Hachiman Gudokun

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. Legends about Fudo お不動さま - 不動明王 .
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Hachiman gudōkun 八幡愚童訓
Hachiman Gudokun (written around 1300)
Tales of the God of War Told to the Simple

"Hachiman Gudokun" is a history of temples and shrines that narrates the miracle and divine virtue of Hachimanshin (Shinto god of War) which is considered to have been compiled in the middle or late Kamakura period.


source : blogs.yahoo.co.jp/nonki_harumi...





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- quote -
The Mongols brought an advanced technology weapon that terrified the Samurai. It was an early form of "shock and awe". In addition to their clouds of arrows fired continuously, the Mongols also brought explosive Chinese bombs. These bombs were flung from Trebuchets.

An account from Hachiman Gudokun reads,
"The commanding general kept his position on high ground, and directed the various detachments as need be with signals from hand drums. But whenever the Mongol soldiers took flight they sent iron bomb shells flying against us which made our side dizzy and confused. Our soldiers were frightened out of their wits by the thundering explosions, their eyes blinded, their ears deafened, so that they could hardly distinguish east from west."
These "mighty iron balls" were flung and "rolled down the hills like cartwheels", they sounded like "thunder" and when they exploded "looked like bolts of lightning".
The Mongol shock tactics definitely worked in the opening engagement between the two armies.
- source : greendragonsociety.com/warriors... -


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- quote Simpson, Emily Blythe -
Sovereign, Shaman and Bodhisattva :
A Medieval Reinterpretation of Empress Jingū in the Hachiman gudōkun
Empress Jingu (traditionally 169-269 CE) is a legendary figure, appearing in myths of the gods in the earliest chronicles of Japan, the Kojiki (712) and the Nihon shoki (720). According to these accounts, she was a shaman as well as empress and the vessel through which the gods made known their will to the emperor. At Emperor Chuai's death, she took up the divine mission bequeathed to her husband and organized an invasion of the Korean peninsula, calling on the gods whenever her goal was frustrated. She returned triumphant to Japan, bore a son, and ensured his succession to the throne through her own period of rulership. Though the paucity of historical evidence has led to various theories regarding the story's factual basis, its importance as a legend is evident from its appearance and reinvention through over a thousand years of Japanese history.

This thesis charts what may perhaps be considered the first phase of that reinvention. In the later classical and medieval periods of Japan, Jingu's son, Emperor Ojin, was identified with Hachiman, a local god of increasingly central importance and an emblem of syncretic religious traditions within Japan. With the growing importance of Buddhism, both Hachiman and his mother were reimagined with Buddhists elements in their histories. Focusing on the Hachiman gudokun, a shrine-temple origins account written in the first decades of the fourteenth century, this thesis charts the developments of the Jingu narrative in various documents of the medieval period.
Highlighting three key roles of Jingu's character --ruler, shaman, and Buddhist-- I show how the Hachiman gudokun presented a version of Empress Jingu's story revitalized by contemporary developments in Buddhist and political thought, paving the way for the powerful martial image of Jingu that emerged during the Meiji Period.
- source : Emily Blythe Simpson -


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Das Hachiman-gudōkun (I) als historische Quelle, insbesondere zu den Invasionen der Mongolen in Japan
Wolfgang Bockhold
- source : google books -


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- quote -
「愚童訓」とは八幡神の神徳を「童蒙にも理解出来るように説いた」の意味である。諸本に書かれた書名によって
『八幡大菩薩愚童訓』及び
『八幡愚童記』などともいい、江戸時代初期に作成されたものの表題に附された訓に基づいて「はちまんぐどうきん」とも呼ばれる。
----- 甲種本
--- 上下二巻。
甲種本は、史上の異敵とその降伏（こうぶく）に関する事蹟が述べられ、上巻においては神功皇后のいわゆる「三韓征伐」、皇后の皇子であり八幡大菩薩とされる応神天皇の事蹟、文永の役における蒙古軍の襲来、対馬・壱岐への侵攻、九州上陸と九州御家人勢との戦闘の状況、箱崎八幡宮（筥崎八幡宮）の焼亡などが記される。
--- 下巻は弘安の役における思円上人・叡尊の修法、蒙古退却の奇瑞などを記述する。
甲種本の特徴としては、文永の役におけるモンゴル・高麗連合軍である蒙古軍の対馬・壱岐侵攻に関する史料となっている点である。また、箱崎八幡による奇瑞や神威の顕現によって度々蒙古軍が撃退されたことが述べられている。さらに、叡尊の祈祷による霊験の成果が強調されており、本書の成立に社寺の祈祷に対する朝廷からの恩賞問題が関わっていた可能性が指摘されている。（群書類従 第一輯 神祇部 巻十三　収録）
----- 乙種本
上下二巻。
乙種本は、八幡大菩薩の霊験・神徳について14章にわたって述べ、阿弥陀信仰との習合を説いた教義書的性格を持つ。
序にはじまり、
垂迹、名号、遷坐、御躰、本地、王位、氏人、慈悲、放生会、受戒、正直、不浄、仏法、後世の十四章からなり、各項目にわたり広大無辺なる八幡大菩薩の神徳霊験が述べられている。（続群書類従 第二輯 神祇部 巻三十） ...
- reference source : wikipedia -


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. Empress Jingu Kogo 神功皇后 .


. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims .


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Yuhidaki waterfall Shizuoka

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. Legends about Fudo お不動さま - 不動明王 .
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yuuhidaki 雄飛滝　 Yuhidaki waterfall
Horigiri, Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture 410-2418

. Waterfalles named "Fudo no Taki" 不動の滝 . 　
- Introduction -

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- quote
The Yuhidaki Waterfall
Yuhidaki is a 30 meter waterfall located in Yamada Town in the northernmost part of Shuzenji Town in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
It flows down in two stages; the upper stage is 20 meter tall and the lower stage is 10 meter tall. The white lines of water flowing down on the columnar joint rock surface, which is typical to this region, are very beautiful.
The statue of Fudo Myoo is enshrined beside the bottom of the waterfall.



Double-flowered cherry trees that come into bloom in late April and hydrangea flowers that line the walking trail down to the basin in June offer wonderful color contrasts to the waterfall. In winter, on the other hand, the dashing flow of water freezes to create beautiful ice pillars. You will feel as if time has stopped when you see the sharp tips of ice plunging from above your head and protruding toward you.
- source : nippon-kichi.jp...

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雄飛の滝 Yuhi no Taki waterfall




Click for more photos !



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. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims .


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Fudo and Kobo Daishi Kukai

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. Legends about Fudo お不動さま - 不動明王 .
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Kobo Daishi Kukai - Legends about Fudo
弘法大師　空海　



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


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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .


.......................................................................... Chiba 千葉県

. Narita Fudo 成田不動尊 .




....................................................................... Kagawa 香川県

. Fudo no Taki 不動の滝　Waterfall .
塩江温泉 Shionoe Hot Spring




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

. Tobi-Fudo 飛び不動 Flying Fudo .
白井市　Shiroi town 下戸沢 Shimotozawa



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

. Narutaki 鳴滝 Narutaki waterfall .
鳴滝庵の大師堂 Narutaki-An, Daishi-Do for Kobo Daishi.




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

. Mejiro Fudo 目白不動 Fudo with white eyes .






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

Kobo Daishi climbed 月山 Mount Gassan and did water ablutions.
Suddenly in the water the figure of Fudo appeared. He hugged it and came to the surface.
He had mizuita 水板 a water plate with the image in his hands.



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

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. - Join Fudo Myo-O on facebook - Fudō Myō-ō .

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. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims .


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- - #fudokukai #kobodaishifudo - -
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Fudo Legends 10 Wakayama

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. Legends about Fudo お不動さま - 不動明王 .
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Fudo Legends 10 - from Wakayama to Yamanashi

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .


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- - - - - Wakayama 和歌山県

日高郡 Hidaka district 龍神村 Ryujin "Dragon Deity"

daija 大蛇 huge serpent
At the waterfall Yumiki no Taki 弓木の滝 / 弓木滝 Fudo Myo-O is venerated.



If people throw impure things into it, like feces of cattle, the mountain will move, the valley will shake and a strong rainstorm will come.
This is the doing of 滝の主 the Lord of the Waterfall, a huge serpent.




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- - - - - Yamagata 山形県

The 赤滝の不動様 Fudo from Akataki "Red Waterfall" has special powers to heal eye disease.
Sometimes he changes into 大蛇 a huge serpent and people who happen to wintess this are cursed. Therefore all are quite afraid of this place.

赤滝 Akataki - 黒滝 Kurotaki - Black Waterfall



. Waterfalls and Fudo Myo-O .

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東置賜郡 Higashi-Okitama district 川西町 Kawanishi

bakemono ばけもの monster
While a monster was grilling mochi 餅 rice cakes, a 鯖売り vendor of mackerels hid in the ceiling and picked them up from there.
The monster thought, 火の神さま the God of Fire or Fudo Myo-O, has eaten them all.
Now the monster wanted to drink some hot Sake rice wine, but the mackerel vender stole the bottle too.
Again the monster thought, 火の神さま the God of Fire or Fudo Myo-O, has drunk it all.

. saba 鯖と伝説 Legends about mackerel, Makrele .

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最上郡 Mogami district 金山町 Kaneyama

. Fudo Ryuma Dragon Horse 不動 龍馬 and the Kappa .

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shishigashira 獅子頭 Lion Head
In the hamlet of 柳原集落 Yanagihara they did not have a lion head mask for the bangaku 番楽 Kagura dance.
Around 1890 the villagers of the hamlet 稲沢集落 Inazawa tried to steal a lion head from Yanagihara, but he died, and the person he gave the lion head to died also.
They gave the lion head to 不動堂 the Fudo Hall, put people visiting the Hall died also.
The Lion Head must be cursed and all were quite afraid to come close to it.
One farmer then carved a dragon statue and they gave the lion head back to Yanagihara.



bangaku 番楽 is the local word in Akita and Yamagata for 山伏神楽 the Kagura dance of the Yamabushi mountain priests.
It has kept many old traditions.

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Fudo Sama no Sugi no Ki 不動様の杉の木
cedar tree of Fudo
Once upon a time someone cut down the sacred cedar tree of Fudo. When Fudo wanted to come down and rest on his tree, he found it gone and was very sad and angry about it.
The man who cut it down and the man who bought the wood both became ill. River Mogamigawa, where the stem was floated down to Sakata, begun to swell and flooded the town.


不動杉 Fudo Sugi Cedar at 小林温泉 Kobayashi Onsen hot spring near Sakata


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南置賜郡 Minami Okitama gun 川西町 Kawanishi

A monster was once roasting mochi rice cakes, when a vendor of mackerels 鯖売りpassed by. He sneaked to the roof and stole them all. The monster thought maybe お不動さま Fudo sama or 火の神 the Deity of Fire had eaten them.
So next he began to make hot sake. The vendor stole them too, but the monster again thought Fudo sama or the deity of fire had drunk it.

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南置賜郡 Minami-Okitama gun 中津川村 Nakatsugawa

At the hut near the charcoal kiln 炭焼き小屋 above the Fudo Hall someone killed a cat and ate it.
He then became seized by the Inari fox 狐.

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西置賜郡 Nishi-Okitama district 小国町 Oguni

不動院 Temple Fudo-In
A younger brother had to move away from the family estate and came here.
At the Fudo Hall he had a vision: "Do you want a hot spring or to you want well water?"
He decided to ask for well water and indeed, a clean well was found right beside his new home.
不動院 Fudo-In
山形県西置賜郡小国町片貝字上の平3-6

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kitsune キツネ fox
A servant went out cutting the weeds in the morning and did not come back.
When asking the oracle at the temple Fudo-In the answer was - he had been possessed by a fox.
They made offerings of ritual rice at the back of the mountain to appease the fox.
And about five days later, the man was found safe at the border of the village.

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酒田市 Sakata

A family did not take good care of 不動尊の掛軸 a hanging scroll of Fudo and suddenly all became ill.
So they gave the scroll to repair and then prayed in front of it every day.
Soon all were healed.

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. Shōnai 山形 - 庄内　- 伝説 Shonai Yamagata Legends .
- - akataki no Fudo sama 赤滝の不動様 Fudo from the Akataki waterfall
- - ryuu no hone 龍の骨 bones of a dragon at 不動堂 the Fudo Hall

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鶴岡市 Tsuruoka

. Ablutions at 月山 Mount Gassan .

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jookadoo no hi 常火堂の火 sacred fire at the Jokado Hall
When Hachiko, the founder of the Haguro temple, made a ritual fire, Fudo Myo-O appeared to him, wielding his sword and dripping his blood on gomagi 護摩木 the ritual wood. The blood became a flame, getting higher and higher.
Other versions say that the founder Hachiko obtained a sacred ball of fire and a ball of water and buried them at 荒澤 Kotaku.



Jookadoo 常火堂 Jokado Hall,
"the Hall of perpetual, sacred fire"
at the temple 荒澤寺 Kotaku-Ji at Mount Haguro, is the place where mountain priest 蜂子 Hachiko, the founder of Haguro, trained himself in mountain asceticism.
The flame has been burning since his time.





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- - - - - Yamaguchi 山口県
萩市 Hagi city 見島 Mishima

monjinsama モンジンサマ Monjin Sama
About 30 years ago, the child of one of 不動講 the Fudo Prayer Groups member became a stomach ache and its belly was swelling rapidly.
At the hospital they had no explanation and no diagnosis for this, but the child got worse and worse.
At the same time the first leader of the Fudo Prayer Group had a vision:
Monjin Sama e iku yoo ni モンジンサマへ行くように Go to Mister Monjin !
When he went to Mister Monjin, there was the same vision, saying
Y．M. の家を訪ねろ Go to the home of Mr. Y.M.
The child of this home was seriously ill, but even exorcistic rited did not help.
They tried to put some water into the mouth of the child, using 紙縒 a string made from twisted paper. Now siddenly the pulse became visible on the arm again.
Mister Y. M. was greatful the gods had helped his child.
He followed the advise of the group leader and made water ablutions for one week. By the end of this time, the child was almost cured.





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- - - - - Yamanashi 山梨県

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富士吉田市 Fuji Yoshida

日本武尊 Yamato Takeru
When 渡辺四郎 Watanabe Shiro was about 19 years old he said on a fine day "We have to cut the mulberries, because it will rain tomorrow."
Nobody believed him, but it happened this way. And a few more times he could see the future.
People soon came to see him and ask o-ukagai オウカガイ his oracle advise from his estate deity, Fudo Myo-O.
The Shinto priest 羽田吉章 Haneda Yoshiaki made an offering of a stone sanctuary for Yamato Takeru and they could have a 石占 stone oracle there.
While Shiro san was away in the war, his wife took over with the stone oracles.

. Prince Yamatotakeru 日本武尊 .

. toigiki 問い聞き / 問聞 / トイギキ oracles .
hotokeoroshi, hotoke oroshi ホトケオロシ / 仏オロシ "calling a Buddha to earth"
kamioroshi, kami oroshi カミオロシ / 神おろし / 神降ろし "calling a Kami to earth"
Rituals for seeking spiritual, religious help through a medium.

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東山梨郡 Higashi-Yamanashi district 三富村 Mitomi

. Gonzaburo Fudo 権三郎不動 .
笛吹川 River Fuefukigawa "River where the flute was played"

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南巨摩郡 Minami-Koma district 身延町 Minobu town

kieta onna 消えた女 a woman disappeared
On the way from 梅ヶ島 Umegashima toward Koyashiro 古谷城 Odani castle there once walked a woman, suddenly shouting in pain and then disappeared.
At this place there is now a small sanctuary for Fudo Myo-O.

. Legends from Mount Minobusan 身延山 .


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都留市 Tsuru

Once there was a huge flooding and and the waterfall changed its course. In the water of the flooded fields something was shining. When the farmers pulled it out, it was a statue of Fudo Myo-O. They built a small sanctuary to pray for it. The sanctuary later burned down but the statue was rescued in time.


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

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. - Join Fudo Myo-O on facebook - Fudō Myō-ō .

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. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims .


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- - #fudolegends #fudowakayama #fudoyamanashi -
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Fudo Legends 09 Shizuoka

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. Legends about Fudo お不動さま - 不動明王 .
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Fudo Legends 09 - from Shizuoka to Toyama

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .


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- - - - - Shizuoka 静岡県

榛原郡 Haibara district 本川根町 Honkawane

kitsune 狐 the fox
Once upon a time
someone went to the village of Senzu 千頭 to by some pacific saury サンマ and was on his way home. When he was near the Fudo Hall, he suddenly became very tired and lay down for a nap. While he was sleeping, someone stole his fish.
People now say he was bewitched by a fox 狐にだまされた.

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At the beginning of the Meiji period there was an epidemy of a feaver disease 熱病 and many young people died.
So the villagers went to the Fudo Hall near the swamp and prayed for help. When they tried to lift the statue at the annual festival, it suddenly felt much lighter.

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浜松市 Hamamatsu

daija 大蛇 The Huge Serpent
Kanzawa, Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka

In the お不動様の池 Fudo Pond at the Fudo Waterfall of the hamlet 新切 there once lived a huge serpent. The creature seemed to have come from the Dainichi Pond 大日様の池 (or 峯神沢) nearby.
A young temple acolyte from the Dainichi Temple came here to fish and lost his fish hook in the pond. But the serpents dislike metal, so the serpent left the pond and soon after the water was also almost gone.

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In the pool of the 黒滝の渕 Kurotaki waterfall, sacred to Fudo Myo-O, it is not allowed to fish for "アノメ anome". If you do so there will be a divine retribution (Fudo no tatari タタリ / 祟り).
People who dare to pee into this pool will also be damned and die soon afterwards.

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松崎町 Matsuzaki

The main festival for Fudo is on the 28th day of the first month and 10th lunar month.
Once a villager took a sacred lot and did not like the result. So he moved the statue of Fudo. But soon he could not move his body any more 金しばり (sleep paralysis).
This was the punishment of Fudo Myo-O 不動尊の罰.

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沼津市 Numazu

yamainu 山犬 Mountain Dog
Ill dogs are not let into mountain villages, and if they enter anyway, Fudo will take the leash of the dog and lead him away. The villagers know well about the dangers of ill animals, especially ill dogs and pray to Fudo Myo-O to protect them from damage.


. 霊犬早太郎伝説 The legend of the spiritual dog Hayataro. .
"The Heroic Dog of Kozenji Temple", where Fudo Myo-O is venerated.




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- - - - - Tochigi 栃木県
日光市 Nikko

tengu 天狗 Tengu
At the waterfall 裏見滝 Urami no Taki in Nikko 下野国日光山四十八滝 there is a statue of Fudo Myo-O behind the waterfall. People who see it are greatly moved.
If an impure person comes to look at it, a Tengu will come down and take his life.



. Matsuo Basho　松尾芭蕉 visiting Urami no Taki .




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- - - - - Tokushima 徳島県
宍喰町 Shiikui

At 落合 Ochiai there was a stone statue of Fudo. When the farmers made a new road, they hit the stone and broke it. The next day the stomach of the stone worker begun to hurt. When he looked closer at the stone, he saw the broken statue, collected the pieces and put it on a safe place to be venerated again.

Once upon a time
when diseases were rampant and difficult to prevent,
people used to pray to Fudo Myo-O
"I will dance for you this year and hope you will keep me healthy in the summer!"
This is said to be the beginning of the Tokushima Awa Odori dance.

. Awaodori Dance 阿波踊り .
This is a special dance that originated in Tokushima (Shikoku) more than 400 years ago.



Narutaki waterfall 鳴滝 in Tokushima town. Nearby is a statue of Fudo Myo-O.
鳴滝庵の大師堂 Narutaki-An, Daishi-Do for Kobo Daishi.
The waterfall has an 85 meter drop and is one of the largest waterfall in Tokushima. It bends and flows over three platforms, and the intensity of the flow is incredible after a hard rain.




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- - - - - Tokyo 東京都

kamisama 神様
Once a child pulled a small bronze statue of Fudo, with a rope from wisteria vine.
A grown-up scolded the child, but he had to suffer bad luck soon after that.

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文京区 Bunkyo

. 小石川伝通院　Koishikawa Denzu-In, Dentsu-in .
Tengu 天狗 and the flying 岱雄 Taio - and more

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神津島 Kozushima, Kōzushima

karakane no hebi 唐金の蛇 bronze snake
At 不動様の池 the Fudo Pond a bronze snake wound around a human skull is venerated.

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目黒区 Meguro

. Meguro Fudo Temple 目黒不動 .

. Ennin -　Jigaku Daishi 慈覚大師 / 慈覺大師 .
(794 – 864)
and Ōtori jinja 大鳥神社 Otori Jinja in Meguro, where Yamato Takeru is venerated as a deity.

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西多摩郡 Nishi-Tama district 桧原村 Hinohara

Obusuna オズスナ様(産土神)
A Shaman can see the various features of this deity.
和田の山の神 Yamanokami from Wada is a snake, at 大沢 Ozawa it is a small snake, another is a huge snake, looking like a pregnant woman.
Basically the main features are that of Fudo.

. obosuna sama オボスナ様 / おぼすな様 Ubusuna deity .
deity for agriculture, especially the rice fields

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渋谷区 Shibuya

. Shoogonji 荘厳寺 Shogon-Ji .
Hatagaya Fudo 　幡ヶ谷不動
藤原秀郷 Fujiwara Hidesato came here to pray for victory against 平将門 Taira no Masakado .

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豊島区 Toyoshima

. Mejiro Fudo 目白不動 Fudo with white eyes .
Kinjoo-In 金乗院 Kinjo-In

豊山新長谷寺 Shinchokokuji (Shin-Hasedera) in Toyoshima has a statue of Fudo Myo-O, made by Kobo Daishi himself.



When Kobo Daishi was in 荷沢河, 大日如来 Dainichi Nyorai appeared to him and then changed into Fudo Myo-O.
The Deity wielded its own sword and cut off its left arm at the ellbow. A lot of smoke and flames came out of this burning wound.
Kobo Daishi made the statue just as he had seen this.




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- - - - - Toyama 富山県

The endoo 煙道 chimney of the traditional kitchen stove o オ is called fudoo フドウ.
It is said that Fudo Myo-O taught the farmers how to construct it.

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中新川郡 Nakaniikawa 上市町 Kamiichi

te no ato 手の跡 traces of a hand
Around 1907, in a family they were 餅焚き grilling mochi rice cakes, when suddenly the shape of a hand appeared on the white.
A priest who had come around for begging told them:
"This is the trace of the hand of Fudo Myo-O, no doubt about it!"
He took three grains of rice from his begging bowl and left. When the family went after him for further information, he was not to be seen . . . he had vanished.
The special Mochi has been venerated in the family ever since.


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

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



. - Join Fudo Myo-O on facebook - Fudō Myō-ō .

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

. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims .


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[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
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Fudo Legends 08 Oita

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. Legends about Fudo お不動さま - 不動明王 .
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Fudo Legends 08 - from Oita to Shiga

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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- - - - - Oita 大分県

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直入郡 Naoiri district

oni 鬼 demon
. Fudo Iwa 不動岩 Fudo Boulder and
the plain of Mount Asosan 阿蘇の盆地 .

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佐伯市 Saiki

namikiri Fudo 波切不動 wave-cutting Fudo
Once there was a bad fishing season in the village and the local Lord had to borrow food for the people. Then he forgot to pay it back.
Anyway, when they next went fishing there was a statue of 波切不動 Namikiri Fudo caught in the nets .




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- - - - - Okayama 岡山県

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真庭郡 Maniwa district

ryuu 龍 Ryu, the Dragon
and the Amako clan 尼子一族
Once there was a beautiful princess called おまる姫 O-Maru Hime at the home of a certain 吉田 Yoshida of the Amako clan. Every night a young man came to her quarters. He never made a sound and that was very strange. So the Lord ordered his retainers to follow the young man. He went to the basin of the Fudo waterfall 不動の滝壷, became a dragon and disappeared in the water.
Oh dear, that was quite a terrible shock and now the father ordered the princess to stay in confinement. But she became terribly love-sick for her young man. So they brought the princess to the waterfall and she jumped in before it could be prevented.
Her mother was so very upset that she called upon her to show her figure just once more.
So the princes, turned into a dragon, came up once again.
Now her family gave up on her and threw a bottle of sake rice wine into the waterfall as an offering.
This was on the first day of the sixth lunar month, so now there is a festival for Fudo Myo-O on this day.

A similar story is also told in 恵庭郡 Eniwa gun 新座村 Shinzamura.

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. benjogami 便所神 / 厠神 Deity of the Toilet .
Benjo no Fudo Son 便所の不動尊

In some villages of Okayama the Deity of the Toilet is called 不動様 "Fudo Sama".
For example in 真庭郡 Maniwa district, 久世町 Kuse and 阿哲郡 Atetsu district 哲西町 Tessei.

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. Misaki Densetsu　岡山県のミサキ伝説 Misaki Legends from Okayama .
about a deity that can bring misfortune or curses.

. 栗原不動寺 Kurihara Fudo-Ji and the Misaki .
岡山県真庭市栗原不動寺和田山 Maniwa, Kurihara, Fudo-Ji, Wadayama




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- - - - - Osaka 大阪府

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泉佐野市 Izumisano

haku-un 白雲 white clouds
The 淡路小聖 saint from Awaji became afraid about his love for the lowly 志津 Shizu and hid in the mountain of 犬鳴山 Inunakiyama. She followed him and came closer, when she almost saw him he was suddenly covered in white clouds and became invisible.
These clouds were formed by the power of Fudo Myo-O.
Shizu walked and walked in the mountain, loosing her wy and finally freezing and starving to death. The villagers later build a temple to appease her soul.
To our day, when clouds gather on the mountain and it begins to rain, villagers call this 志津の涙雨 Rain is the tears of Shizu.
The nearby waterfall is 志津の涙水 Water as the tears of Shizu.
If people take some of this water home and take a sip every day, eventually their wishes will be fulfilled.



Waterfall at the temple 七宝瀧寺, 白雲院 Haku-Un In
. 七宝瀧寺 Shipporyu-Ji .

Nearby is 志津地蔵尊の御堂 a Hall dedicated to Shizu Jizo.
Here Jizo will grant one wish to each visitor.

- - - - -


Kurikara Fudo at Inunaki San

. Inunaki san 犬鳴山 and Kurikara Fudo .

- reference source : inunakisan.jp/about... -


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inu 犬 dog as messenger
Once a hunter was after a deer when his dog begun barking and the deer had a chance to escape.
Angry at the noisy dog, the hunter killed him on the spot.
But then he saw that the dog had been trying to warn him of a huge snake nearby, coming closer.
This good dog had been the messenger of Fudo Myo-O.





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- - - - - Saitama 埼玉県

kitsune 狐 fox
Great-grandfather went to Kawagoe Fudo every month on the 28th day.
One day he got up early, but somehow got lost on the way in the mountain. Then he remembered that this was a path where foxes cross. He took his flint stone and made a small fire to spend the night. Next morning he found he had been walking in circles in the mountain - bewitched by a fox maybe ?!


成田山川越別院（不動尊) Narita-San Kawagoe Betsu-In
9-2 Kubomachi, Kawagoe, Saitama

- quote -
The Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin 本行院 Hongyo-In Temple
"Ofudo-sama"
The Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin Hongyoin Temple is familiar to Kawagoe natives as "Ofudo-sama."
If you pass through the north gate, you will find a small pond with many tortoises on your right. Small children enjoy watching them. This "Ofudo-sama" is the Kawagoe branch of the Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in Narita City, Chiba prefecture. Let's look at the history of this temple.
in Kubo-machi, established in 1853, when Commodore Perry's four black warships came to Japan from America ...
... In 1853, when Commodore Perry's four black warships came to Japan from America, more than ten Kawagoe citizens did their best to obtain permission from Kawagoe's Lord MATSUDAIRA Yamatonokami to restore the Hongyoin Temple. The temple lay in ruins in Kubo-machi but they wanted to restore it as a branch of the Naritasan Shinshoji Temple and transfer the Acala temple to the ruined temple site. In 1873, a new main building was constructed and the next year a special service to inspire the Acala spirit was performed.
There are many branches of the Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, but this Kawagoe Hongyoin was the first branch...



The Large Votive Tablet
On the site of the Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin Hongyoin Temple, there is a large votive tablet describing how the construction of the temple proceeded. We assume that it was offered by the carpenters in 1874. The paint is now discolored but we can still see five woodcutters, sixteen people transporting rectangular pieces of lumber and two carpenters shaving wood with hand axes. When I was a child, there was a long bundle of hair near the tablet. I heard that during the construction of the temple, female believers cut their hair and offered it to the temple as a prayer for completion of the temple building. It seems that a long bundle of hair was very effective as rope in a time when there were no crane trucks. Thinking about those women who cut their hair, I felt a lump in my throat every time I looked up at the bundle of hair.
- source : koedo.or.jp/foreign... -

- - - - - Kawagoe is also famous for its Daruma market.
. Temple Kita-In Kawagoe 喜多院、川越 .

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岩槻市 Iwatsuki 渋江町

. Oonyuudoo 大入道 O-Nyudo Monster .
huge monster with a tonsured head

The 竜門寺の不動 Fudo from Temple Ryumon-Ji disappeared every night, went down to the village and disturbed the people. Eventually a brave samurai cut off his hands.
He is now known as 手なし不動 "Fudo with no arms".
The statue was carved by Ennin -　Jigaku Daishi 慈覚大師 / 慈覺大師



慈覚大師の作といわれ、手なし不動の伝承がある。
- Look at more photos :
- reference source : ukima.info/feature/onarikaido/ryumonji... -

. Ennin -　Jigaku Daishi 慈覚大師 / 慈覺大師 .
(794 – 864)




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- - - - - Shiga 滋賀県

甲賀郡 Koka district 信楽町 Shigaraku

daija 大蛇 huge serpent
Expecting some water damage from rain, people came to the Fudo statue of 多羅尾 Tarao to pray. They saw a huge serpent lying down and not moving, but becoming bigger and bigger as they looked. When they came home, they realized that indeed a huge damage from water occured.


kami kakushi 神隠し kidnapped by the Gods
A man from the members of temple 不動寺 Fudo-Ji left for a pilgrimage to 伊勢 Ise but never came back.
The villagers asked another itinerant Fudo Pilgrim for his advise. He told them to look in the Eastern direction of the shrine, up in the forest.
When they searched the area, banging drums and gongs, they found his coat hanging on a tree.
Another version tells of a man being kidnapped by a Tengu san 天狗さん and hung up in the tree.


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

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



. - Join Fudo Myo-O on facebook - Fudō Myō-ō .

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

. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims .


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Fudo Legends 07 Nagano

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. Legends about Fudo お不動さま - 不動明王 .
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Fudo Legends 07 - from Nagano to Niigata

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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- - - - - Nagano 長野県
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下伊那郡 Shimo-Inagun district 中川村 Nakagawa
上伊那郡 Kami-Inagun

Fudo Son 不動尊
At a place called 経平 Tsunehira there was a small Shrine, but it was lost during a huge mountain slide. After that, every night there was a light to be seen. In March of the year 1681 local farmers begun to dig there and indeed, they found a wooden statue of Fudo Myo-O.




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- - - - - Nara 奈良県

reibutsu 霊仏 "spirit Buddha"
When a spirit Buddha statue begins to sweat, it is usually the indicator of something bad (or good) to happen.


The Fudo statue at 生駒山般若窟 the Hanya Cave on Mount Ikuma is sometimes sweating, and for sure, a disaster will happen.

. asekaki Fudo 汗かき不動 sweating Fudo .

. Ikomasan 生駒山 宝山寺 Hozan-Ji .

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Once there was a priest who worshipped Fudo Myo-O diligently with morning and evening prayers.
But sometimes the statue of Fudo was not there. He thought this was quite strange. Then he had a dream:
The statue goes out to help a nun who did not have proper funeral rituals about 20 years ago.

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生駒市 Ikoma 鬼取町　Onitori

. En no Gyoja 役行者 and Fudo Myo-O .

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西吉野村 Nishi Yoshino village

If someone throws the statue of a Fudo Myo-O into the nearby river pool, it will begin to rain during a drought.

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宇陀郡 Uda district 室生村 Muro

amemochi, ame-mochi 飴餅 "sweets rice cakes"
At the waterfall 不動が滝 Fudo-ga-taki in Muro village there was a tea stall. Once a beautiful lady came to get some ame-mochi 飴餅 "sweets rice cakes". The curious shop-owner asked her where she had come from, but she did not answer. Later he followed her footsteps and found they disappeared in the basin of the waterfall.
Since then, these Mochi became a speciality of the tea stall.



. mochi 餅 rice cakes - Introduction .

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吉野郡 Yoshino 吉野郡 十津川村 Totsugawa village

guchinawa グチナワ (Kuchinawa)
Serpent as messenger of the Gods
As the lord of 不動淵 the Fudo Riverpool there was a Kuchinawa serpent. When a farmer tried to drive it away and threw some toilet dirt into the water, something like a golden bird flew up into the sky.
When the farmer came home, he found seven of his family members, all his cattle and even the cat dead. Since then they venerate a 七人塚 mound for seven people

. shichininzuka 七人塚 mound for seven people - Introduction .
Misaki ミサキ / 御先 / 御前 / 御崎 the Misaki deity




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- - - - - Niigata 新潟県
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上越市 Joetsu

On the top of 不動山 Mount Fudoyama there is a statue of Fudo. In the morning of April 25 the followers climb the mountain to pray and make offerings. At least once in a lifetime followers should climb that mountain.


Mount Fudosan, 1.430 m.

This Fudo will heal diseases of the eyes 目の病に効く.

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十日町市 Tokamachi 松代町 Matsushiro

During the great earthquake in December 1833, the statue of Fudo in the temple 大照院（大正院）Daisho-In rolled out of the temple building. The people inside followed him in a hurry and all went out - just in time before the building collapsed. Fudo had saved them all.

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. Nonomi no Ike 野々見の池 and Ikejiri no Ike 池尻の池 .
池尻不動滝 Ikejiri Fudo Taki Waterfall

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南魚沼郡 Minami-Uonuma district 六日町 Muikamachi

If the menfolk allow women to come up to the Fudo from 八海山の不動 Mount Hakkaisan, let them take off their koshimaki 腰巻 underwear and swing them around, Fudo gets angry and rain will fall.

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中頚城郡　Nakakubiki 吉川町 Yokawa

hebi 蛇 snake
At the pond 岩屋の池 Iwaya no Ike (小海の池 Koume no Ike) there lives a snake.
Monks from 真言僧 the Shingon sect come here,
recite 不動経Fudo Kyo, the Sutra of Fudo and pray for rain.
The monk puts his kechimyaku 血脈 lineage document on a reed pole and throws it into the lake. The snake picks it up, turns it around a few times for approval and then sinks to the bottom.
The carp from this pond are very special and not to be caught.

Kechimyaku (血脈)
is a Japanese term for a lineage chart in Zen Buddhism and some other Japanese schools, documenting the "bloodline" of succession of various masters or listing priests in a particular school.
In Zen the kechimyaku theoretically links a student to all previous generations back to the Buddha himself.
In the Sōtō school of medieval Japan it became commonplace for the kechimyaku to be administered to lay students for such rituals as the jukai ceremony. Traditionally this document is administered at the time of Dharma transmission in Soto Zen, during a shiho ceremony.
In the Jodo Shinshu sect the kechimyaku is meant to demonstrate "spiritual descent," and not a blood heritage.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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中頚城郡　Nakakubiki 青海町 Omimachi, Omi-Machi

ryuujin 竜神 dragon deity
At the 不動滝 Fudo waterfall there is a 竜神 Ryujin Dragon Deity.
If people throw stones into the water, it will begin to rain.

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両津市 Ryotsu town

Hoozoo-In 宝蔵院の不動さん Fudo of Hozo-In Temple
The Fudo statue from Hozo-in tended to stop special hasebune ハセブネ（馳せ船.
A shaman (カミサン（呪術者）kamisan, "man of God" in local dialect) told the fishermen to carry the statue of Fudo to the Waterfall ショー滝 and perform their rituals at this spot.

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佐渡郡 Sado district

ホトケ降ろし / ホトケオロシ hotoke oroshi
To ask for spiritual help and divination, there are many names to incarnate :
アリマさん Maria San、ありがたやさん Arigataya San、ドンドコヤさん Dondokoya San, ミタケさん Mitake San, オンタケさん Ontake San, お滝さん O-Taki san,
「○○町のお不動さん」Fudo San from xxx village and more.

Another way to seek religious help is to consult the
- - - - - hakke, hakka 八卦 the eight trigrams, chinese ba gua and the Chinese I Ging, Yi Jing 易經 / 易经.

- toigiki トイギキ seeking religious help
Once a family had a string of bad luck, so they went to a Fudo temple to ask what was the matter.
They were told that a grave on the way to the mountain was not kept properly and they should hold rituals. This was the grave of a family member that was split as a bunke 分家 branch family. The branch family had moved away to Kanagawa. So the main family gave them a handful of the earth of the ancestors to place in a grave in the new home and indeed the bad luck was stopped.

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佐渡郡 Sado district 佐和田町

toigiki トイギキ seeking religious help
Once an old hag of about 70 years begun to behave strangely and was sent to the doctor but was not healed. Her daughter-in-law then took her to 沢根の不動さん the Fudo San at Sawane.
They learned that a child had fallen and died but its soul was not properly cared for, so the soul still hang around and caused mischief.
So the old hag made a small Statue of 地蔵 Jizo Bosatsu and offered it to 大日さん Dainichi Nyorai san. She then asked the soul to settle down with the Jizo statue and find rest.
Soon the old hag was healed and continued to pray for the soul.

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新発田市 Shibata

. Fudo and tanishi 田螺 mud snails. .


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

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



. - Join Fudo Myo-O on facebook - Fudō Myō-ō .

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

. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims .


[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
- - #fudolegends #fudonagano -
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Fudo Legends 06 Mie

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. Legends about Fudo お不動さま - 不動明王 .
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Fudo Legends 06 - from Mie to Miyazaki

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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- - - - - Mie 三重県
松阪市 Matsuzaka

. oogon no niwatori 黄金の鶏 the golden rooster .




.....................................................................................................................................
. Miyagi prefecture　宮城県　- お不動さま　 .

- - - - - Miyagi - Fudo Legends - - - - -
鬼首村 Onikobe village (Demon Head Village)　
Onikoobe onsen　鬼首温泉　Onikobe Hot Spring
tatsubu 田ツブ Tanishi mud snail
Tanishi Fudo タニシ 不動 - たにし不動 Mud-Snail Fudo
"Wasserschnecken-Fudo"
菅谷不動尊のお不動さま Sugatani Fudo and the Tanishi
- and more


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- - - - - Miyazaki 宮崎県

tsukimono 憑きもの posessed
The priest from the Shrine 生田山愛宕神社 Ikuta Atago Jinja, 長友清市 Nagatomo Seiichi （1869 - 1961) performed rituals to get rid of spiritual possessions.
He used to recite the spell 不動のからすばり Fudo no Karasubari, which made the possessing Yokai afraid and leave the human body. But eventually priest Seiichi became insane himself, left his estate and went to the Shrine, where he fell to the ground. When he came back to his senses, he realized that the possessing spirit had left.


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

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



. - Join Fudo Myo-O on facebook - Fudō Myō-ō .

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

. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims .


[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
- - #fudolegends #fudomie -
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Fudo Legends 05 Kagawa

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. Legends about Fudo お不動さま - 不動明王 .
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Fudo Legends 05 - from Kagawa to Kyoto

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .


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- - - - - Kagawa 香川県

Once a pilgrim went to 伊予山 Mount Iosan and made ablutions in the waterfall, when suddenly Fudo Myo-O appeared.
Fudo let an old hag with a wide mouth, from ear to ear. When she opened her mouth, flames came out of it.

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Kagawa 高松市 Takamatsu 一宮町 Ichinomiya

okudosan おくどさん O-Kudo San - the Honorable Hearth
Once the head of the family did not feel very well and when ホウザンハン a Yamabushi priest came to purify the hearth, he was told that the Hearth Deity was not properly venerated.
When the family had replaced the hearth, they did not call a priest to have rituals for Fudo, but called 宮司さん a Shinto priest. If they had not even called the Shinto priest, all family members might have died.

. kamado 竈 hearth and its deity .

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Kagawa 木田郡 Kita district 三木町 Miki

tanuki 狸，アオニュウド / 青入道
The road from Tsuga to the Fudo sanctuary has a curve called ヒウチカド Hiuchikado.
People get posessed by a Tanuki there.
Once a charcoal maker passed by this 不動さん Fudo San. It was a full-moon night, but here al was pitch-dark. So the man wend down on his knees and grabed the weeds by the roadside to find his way. Eventually he crossed the bridge and suddenly the night was light again. And he heard someone laugh devilishly.
This was the deed of a Tanuki, a kind of Yokai called Ao-Nyudo, the Blue Nyudo monster.

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Kagawa 山本町 Yamamoto

kitsune 狐 fox，tanuki 狸 badger
If people are possessed by a fox or Tanuki, they get abura-age 油揚 fried Tofu or 小豆御飯 rice with soy beans to appease them.
The mountain priest 角田氏 Kakuda attacks them with Sutras. If they do not let go, he uses Fudo no kanashibari 不動のカナシバリ a paralyzing spell of Fudo to get rid of the possession.
If they promise to let go, he reads 般若心経 the Hannya Shingyo Heart Sutra at the end of the ritual.

. Hannya Shingyoo 般若心経 Hanya Shingyo Heart Sutra .

kanashibari 金縛り "bound in metal", sleep demons. temporary feeling of paralysis
- source : japanesemythology.wordpress.com... -

Fudo kanashibari no jutsu:
the art form of making an opponent hesitate by immobilizing any living thing with the power of the mind
- as practised by the Sogobujutsu martial art.

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Kagawa 塩江温泉 Shionoe Hot Spring
香川県高松市塩江町安原上東２７８－２

不動の滝 Fudo no Taki Waterfall - abour 40 meters high
When Kobo Daishi made ablutions at this waterfall, suddenly Fudo Myo-O appeared to him, hence the name.

- reference source : tabicoffret.com/article-

. Waterfalles named "Fudo no Taki" 不動の滝 .



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- - - - - Kagoshima 鹿児島県
曽於郡 Soo district

Hanayadon ハナヤドン Hanaya don
In the hamelt of 上出水 Kami-Izumi in the estate of 徳重義信 Tokushige Ienobu the deity Hanaya Don is venerated beside Fudo Myo-O.
During WWII, the uncle of Ienobu had been in 満州 Manchuria. Ienobu had a dream of the uncle telling him to build a more beautiful sanctuary for Hanaya Don.
So now it is a beautiful small shrine.



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- - - - - Kanagawa 神奈川県

If a traveler passes by 不動明 Fudo Myo, he falls from his horse.
To show his respect, he has to demount from the horse and walk past.

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reibutsu 霊仏 "spirit Buddha"
Once the Fudo statue at Oyama was found to be heavily sweating, then a strong earthquake occurred and many people died.
Some Buddha statues are known to sweat. Once the high priest 智興阿闍梨 Chikyo Ajari was stuck with illness, the Statue of Fudo wept.
These compassionate statues are really to be praised.

. 大山の不動様 Oyama no Fudo Son - 大山寺 .

. asekaki Fudoo 汗かき不動 sweating Fudo .

. naki Fudo 泣き不動 / 泣不動 weeping Fudo .

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Kanagawa 鎌倉市 Kamakura

Enkan shoonin 円観上人 Saint Enkan Shonin（1281 - 1356）
Enkan was called for questioning to the Kamakura government because he was under suspicion of having done improper rituals (choobuku 調伏 Chobuku).
The regent, 北条高時 Hojo Takatoki (1303 - 1333) had a dream: From the slope 東坂本 Higashisakamoto there came a few thousand monkeys to protect the body of the saint.
So Takatoki ordered to postpone the questioning and told his subordinate 佐介時弘 Sasuke Tokihiro to do so.
Tokihiro reported that on this morning, in the room of the saint, he had seen the shade of the figure of Fudo Myo-O.


円観上人 Saint Enkan Shonin / 慧鎮 Echin
（1281 - 1356）
Enkan was born in 1281 in Omi. He became a priest at Enryaku-Ji in 1295 at the age of 15, and received jukai ordination at the precepts-platform of the same temple, when he was granted the name of 伊予房道政 Iyonobo Dosei .
In 1303 he went into retreat and became a Zen priest for a while, but in the following year he returned to Kurodani.
In 1305 he secluded himself for the second time, following　priest 興円 Koen, and together they sought the "revival" of the precepts. Enkan and his followers conducted their "revival" receiving an impetus from the actions of Eizon.
Enkan became a 遁世僧　tonseiso from the Hiei group, and the leader of the　fundraiｓing for Todai-Ji. He carried out important activities such as the "revival" of temple 法勝寺 Hocho-Ji.
Enkan was in charge of the compilation of the original Taiheiki 太平記 records.

- reference : Enkan -

. Chōbuku hō 調伏法 Chobuku rituals .
to ward off evil spirits, enemies, and malicious influences.

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Kanagawa 横浜市 Yokohama

Fudo no kanashibari 不動の金縛り paralyzing spell of Fudo
(see also below, Kagawa 山本町 Yamamoto)
After the war the leaders of 御岳講 the Ontake Mountain prayer group of 大岡 Kami-Oka held a lecture. On their way home in the dark some black soldiers belonging to 占領軍 the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers grabbed the High Leader, strangled him and demanded money to let go. The High Leader begun mumbling the paralyzing spell of Fudo and in no time the black soldiers were paralyzed and unable to move.

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- - - - - Kanagawa and Niigata 新潟県 佐渡郡 Sado

toigiki トイギキ，hotoke oroshi ホトケオロシ / 仏オロシ seeking religious help
Once a family had a string of bad luck, so they went to a Fudo temple to ask what was the matter.
They were told that a grave on the way to the mountain was not kept properly and they should hold rituals. This was the grave of a family member that was split as a bunke 分家 branch family. The branch family had moved away to Kanagawa. So the main family gave them a handful of the earth of the ancestors to place in a grave in the new home and indeed the bad luck was stopped.

12 toigiki トイギキ to explore (one more with Fudo from Niigata)
14 hotokeoroshi ホトケオロシ to explore (2 more with Fudo)



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- - - - - Kochi 高知県
幡多郡 Hata gun 大月町 Otsuki

hebi 蛇 serpent
When the villagers performed a rain ritual at the waterfall of Fudo, there appeared a white snake and a red snake, telling them their wish would be granted.
The snake is an incarnation of Fudo.



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- - - - - Kumamoto 熊本県
人吉市 Hitoyoshi

yakoo ヤコウ fox
A pregnant woman got ill and prayed to Fudo Myo-O, because a shaman had told her to do so. But the illness got worse instead.
When she consulted another shaman, they found out it was a fox causing the illness. This shaman was a specialist in Yako Fox mischief.
Anyway, the woman was healed and the child turned out to be very clever.



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- - - - - Kyoto 京都府

. Abe no Seimei 安倍晴明 and a weeping Fudo - 清浄華院 Shojoke-In .
Fudo and Abe no Seimei at Shinnyodoo 真如堂 Shinnyo-Do

. Shuten Dooji 酒呑童子 Shuten Doji "Sake Child" Demon .

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Kyoto 六条の御息所 / 六条御息所 Rokujo no Miyasudokoro - Lady Rokujō

The vengeful spirit of Lady Rokujo was finally appeased when a priest at 横川 Yokogawa read the Sutra of Fudo (dokushu 不動読誦) many times for her soul.

. Rokujo no Miyasudokoro 六条御息所 .
and the Genji Monogatari

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Kyoto 延暦寺 Enryaku-Ji

Shortly before his death, Fudo told priest Ryuusen 隆暹 Ryusen in a dream that he would soon go to paradise.

. 延暦寺 Enryaku-Ji .
and Saicho, Dengyo Daishi 伝教大師最澄 and Hiei-zan 比叡山 Mount Hiei

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Kyoto 東山区 Higashiyama

Priest and painter Choo Densu 兆殿司 Cho Densu (1352 - 1431)
Kitsuzan Mincho 吉山明兆 Zen Monk Kichizan
The painter Densu painted a Nehanzu 涅槃図 Nirvana scene of the death of Buddha. But it was a painting full of wonders.



When he painted a dragon, the dragon would fly to heaven.
When he painted Fudo Myo-O, his flaming halo would begin to burn in flames.
Once he wanted to paint a dragon and prayed to the deities to show him one. Suddenly the water in the pond of the temple begun to churn and a dragon showed his features.
The colors and pigments for his paintings were from a special source at 稲荷山 Mount Inariyama.


While Densu painted the Nehanzu scene, a cat came along with a brush and pain in its mouth.
So he painted one cat into the scene.

at temple 東福寺 Tofuku-Ji
- reference source : tofukuji.jp... -

. nehanzu　涅槃図 painting of a Nirvana Scene .

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Kyoto 京都清滝不動院 Kiyotaki Fudo-In
24 Sagatoriimoto Ikkahyocho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto

tsuchinoko hebi 槌の子蛇 hammerspwan
The priest of the temple 清滝不動院 Kiyotaki Fudo-In, 青龍住職 priest Seiryu, had frequently chased something like a Tsuchinoko from the temple compound.
Even visitors had seen the creature. They all helped searching, even along the deep slopes, but could not find it.

. tsuchinoko 槌の子 / nozuchi 野槌 Hammerspawn .
a legendary snake-like cryptid.

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Kyoto 京丹波町 Kyotanba (Kyotamba)

kikusui no taki 菊水の瀧 Kikusui Waterfall "Chrysanthemum water"
The precious dew of the chrysanthemum leaves had turned into 甘露 honey dew and a 妙薬 miracle medicine, thanks to the grace of Fudo Myo-O.
If someone can drink this dew mixed in the water of the waterfall, he will live to become 500 years.

There are other waterfalls with this name in Japan.

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Kyoto 相楽郡 Soraku district 南山城村 Minami-Yamashiro

Tokiwa Gozen 常磐御前 Lady Tokiwa
The waterfall where Tokiwa Gozen prayed is now known as
常磐不動の滝 Tokiwa Fudo no Taki.
The statue venerated there is said to have been made by Lady Tokiwa herself.



. Tokiwa Gozen 常磐御前 Lady Tokiwa .
wife of Minamoto no Yoshitomo. (1123 - ?1180) - Mother of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.


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

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. - Join Fudo Myo-O on facebook - Fudō Myō-ō .

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. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims .


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