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Rashōmon No Oni
Rashōmon no oni (羅城門の鬼 or 羅生門の鬼) is an oni said to have nested at the front gate of Heian-kyō, Rashōmon. It appears in the Heian period yōkyoku, ''Rashōmon'' among other works. 村上健司編著 『妖怪事典』 毎日新聞社、2000年、363-364頁。。 Concept After Minamoto no Yorimitsu slew Shuten-dōji, as he was holding a banquet in his own residence with the Yorimitsu Shitennō and Hirai Yasumasa, Hirai (or one of the Shitennō, Urabe no Suetake) mentioned that there was an oni at Rashōmon. One of the Shitennō, Watanabe no Tsuna, said there was no logical basis for an oni to dwell on royal grounds, so in order to go check, he armed himself with armor, a helmet, and his ancestral tachi and rode out on a horse all by himself to Rashōmon without any accompany followers.笹間良彦 『絵で見て不思議! 鬼ともののけの文化史』 遊子館、2005年、28-29頁。。 Upon coming to the main road Kujō-doori with the front side of Ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shitennō (Minamoto Clan)
Shitennō (:ja:四天王, 四天王), a Japanese term normally referring to the Buddhism in Japan, Buddhist Four Heavenly Kings, is also applied to particularly famous or loyal retainers, in groups of four, to certain of Japan's most famous legendary and historical figures. The following four are referred to in legend as the ''Shitennō'' of Minamoto no Yorimitsu (also known as Raikō) (948–1021): * Sakata no Kintoki – known as Kaidomaru in his past. Kintoki originated from the House of Vermilion Bird, Suzaku. * Urabe no Suetake – Originated from the House of Seiryuu, Seiryū * Usui Sadamitsu – Originated from the House of Black Tortoise, Genbu. * Watanabe no Tsuna – Originated from the House of Byakko. Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159–1189) was accompanied by the following four, his so-called ''Shitennō'', who are featured in the kabuki play ''Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura'' and other works: * Suruga Jirō Kiyoshige (:ja:駿河次郎, 駿河次郎清重) * Kamei Rokurō Shige ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Legendary Creatures From Japan
The following is a list of Akuma (demons), Yūrei (ghosts), Yōkai (spirits), Kami and other legendary creatures that are notable in Japanese folklore and mythology. A B C D E F G H I J K A Kesaran Pasaran ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ibaraki-dōji
Ibaraki-dōji (茨木童子 or 茨城童子 "Ibaraki child") is an oni (demon or ogre) featured in tales of the Heian period. In the tales, Ibaraki-dōji is based on Ōeyama (mountain), Mount Ōe, and once went on a rampage in Kyoto. The "Ibaraki" in his name may refer to Ibaraki, Osaka; "dōji" means "child", but in this context is a demon offspring. Ibaraki-dōji was the most important servant of Shuten-dōji. As for the birthplace, there are theories that it may be Settsu Province (Mio, Ibaraki, Osaka, and Tomatsu, Amagasaki, Hyōgo) or Echigo Province (Niigata, formerly Tochio, now a settlement in Karuizawa, Nagano). Ibaraki-dōji had teeth since birth, and was feared for being a giant. After they became an oni, they met Shuten-dōji and became his subordinate, and together they aimed for the capital. Their gender is ambiguous, in some stories Ibaraki is a Kijo (folklore), kijo (female oni), and in others a male. The female version is theorized to be Shuten-dōji’s lover, son ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Tale Of The Heike
is an epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). It has been translated into English at least five times. The first translation was by Arthur Lindsay Sadler, in 1918–1921. A complete translation in nearly 800 pages by Hiroshi Kitagawa & Bruce T. Tsuchida was published in 1975. It was also translated by Helen McCullough in 1988. An abridged translation by Burton Watson was published in 2006. In 2012, Royall Tyler completed his translation, which, he says, seeks to be mindful of the performance style for which the work was originally intended. Historical novelist Eiji Yoshikawa published a prose rendering in the '' Asahi Weekly'' in 1950, under the title ' (''Shin Heike Monogatari''). Background Title Heike () refers to the Taira (), ''hei'' being the ''on'yomi'' reading of the first ''kanji'' and "ke" () meaning "family". However, in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Watanabe No Tsuna
(953–1025) was a Japanese samurai of the Heian period and a companion in arms of Minamoto no Yorimitsu (also known as Raikō), one of the earliest samurai to be famed for his military exploits in a number of tales and legends. Watanabe no Tsuna was the first person to take the surname Watanabe, and Watanabe is the fifth most common surname in Japan, with approximately 1.08 million people as of 2017. Because Watanabe no Tsuna is believed to be a hero associated with the legend that he vanquished ''oni'' historically considered to be the strongest, such as Shuten-doji and Ibaraki-doji, there is a tradition that ''oni'' stay away from people named Watanabe and their houses. For this reason, some families with the surname Watanabe have not practiced the custom of throwing beans on ''Setsubun'' for generations. Origin Watanabe no Tsuna was a samurai of the Saga Genji branch of the Minamoto clan, and his official name was Minamoto no Tsuna. He was the son of Minamoto no Atsuru ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Urabe No Suetake
was a samurai of the Heian period (794 – 1185) in the service of Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948 – 1021), a regent of the Fujiwara clan. Suetake was formally known as , and also appears in literature as and . Suetake assisted Yorimitsu throughout his life, being referred to as one of ''Shitennō (samurai), Shitennō'', or "Four Guardian Kings" of Yorimitsu. Suetake originated from the House of Seiryū (Blue Dragon). In addition to Suetake, the other ''Shitennō'' of Yorimitsu were Usui Sadamitsu, Kintarō, and Watanabe no Tsuna. His ancestor is Sakanoue no Tamuramaro which he inherited his bow. Suetake is the subject of a tale in the Konjaku Monogatarishū, a collection of folk legends compiled in the late Heian period. The Japanese tale in which Suetake appears is known as Ōeyama. He died in 1022 at the age of 73. On a dark night, Taira no Suetake was crossing a river on horseback when he came across a Ubume holding a child in the middle of the river, who handed him ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shuten-dōji
Shuten-dōji (, also sometimes called , or ) is a mythical ''oni'' or demon leader of Japan, who according to legend was killed by the hero Minamoto no Yorimitsu, Minamoto no Raikō. Although decapitated, the demon's detached head still took a bite at the hero, who avoided death by wearing multiple helmets stacked on his head. Shuten-dōji had his lair at Ōeyama (mountain range), Mount Ōe () northwest of the city of Kyoto, or Mount Ibuki, depending on the version. It has also been theorized that the original mountain was Ōeyama (mountain), Mount Ōe () on the western edge of the city of Kyoto. Texts The oldest surviving text of the legend is recorded in the 14th century ''Ōeyama Ekotoba'' (大江山絵詞 "Tale of Mount Ōe in Pictures and Words"), a picture scroll held by the Itsuō Art Museum. It was later incorporated into the corpus of ''Otogi-zōshi'' ("Companion tales"), and became widely read in the woodblock-printed versions of them called the ''Otogi Bunko'' (Compa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heian-kyō
Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180. Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, moving the Imperial Court there from nearby Nagaoka-kyō at the recommendation of his advisor Wake no Kiyomaro and marking the beginning of the Heian period of Japanese history. According to modern scholarship, the city is thought to have been modelled after the urban planning for the Tang dynasty Chinese capital of Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an). It remained the chief political center until 1185, when the samurai Minamoto clan defeated the Taira clan in the Genpei War, moving administration of national affairs to Kamakura and establishing the Kamakura shogunate. Though political power would be wielded by the samurai class over the course of three different shogunates, Heian-kyō remained the site of the Imperial Court and seat of Imperi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minamoto No Yorimitsu
, also known as Minamoto no Raikō, was a Japanese samurai of the Heian period, who served the regents of the Fujiwara clan along with his brother Yorinobu, taking the violent measures the Fujiwara were themselves unable to take. He is one of the earliest Minamoto of historical note for his military exploits, and is known for quelling the bandits of Ōeyama. His loyal service earned him the governorships of Izu Province, Kozuke and a number of others in turn, as well as a number of other high government positions. Yorimitsu served as commander of a regiment of the Imperial Guard, and as a secretary in the Ministry of War. When his father Minamoto no Mitsunaka died, he inherited Settsu Province. Yorimitsu is usually accompanied by his four legendary retainers, known as the Shitennō (The Four Heavenly Kings). They were Watanabe no Tsuna, Sakata no Kintoki, Urabe no Suetake, and Usui Sadamitsu. Legends Yorimitsu is featured in a number of legends and tales, including the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
毎日新聞社
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English-language news website called , and publishes a bilingual news magazine, ''Mainichi Weekly''. It also publishes paperbacks, books and other magazines, including a weekly news magazine, ''Sunday Mainichi''. It is one of the four national newspapers in Japan; the other three are ''The Asahi Shimbun'', the ''Yomiuri Shimbun'' and the ''Nihon Keizai Shimbun''. The ''Sankei Shimbun'' and the ''Chunichi Shimbun'' are not currently in the position of a national newspaper despite a large circulation for both. History The history of the ''Mainichi Shimbun'' began with the founding of two papers during the Meiji period. The ''Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun'' was founded first, in 1872. The ''Mainichi'' claims that it is the oldest existing Japanese daily newspaper with its 136-year history. The Osaka ''Ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
