Kaido highways .

. Kaido 街道 Highways - ABC Index .

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

. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売 - Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳 Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - The Japanese Home .

. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .


[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #sanyodo #saigoku #saikoku #saigokukaido #chugoku #chugokukaido #yamabushi #tokugawa - - - -
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29 Oct 2019

- SHINTO - Ido no Kami Legends

https://japanshrinestemples.blogspot.com/2019/06/ido-no-kami-well-legends.html

Ido no Kami well legends

[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
. Shinto Shrines (jinja 神社) - Introduction .
. kami 神 Shinto deities .
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Ido no Kami 井戸の神 / Idogami 井戸神 Deity of the Well

Another name for the
. Mizu no Kami, Mizunokami 水の神 Deity of Water .

水神様 / スイジンサマ Suijin Sama

venerated in Katsuyama, Okayama

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furui no kami 井戸の神, furui kami, furuikami 古井神 Deity of the old well

source : ameblo.jp/takenichi...

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Shrine 御井神社 Mii Jinja "the honorable well"
2518 Hikawacho Naoe, Izumo, Shimane / 斐川町



- quote -
Okuninushi and the Rabbit
..... in Hikawa is Mii Shrine, which has three wells on its grounds
that are said to have been used by Yagami-hime when she gave birth to the child she had with Okuninushi.
- source : japanesemythology... -


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井戸の神聖化 - wikipedia

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. sarashi i, sarashi-i . 晒井 さらしい cleaning the well .
well-cleaning, i zarai 井浚(いざらい)
ido zarai 井戸浚, 井戸浚い(いどざらい)
ido gae 井戸替(いどがえ)"changeing the well"
- idohori shi 井戸堀師 digging a well or making a new well



idobata kaigi 井戸端会議 debates (gossip) at the well
Women used to come to the village wells and designated places along rivers to do the laundry and the mental laundry (gossip)。

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- - - The Kappa is often seen as Mizunokami, Suijin
. suijin 水神 河童 Kappa as a water deity .
and Kappa Jinja 河童神社 Kappa Shinto Shrines

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- Reference : 井戸の神


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

. kami 神 Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

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- - - - -  H A I K U  - - - - -

井戸神の遠くに見ゆる雑煮かな
Idogami no tooku ni miyuru zooni kana

斎藤夏風 Saito Kafu


雪明りして井戸神の鏡餅
yuki akari shite Idogami no kagami mochi

赤石明子 Akashi Akiko


source : fujiclean.co.jp/fujiclean/water...


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. kawaya no kami 厠の神 God of the Toilet .
厠神 Benjogami / Kookagami 後架神 Kokagami

The God of the Toilet is the Elder Sister,
The God of the Well, Shinzui san シンズイさん is the younger sister.
At the bottom of the Well fro Shinzui zanthere are three stones.
This deity does not like metal things. If something made of metal falls into the well and is not taken out very soon, people have to abandon this well and make a new one. If they do not, family members will get ganbyoo 眼病 eye disease.

. Legends about eye diseases .


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. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .




....................................................................... Aichi 愛知県 .....
.......................................................................
豊田市 Toyota city 岩倉町 Iwakura town

Idogami sama 井戸神様
In 1881, a family had a performance in the home and then put a cover on the well for everybody to walk over. But this caused a curse of Idogami sama 井戸神様.
The mother of the family got crazy and begun to perform all day long. Grandmother had a toxic disease and when Grandfather went to 観音様 Kannon Sama to pray for her health, she felt better.




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

. Suijin sama スイジンサマ, the Kappa Water Deity .
The Idogami 井戸神 God of the Well is also called Suijin Sama.




....................................................................... Hyogo 兵庫県 .....
.......................................................................
姫路市 Himeji city 飾磨郡 Shikama district

If someone places a knife on the kama 竈 hearth, Ido no Kamisama 井戸の神様 begins to cry.

. kama, kamado 竈 Legends about the kitchen hearth .




....................................................................... Ibaraki 茨城県 .....
.......................................................................
行方郡 Namegata district 麻生町 Aso town

. Setsubun - oni wa soto 鬼は外 "Demons, get out!" .
On the day of Setsubun 節分 the Seasonal Divide people make special offerings, especially of hiiragi柊 a holly branch and put them on butsudan 仏壇 the Buddhist family altar, the kamidana 神棚 shelf of the Gods, for the 井戸の神 Ido no Kami and other places to make sure, the demons do not come in.
The offerings of iwashi イワシ are eaten by fuku no kami 福の神 the God of Good Luck.

. oni to hiiragi 鬼と柊 Demon and the Holly branch .

. fuku no kami 福の神 God of Good Luck .




....................................................................... Kagawa 香川県 .....
.......................................................................
三豊郡 Mitoyo district 詫間町 Takuma town

Before filling in an old well, there must be a purification ritual performed.
To make sure the Ido no Kami san 井戸の神さん can come back any time, there must be a bamboo pole in the ground. Ido no Kami can then slip through this pole and come and go as he pleases.




....................................................................... Kagoshima 鹿児島県 .....
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薩摩郡 Satsuma district 東郷町 Togo town

After a new well is made, there must be an offering of nasu 茄子 eggplants.
If this is not done, the Mizunokami will leave his tooth bite visible.



....................................................................... Kyoto 京都府 .....
.......................................................................
福知山市 Fukuchiyama city

If people stay too long near the well and talk and talk . . . the Ido no kami 井戸ノ神 gets angry and disappears.




....................................................................... Nagasaki 長崎県 .....
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西海市 Saikai city 西彼町 Seihi town

Ido no Kami is the same as 水神 Mizugami.
If someone in the family gets ill, Mizugami must be angry.
Making offerings of miki お神酒 ritual rice wine, shio 塩 salt and kome 米 rice grains will cure the person.





....................................................................... Wakayama 和歌山県 .....
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有田郡 Arida district 金屋町 Kanaya town

Ido no Kamisama is Suijin san 水神さん.
Once an old woman became a strong headache. A healer told her that she had not been respectful to Suijin san 水神さん.
She began to say her prayers regularly and was soon healed.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
井戸神 / 井戸の神 / イドガミ / 井戸ノ神 - ok

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #idookami #welldeity #suijin #mizunokami -
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26 Oct 2019

HEIAN - Chikuma river legends

https://heianperiodjapan.blogspot.com/2019/10/chikuma-river-legends.html

Chikuma River legends

- BACK to the Daruma Museum -
. Japanese legends and tales 伝説 民話 昔話 - Introduction .
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Chikumagwa 千曲川と伝説 Legends about the river Chikumagawa
"river with a thousand bends"




The Shinano River (信濃川 Shinano-gawa), known as
the Chikuma River (千曲川 Chikuma-gawa)
- 214 km -
in its upper reaches, is the longest and widest river in Japan and the third largest by basin area (behind the Tone River and Ishikari River).
It is located in northeastern Honshu, rising in the Japanese Alps and flowing generally northeast through Nagano and Niigata Prefectures before emptying into the Sea of Japan.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

- - - - - 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 Abukumagawa 阿武隈川 / 阿武隈河 .


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Takemizuwake Jinja 武水別神社
In Chikuma city.
、長野県千曲市八幡にある神社。式内社(名神大社)で、信濃国四宮。旧社格は県社で、現在は神社本庁の別表神社。
旧称は「八幡宮」。現在も「八幡(やわた)さま」「八幡神社(やわたじんじゃ)」の通称がある。

- quote -
Daitōsai (Nagano)
This festival consists of offerings of freshly harvested grains by the tōnin (leaders) from December 10 to 14 at the Takemizuwake Jinja in Kōshoku City, Nagano Prefecture. There are five numbered tōnin, the third considered the highest rank and thus known as the daitō, which is the origin for the name of this festival. In order to be appointed as the daitō, one must have been, in order, the fifth, fourth, second, and first tōnin for ten years each. During these ten years, daitō earn their rank by continually making offerings (shinsen) and by being selected by sacred lottery (mikuji). Even if one has good luck and is selected by mikuji each year, the total process takes fifty years. ...
- source : Kokugakuin, Mogi Sakae -



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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :


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

Tanpei 丹平 The Kappa Tanpei
Tanpei was a small child, but he just could not walk.
Once they put all the treasures of the family and his back, and oh wonder, he got up, walked to the river 千曲川 Chikumagawa, jumped in and disappeared.
Some say it must have been the local river Kappa Tapei.

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

. onibi 鬼火 / kika キカ "demon fire", "devil's fire" .
Once upon a time, during a great rain, two young travelers fell into the river 千曲川 Chikumagawa and died.
After that, other people saw two strange balls of fire at night, dancing over the river.
Then came a man and offered prayers to appease their souls and the sightings stopped.



......................................................................................... Nagano 長野県
.......................................................................
小縣郡 Chiisagata district 神川村 Kangawa village (Kamikawa)

. ryuu, ryū 龍 竜 伝説 Ryu - dragon legends - Drachen .
In the middle of the river 千曲川 Chikumagawa there was a huge boulder and a dragon lived there.
If there were weddings or other family events in the village, the dragon would lent them trays and bowls.
One day a villager did not bring all the bowls back and from that time on, the lending stopped.

. zenwanbuchi 膳椀淵 "river pool for borrowing trays and bowls" .


.......................................................................
埴科郡 Hanishina district 戸倉村 Togura village

. kame 亀と伝説 Legends about turtles, tortoise - Schildkröte .
Once upon a time,
a fisherman went fishing at the river 千曲川 Chikumagawa, when a turtle crossed his way. So the fisherman followed the turtle, which walked a while and then stopped.
When the man came closer, he felt something warm. When he begun to dig, hot water sprouted and he had found an onsen 温泉 hot spring.
This is the origin of 戸倉温泉 Togura Onsen Hot Spring resort.

. Legends about Onsen Hot Springs 温泉と伝説 .


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小諸市 Komoro city

yuurei 幽霊 a ghost
This is a tale about the head priest of the Buddhist temple 玄江院 Genko-In, many generations ago.
One evening when the priest opened the shooji 障子 paper sliding doors, he saw someone leaning his shoulder on the door. When he asked who it was, the person disappeared.
The next morning he got the message that a person had drowned that night in the river 千曲川 Chikumagawa and he must have seen its ghost.


Genkooin 玄江院 Genko-In
耳取 / 1922 Mimitori, Komoro, Nagano

.......................................................................
南佐久郡 Minami-Saku district 川上村 Kawakami village

. kitsunebi 狐火と伝説 Legends about the "fox fire" .
The fox fire is most often seen during the evening time of the "demon dusk", and only from Spring to Autumn, but never in winter.
It is always seen at a curve of the river 千曲川 Chikumagawa.
Sometimes many lights show up to form a parade and then disappear.
Some say its the tails of birds shimmering in the last sunlight.

. oomagadoki オーマガドキ, Ōmagatoki 逢魔時 / 大禍時 "demon dusk" .
tasogaredoki たそがれどき, 黄昏

- - - - - Another legend about the "demon dusk" is from Niigata, Nagaoka city.

An old woman of more than 70 years did not like the "demon dusk" and never went to the outhouse during that time.
They sat during this time the deities of the outhouse come to meet.
One evening the husband of the woman went out for an urgent pee at that time anyway and made the gods very angry. He fell down and died soon after.

. kawaya no kami 厠の神 deity of the outhouse toilet .


.......................................................................
中野市 Nakano city

. kitsune densetsu 狐と伝説 fox legends - Fuchs .
An old woman went to the onsen 温泉 hot spring and was on her way home, when she lost her way. She went to the mountain forest and then to the fields of other people and ate their maize. When her family members searched for her, they found her near the river 千曲川 Chikumagawa.
She must have been bewitched by a fox.


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東御市 Tomi city

. Jizoo 地蔵菩薩 Legends about Jizo Bosatsu .
amagoi Jizo 雨ごい地蔵尊 rain rituals with Jizo
Once upon a time
When it had not rained for a long time, the villagers gathered at the crossroads and bound a large black boulder lying there, pulled him to the river 千曲川 Chikumagawa and pushed it in with the prayer to let rain fal soon.
And indeed, that night there was a heavy rainfall.
The villagers pulled out the black boulder and set him up to venerate, calling it
O-Tasuke Jizo お助け地蔵尊 "Jizo who has helped us" or amagoi Jizo 雨ごい地蔵尊.
To our day the villagers pray to this boulder as Suijin Sama 水神様 Deity of Water.


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上田市 Ueda city

Iwabana no nezumi 岩鼻のねずみ the mice from Iwabana
Between the postal station of Nezumijuku 鼠宿 (Postal station of the Mouse) in 坂城町 Sakaki town and 下塩尻 Shimo-Shiojiri in 上田市 Ueda city along the
. Hokkoku Kaido 北国街道 Hokkoku Highway Road .
there is a steep cliff along the river 千曲川 Chikumagawa, which is called Iwabana, "The Rock Nose".

On the other side of the river, in 上半過 Kami-Hanka, there is a large bolder sticking out. It had been connected to Iwabana a long time ago,
But when the mice in Sakaki town begun to increase the townspeople tried to chase them away with cats. The mice fled to Iwabana and bit off the cliff to make caves.
Later the river 千曲川 Chikumagawa came to flow through the openings.

. ne 子 / nezumi 鼠 / ねずみ Rat, Mouse .



......................................................................................... Niigata 新潟県
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岩船郡 Iwafune district 粟島浦村 Awashimaura village. Awashima Island

Hachiman Jinja no shinzoo 八幡神社の神像 statue at the shrine Hachiman Jinja
The Hachiman Shrine at the 粟島浦村釜谷 Kamaya hamlet in Awashimura originates from the Hachiman Jinja at 旧西蒲原郡黒崎町木場 Kiba in Kurosaki town, West-Kanbara district.
It was stolen from there and thrown into the river 信濃川 Shinanogawa, from where it flowed to the cape 八幡鼻岬 Hachimanbana Misaki.
When the villagers from Kiba heard about it, they went to Awashima Island to get it back, but the folks from Awashima did not give it back.
The villagers thought the statue itself did not want to go back any more.

. Legends about Hachiman Shrines 八幡宮 / 八幡神社 .




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長岡市 Nagaoka city

. Benkei ベンケイ / 弁慶と伝説 Legends about Musashibo Benkei .
Benkei no ashiato ベンケイの足あと / 弁慶 footprints of Benkei
Once upon a time, a giant man named ベンケイ Benkei stood on the peaks of 長峰 Nagamine and 東山 Higashiyama and begun to pee.
This is the origin of the river 信濃川 Shinanogawa.
There are still two deep depressions of his footprints on the mountains.


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十日町市 Mokamachi city 松代町 Matsushiro machi town

. Legends about ike no nushi 池の主 と伝説 the Master of the Pond .
The master of the pond 蒲生の池 Kamo no Ike went to the master of the pond 野々見の池 Nonomi no Ike to ask for his daughter as a bride, but he was refused. He practised for three years and then killed the master of Nonomi with a sword. The blood of the victim became the river 千曲川 Chikumagawa.
This is why the name of the river might be written chigumagawa チグマガワ with blood 血曲川.
The bones of the victim flew on to 浦田のホカサ Urada no Okasa.
The master from Kamo no Ike Pond became afraid and fled further to 七つ釜 Nanatsugama (seven water pools, erosion caves).
There he let the waster of the river flow away and created the fields.



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

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. Kaido highway legends 街道と伝説 - - ABC list .

. animals and their legends 動物と伝説 - - ABC list .

. plants and their legends  植物と伝説 - - ABC list .

. trees and their legends  樹木, 木と伝説 - - ABC list .

. Persons, People, Personen and their legends - - ABC list .

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

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説 民話 昔話 - Introduction .

- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -
- Introduction -

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