tawashi scrubbing brush

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tawashi たわし　/ 束子 scrubbing brush, Scheuerbürste, Handschrubber quote The tawashi (たわし or 束子, lit., a bundle) is a Japanese popular scrubbing brush to wash off dirt. The typical tawashi is Kamenoko Tawashi. The Kamenoko Tawashi (亀の子たわし or 亀の子束子, lit., the tawashi like a young turtle) is a kind of tawashi made of fiber of a hemp palm. Because the Kamenoko Tawashi is hard, durable and waterproof, it is suitable for washing kitchen equipment, bathtubs, shoes and so on. It should not be used for delicate items. The Kamenoko Tawashi is a registered trademark of Kamenoko tawashi nishio shoten co.,ltd. (株式会社 亀の子束子西尾商店 Kabushikigaisya Kamenoko tawashi Nishio shōten) in Japan. source :　www.kamenoko-tawashi.co.jp - Other tawashis source : wikipedia ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: - quote Wakayama-made brushes are crafted from eco-friendly natural fibers It may look like just another "tawashi" (scrubbing brush), but the tawashi and brooms manufactured by Takada Kozo Shoten in Wakayama Prefecture boast a soft texture that stands apart from conventional brushes that are coarse in texture. Densely covered in forests, Wakayama Prefecture is often referred to as the land of trees, and its people have skillfully processed the native grown trachycarpus palm trees to craft refined items for everyday use. Takada Kozo Shoten has been making tawashi and brooms made of fiber from trachycarpus bark since 1948. The fiber is also used to make strong rope. The natural-fiber tawashi can cleanly get rid of slight grease stains with just water. But with a little bit of detergent, stains can be removed in a more effective way, the company says. The eco-friendly product is so soft that it can be used as a washcloth. - source : ajw.asahi.com/article - Choi Chae-soo ....................................................................... 高田耕造商店 Takada Kozo Shoten From one shuro tree (shuro シュロ、棕櫚) there are only 8 sheets of bark be harvested every year. And the farmers for these trees, who have to climb up to the top for harvesting, get fewer and fewer. sumikko すみっこ brush for corners, about 10 cm long Look at more of their products - source : takada1948.jp/user_data ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: . . . CLICK here for Photos ! . Reference . ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Another item made from shuro hemp palm are all kinds of brooms. hooki ほうき / 箒 broom shuro hooki 棕櫚 ほうき broom made from shuro palm For a tawashi, the sheets of hemp palm are first dissipated into fibers and then bound together. For a broom they are first rounded up into bundles, fixed with bronze wires into a shape of five or seven bundles, and in the final process dissipated for about half of the length on a special maschine. . hooki 箒 / ほうき Hoki, broom, Besen . hookishi 箒師 making brooms in Edo hookiya 箒屋 vendor of brooms .............................................................................................................................................. shuro hagu 棕櫚剥ぐ (しゅろはぐ) stripping a hemp-palm ... shuro muku 棕櫚むく（しゅろむく）peeling off a hemp-palm Trachycarpus fortunei. Hanfpalme The fibers of the bark were used to make tough cloth or hemp-palm brooms. This tree grows to a hight of about 5 meters in the forest of the warmer parts of Japan. When the bark is peeled off, it will grow back soon. and ーーーー kigo for early summer shuro no hana 棕櫚の花 (しゅろのはな) blossoms of the hemp-palm ..... hana shuro 花棕櫚（はなしゅろ） ..... shuro no hana 椶櫚の花（しゅろのはな） . Forest work in Winter - KIGO . The fibers of the hemp palm 棕櫚 are also used for traditional fly swatters. . Fly-swatter,fly swatter (haetataki 蠅叩き) .

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Kumano and Nachi amulets

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. Kanai anzen 家内安全 "peace at home" .
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Kumano and Nachi amulets -　熊野　那智 From ancient times to the Middle Ages, the faith instilled by the Kumano Sanzan of Hongu, Shingu and Nachi was at a peak and many believers ranging from emperors and nobles to the commoner made their pilgrimages to Kumano. Kumano Kodo (熊野古道) Please start here and come back: . Introducing Kumano and Nachi . yatagarasu ema,　yata-garasu 八咫烏絵馬 votive tablet with a three-legged crow yata no karasu 八咫烏（やたがらす / やたのからす） from Kumano Hongu Taisha 熊野本宮大社 There are also many white flags with the name of this crow. This three-legged crow (raven) was the guide of emperor Jimmu (Jinmu Tenno 神武天皇) when he visited the Kumano region. The crow is the messenger of the deity Kumano Gongen 熊野権現. It leads people of pure heart to luck and prosperity. Now it is on many items in the compound, even on a black letter box 八咫ポスト. . . . CLICK here for Photos ! source :　ikebukuro.areablog.jp a big votive tablet with the crow, black post box and many soccer balls There are also mikuji fortune telling slips, hidden in a small black clay crow. 八咫烏おみくじ . . . . . kachimamori 勝守 amulet to win from Nachi Taisha MORE amulets from Kumano Nachi Taisha source : www.kumanonachitaisha various o-mamori amulets with the crow 八咫烏のお守り . . . CLICK here for Photos ! strap with the crow 八咫烏ストラップ source :　yama on flickr mamoribukuro　守り袋　crow amulet bag with a crow yatagarasu michibiki mamori やたがらす導き守り the way-leading crow amulet on a string or strap . Netsuke omamori 根付お守り amulets on a string . .................................................................................................................................................................. Yatagarasu Daruma 八咫烏だるま .................................................................................................................................................................. source :　kumano.net At the shrine Kumano Hayatama Taisha 熊野速玉大社 the head priest commissioned a large ema in 2004. The crow is made of silver and produces a divine golden shine (mihikari 神光) from its back, enlightening all around it. The crow carries a brand of the sacred shrine tree (nagi no ki 梛の木 / 凪の木) . It is walking on auspicious red clouds, which appear on special situations (zui-un 瑞雲). This votive tablet was offered with the wish for a better life of all mankind. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 神武天皇東征 quote from the Kojiki records, Kamu yamato iwarebiko the first legendary emperor Jinmu 神武天皇. ... left on a campaign to subdue the eastern provinces. Both Kojiki and Nihongi relate the eastern campaign while interspersing martial songs called Kume-uta. Hosted by Usatsuhiko and Usatsuhime, and guided by the kunitsukami Shinetsuhiko, the army passed through the provinces of Tsukushi, Toyo, Aki, and Kibi, finally arriving at Naniwa (near present-day Osaka). The army failed to land there, however, and changed course and proceeded instead to Kumano. During that period, the campaign was successful at subjugating the various tribes met, but in the fight with Tomi no Nagasunebiko (in Kojiki), Jinmu's brother Itsuse no mikoto was killed, and Inahi no mikoto (in Nihongi, Inai no mikoto) and Mikenu no mikoto (in Nihongi, Mikeirinu no mikoto) were buffeted by storms at sea and either drowned or departed to the "everlasting land" (Tokoyo), finally leaving Emperor Jinmu as the sole leader. At Kumano, Jinmu's army was beset by noxious vapors issued by rough kami, and the entire band fell unconscious, but they were saved by the local man Takakuraji 高倉下, who received an oracular dream from Amaterasu and Takemikazuchi. With the sword Futsu no mitama provided by Takemikazuchi, Jinmu defeated the rough kami. When the army lost its way on the road, either Takamimusuhi (Kojiki) or Amaterasu (Nihongi) appeared to Jinmu in a dream, telling him to follow the numinous Yatakarasu crow that would be sent as a guide. Following the crow, Jinmu and his army, led by Michi no omi no mikoto arrived at Yoshino, where they were met by the kunitsukami Ihika (in Nihongi, called Ihikari), Iwaoshiwaku, and the child of Niemotsu. There, Jinmu orchestrated the surrender or defeat of the brothers Ukashi the Elder and Ukashi the Younger, the brothers Shiki the Elder and Shiki the Younger, the leaders Yasotakeru and Nagasunehiko, and the Tsuchigumo peoples. ... source : Mori Mizue, 2005 - Kokugakuin . Jinmu Tenno 神武天皇 and Haiku . :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The crow is the messenger of Susano-O 素盞鳴尊. yata 八咫 means "big, large" The crow is seen as an incarnation of the sun　太陽 (center of the image) The three legs represent Heaven / Earth / Man 天・地・人 Heaven is identical with the deities. source : www.hongutaisha.jp :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: quote Yata-garasu 八咫烏 (eight-span crow) Why the three legs and why the black crow inside a sun disk? The most plausible reasons involve Chinese mythology and Japan’s own creation legends. First, a black 3-legged crow known in China as Sānzúwū 三足烏 (lit. = three-legged bird) appears in Chinese art dated to the Yangsháo 仰韶 period (5000-3000 BC). In Chinese mythology and ancient texts, this bird is intimately related to the sun. According to the Huáinánzi 淮南子 (2nd century BC Chinese text), this bird has three legs because three is the emblem of Yang -- and the supreme essence of Yang is the sun. Second, in Japan, various deities are associated with the 3-legged black crow, including Myōken (the deification of the Pole Star and Big Dipper), Nikkō Bosatsu (Sunlight Bodhisattva), and Emperor Jimmu 神武天皇 (Japan’s legendary first emperor). In Japan’s own creation myths (e.g., Nihon Shoki 日本書紀, submitted to the Japanese imperial court in 720 AD), a giant crow called Yata-garasu 八咫烏 (eight-span crow) appeared to Jimmu, who had landed on the shores of Japan but gotten lost. source : Mark Schumacher ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: This ema leads us to another important amulet of this shrine complex. Go-Oo Hooin 牛王宝印 sacred seal of the ox treasure goou hooin, 牛玉宝印 (くまのごおうほういん） An amulet to ward off evil. It is different at the various shrines in Nachi and Kumano. Kumano Go-Oo fu 熊野牛王符, 熊野牛王神符 熊野山宝印, 那智瀧宝印, 烏牛王 "crow and ox treasure" o karasul san おからすさん "honorable crow" This amulet is quite powerful: If you hang it over the hearth, it will prevent fire. Over the main door of the home, it will prevent evil from entering. Wear it in your pocket, it will prevent you from getting sea-sick, car-sick or sick in an aeroplane. Place it on the bed of an ill person, it will heal the illness. If you give it to a person after exchanging a solemn oath in written on the seal as "sacred paper" (seishi　誓紙), he has to keep the oath or promise (seiyaku 誓約), because it means making an oath in the presence of the gods, and they will punish the person who does not keep it. The samurai of old used it always to make pledges of support. If they broke their pledge and promise, three crows would die in Kumano and the person died, spitting blood. The amulet shows a design called "crow character" 烏文字. For each Chinese character, many crows are placed together to form it. There are also some sacred jewels (hooju 宝珠) in the design. They are combined to represent five characters. The seal is printed on strong washi paper. There is a different design: The design to represent the characters has a various number of crows Hongu has 88 crows 熊野山宝印 "mountain treasure seal" Shingu has 48 crows Nachi has 72 crows 那智瀧宝印 "waterfall treasure seal" Shrine Kumano Hongu 熊野本宮 Shrine Kumano Shingu, Hayatama Taisha 熊野速玉大社 Shrine Nachi Taisha 那智大社 牛王 "ox treasure" can be written as 牛黄 ("yellow of the ox", go-oo) referring to a special medicine prepared from the yellow gall stones, sometimes even the gall bladder of oxen and cows. It was used for weak hearts, stomach infections and kidney infections. go oo en 牛黄円・牛王円 round tablets of ox gall stones go oo kaji 牛黄加持・牛王加持 prayer incantation (for a special purpose), using seals with gall stone powder added to the washi paper mixure for the printed seals (see below) . Sensooji go oo kaji 浅草寺牛王加持 Ritual at Senso-Ji . Go-Oo Kaji-E 牛玉加持会 Prayer Ritual for the Deity of the Ox observance kigo for the New Year . . . . . During the Edo period, when pilgrimages to Kumano became popular, visitors would buy these amulets and bring them home to the family for protection. The wandering nuns from Kumano also walked around Japan, selling them to make a living. The seals were also used in the pleasure quarters, to make pledges between a patron and a courtesan of high rank. Nowadays, the Japan Football Association uses this crow as their symbol. . Wishfulfilling Jewel (nyoi hooju 如意宝珠) . . Imakumano Jinja 新熊野神社 Imakumano Shrine . - Kyoto Established by retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa (後白河天皇) in 1160, by dividing the spirit of the Kumano shrine in Kishu (present day Wakayama) and to bring it here. .................................................................................................................................................................. observance kigo for the New Year Kiyomizu no Go Ou 清水の牛王 (きよみずのごおう) Go-Oo Ox Deity at temple Kiyomizu Kiyomizudera go Oo清水寺牛王（きよみずでらごおう）、 ..... 清水寺牛王杖（きよみずでらごおうづえ） Go-Oo stick at Kiyomizu Temple On the last day of the New Year Rituals (Shuuni-e 修正会) in February, the statue of an 11-headed Kannon is shown to the priests and they walk around it, hitting the floor with sticks from branches of the willow tree, which likes the sun and brings spring to the world. On that day, people buy the amulet of Go-Oo to prevent evil in the coming year and pray for good business. Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto was founded in the early Heian period. The temple dates back to 778, ©　More in the WIKIPEDIA ! .................................................................................................................................................................. The 牛王 is not related to the Ox-headed Deity . Gozu Tennoo 牛頭天王 holy king of the bulls . ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　 . . . CLICK here for Photos of votive tablets! . Reference . source : www.mikumano.net ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　 The Ten Treasures 十種神宝 tokusa no kandakara When Jinmu Tenno passed here on his way to the North-East he offered (put (OKI 置) the four heavenly jewel treasures (tama 玉 ) at this place, hence the name, lit. "Shrine where the Jewels are layed down". Tamaki Jinja 玉置神社 "Tama oki jinja" - Tamaki Jinja . Shrine Tamaki Jinja 玉置神社 . ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　 ドラゴン牛黄カプセル Dragon Go-Oo capsels (made from Australian cows) still awailable to our day as kanpo medicine. . Chinese Medicine (kanpo 漢方薬) . .................................................................................................................................................................. 牛王加持 法多山田遊祭 尊永寺 Go-Oo Kaji ritual during the great festival at Hattasan, Temple Sonei-Ji Shizuoka, January 7 This temple is known for a Kannon Bosatsu to ward off evil. yakuyoke Kannon 厄除け観音 The Hoin Seal from Kumamoto is used during the ritual. Look at more photos from the festival source :　hattasan.hamazo.tv ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　 nagi ningyoo なぎ人形 dolls from sacred nagi wood the sacred shrine tree (nagi no ki 梛の木 / 凪の木) Podocarpus nagi A big tree can grow till 25 meters high and have a circumference of 1.5 meters. nagi is also a pun on the sound, meaning a windless, peaceful day. Relating to this, the amulet is valuable for a peaceful, quiet home and family. The fishermen use it to pray for a quiet trip. We also have the deities the male Izanagi no Mikoto - representing the wind (nagi) the female Izanami no Mikoto - representing the waves (nami) They must be together to create something, in this case the country of Japan. These dolls are made one by one from the fruit of the tree. The priest and shrine maidens paint little eyes and a nose, one by one. The branches of the tree are very strong and to not break easily when you tear on them, so symbolically they have become an amulet for a good relationship (enmusubi). The trees are said to have been planted by Taira no Shigemori 平重盛,k when he visited Hayatama Taisha, and have been here for more than 800 years. Their circumference is about 6 meters here in Kumano. The leaves can ward off evil and many visitors took some as amulets on their way home. 千早振る熊野の宮のなぎの葉を　 実らぬ千代のためしにぞ折る chihayaburu Kumano no miya no nagi no ha o minoranu chiyo no tameshi ni zo oru Waka by Fujiwara no Teika 藤原定家 How hard you may try, a "nagi" leaf at the Devine Kumano Shrine never to be torn off side to side. Doth the bond between a couple last a thousand years? Tr. with help from　facebook friends Chihayaburu, Chihaya furu （ちはやぶる/ちはやふる） means "1000 quick shakes". It refers to the white paper wand (haraigushi) of a Shinto priest, shaken to purify an area and the people before a ceremony. It is a makurakotoba keyword for poetry, representing the diviniy of a place. This leaf of the nagi tree can easily be torn along the lines, but not from one side to the other. It makes "little boys cry" to try and tear it this way. The strength of the leaf is a symbol for the strong bonds between a good couple. The sacred NAGI tree in the compound of Hayatama Taisha source :　jp/pancho/travel . Utamakura, place names used in Poetry . "makura kotoba" 枕詞, 枕言葉, "pillow words" GoOo at the temple Saidaiji, Okayama 牛玉西大寺寶印 / 枝牛玉 . 牛王串 . 牛玉積み source :　ki_warabi .................................................................................................................................................... 新宮の巫女の売りゐる梛の苗 shinguu no miko no uri-iru nagi no nae the shrine maidens at Shingu sell it - seedlings of sacred Nagi Kameda Yasuko 亀田ヤス子 . shinguu and betsuguu, betsugū　別宮 Betsugu separate shrines . ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　 himatsuri ningyoo 火祭り人形 dolls from the Nachi fire festival Nachi no himatsuri 那智の火祭り Fire Festival at Nachi oogi matsuri 扇祭（おうぎまつり) hand fan festival kigo for late summer main festival at Nachi Taisha July 14. Click for more photos ! quote Nachi-no-Hi-Matsuri Nachi-no-Hi-Matsuri, which is one of the three largest fire festivals of Japan, is staged in the Kumano mountains of Wakayama Prefecture, an area registered as a World Heritage Site. 12 vermilion mikoshi (portable shrines), 6 meters tall, decorated with ogi fans and mirrors, are designed in the image of the Nachi-no-Otaki Falls (the Great Waterfall of Nachi) near the shrine. At the Kumano Nachi-taisha Shrine, the waterfall itself is the object of worship and is regarded as a deity. During the festival, you can enjoy viewing the mystical scene of 12 huge 50-kg pine torches waved around so very close to these portable shrines that it appears as if the portable shrines are about to be scorched. The enormous pine torches represent the 12 deities dwelling in Kumano as well as the 12 months of the year. For this festival, the 12 deities "come home" to the main waterfall to celebrate. The portable shrines, which are produced in the image of the sacred falls, are filled with the spirits of the 12 gods, and then purified by the fire of the pine torches; in this manner, vitality is enhanced through these sacred rituals, which is one important objective of this festival. Once the festival starts, people carrying the portable shrines on their shoulders give out loud cries as they run up the steps of the shrine, while people holding the large pine torches dash down the steps to the great applause of the spectators. Then the portable shrines and large pine torches are moved to the falls of Nachi, and here a ritual is performed to pray for the power of the deity of the waterfall to fill the air. Water falls from a height of 133 meters, and looking up at the falls against the background of primeval forests, you will surely sense an air of sacredness. As it becomes very crowded, we recommend that you arrive at the falls early, before the ritual starts so that you can have a good view of the fire festival. source : www.jnto.go.jp ................................................................................. . O-too matsuri 御灯祭, 御燈祭 Torch Fire Festival . in Shingu at the shrine Kamikura Jinja 和歌山県新宮市の神倉神社. February 6. kigo for early spring ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　 Fudaraku Tokai 補陀落渡海 Taking a boat to the Fudaraku paradise of Kannon from the shores of Kumano . yomi 黄泉 "the yellow springs" . :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: . Ooji, Ōji 王子 Oji district, Kita, Tokyo . The area was first called 岸村 Kishimura, "village on the shore". After the sharing of a deity from the 熊野本宮大社 Kumano Hongo Taisha in Wakayama a new Shrine was built for the deity 若一王子 Nyakuichi Oji The Srine was named Oji Jinja and the district named 王子村 Oji mura village. This deity is not a prince, but the special deity 熊野権現 Kumano Gongen. Ooji Jinja, Ōji Jinja 王子神社 Oji Shrine

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Ushioni bull demon

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. Onipedia 日本の鬼 The Demons of Japan .
. ushi 牛と伝説 Legends about ox, bull, cow . . .
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ushi oni, ushioni, gyuuki 牛鬼 "bull-demon" 「うしおに」「うしょうにん」「ぶうやれ」 ox ogre, bull fiend with four octopus tentacles on its back bull-headed demon Gyuki ギュウキ, Goki ゴキ / Kudan 件 クダン Amulet from Ehime buuyare 菊間のぶうやれ Buyare / Puyare puuyare ぷうやれ . Legends about the Red Cow, Red Bull 　赤牛と伝説 aka-ushi, akaushi . and the kuroushi, kuro-ushi 黒牛 the black cow :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　 ushioni うし鬼 is a monster in the pandemonium of Western Japan. It appears on the beach and attacks humans. It spits out a poison to kill a human and then eats it. His head is like a bull, but the rest of his body is like a demon. Others depict it as a head of a demon on the body of a bull. Sometimes the head of a bull is on the body of a huge spider. Sometimes it has the wings of a beetle and can fly away. It lives not only on the beaches of Western Japan and Shikoku, but also in the mountains, forests, along rivers, lakes and swamps. Its history goes back to the Heian period. Ushioni taki 牛鬼滝 Ushioni waterfall ©　More in the Japanese WIKIPEDIA ! In Ehime it is best know in the Urajima region. In Ehime, the demon has the head of a dragon, and sometimes the body of a whale fish. The bull-demon used to attack humans and domestic animals. Then came along a mountain ascetic (yamabushi) and blew his conch. The demon fell on the ground and the ascetic placed his sword on his forehead, cut the body in pieces and the blood of the demon flew down the river for seven days and nights and thus became a river itself. This legend lives in the place name Ushionifuchi (Ushi-oni fuchi) 牛鬼淵 of Kochi, Tokushima, Kagawa and other regions. . . . CLICK here for Photos ! quote There are various kinds of ushi-oni, all of them some sort of monster with a horned, bovine head. Perhaps the most famous ushi-oni appears as a protective symbol in the Ushi-oni-matsuri, which is held in late July in Uwajima of Ehime Prefecture. Something like the dragon dancers at a Chinese New Year celebration, this ushi-oni is represented with a huge, multiple-person costume with a cloth body and a carved, painted head held upon a pole. It has a sword for a tail, and is thought to drive away evil spirits. Another well-known ushi-oni is a massive, brutal sea-monster which lives off the coast of Shimane Prefecture and other places in Western Japan and attacks fishermen. It is often depicted with a spider- or crab-like body. This ushi-oni seems to be connected to another monster called the nure-onna 濡れ女 , who sometimes appears before an ushi-oni attack and tricks the victim into holding her child, which then becomes a stone stuck to the person's hands and grows heavier in order to hinder escape. In Iwami Ginzan (Shimane) the story goes on about a young samurai who held the heavy stone baby. A famous sword in his family suddenly flew into the sky, cut off the head of the demon and cut the body into nine pieces. Yet another ushi-oni is depicted as a statue on the grounds of the Negoroji temple in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture. It is a bipedal monster with huge tusks, spurred wrists, and membranes like a flying squirrel. A sign nearby explains that this creature terrorized the area about four-hundred years ago, and was slain by a skilled archer by the name of Yamada Kurando Takakiyo (山田蔵人高清). He dedicated its horns to the temple, and they can still be seen to this day. Ushi-oni are also mentioned in Sei Shōnagon's tenth-century diary The Pillow Book, and in the Taiheiki of the fourteenth century. ©　More in the WIKIPEDIA ! Some researchers say the real origin of this monster is a root of a camellia tree (tsubaki no ne). This tree is sacred in many parts of Japan. Ushi-Oni is in fact a local deity turned demon. Camellia trees grow in many parts along the beaches and peninsulars, being brought there by the waves of the sea. Camellia flowers blossom at the border to the other world. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Ehime　愛媛県, Shikoku Uwajima town 宇和島　 Uwajima is famous for its Japanese-style bull fights, where two bulls wrestle with each other. The looser is the animal which touches the ground with its knees first or runs away out of the ring. Warei taisai 和霊大祭 Great Festival at Warei Shrine During this Bull-Demon Festival, these huge figures are used in the parade through the street. They are made with the wish to avoid evil and bad influences. During the festival, the Ushioni, figures made from bamboo covered with red and blue robes, are carried through the streets by many people. The festival is around July 22 to 24. . oni matsuri 鬼祭り Oni Demon Festivals . ....................................................................... Kikuma no Kigobei 菊間の喜左衛門 and the tanuki legends of Wastern Iyo town Kigobei Tanuki 喜左衛門狸 Kojooro Tanuki 小女郎狸 source : Legends from Shikoku Kikuma is part of Imabari town 今治市菊間町. At the shrine Kamo Jinja 加茂神社 there is the body of an Ushi-Oni with nine bodies, covered by a black cloth. . . . . . 牛鬼の面（かぶ） Mask of an Ushi-Oni for the festival in Uwajima. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Kochi Prefecture 高知県 Shikoku Oka no uchi village 岡内村 now part of Kami town 香美市 In the year 1766 a man passed the river Mine no Kawa 峯ノ川 and saw an Ushi-oni. Other villages tell about this monster, coming at night and eating their livestock. A samurai called Chikamori Sakon 近森左近 took his bow and arrow and shot the monster. The villagers were very greatful and tell his story to our day, making gestures of shooting an arrow. Some say this is the origin of the Momote Matsuri 百手祭 Festival of 100 hands (shooting arrows). In Monobeson village 物部村 there is the legend of an Ushi-Oni who fell into a deep hole and could not get out by itself. An old woman of the village heared him crying and shouting and helped him to get out. From that day on, the monster did not do any more harm to the village. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Mie Prefecture 三重県 The legend of Gokasho-Ura 五ヶ所浦 at Kirima no tani 切間の谷 Kirima valley The Ushi-Oni is quite a curse, especially in Southern Ise town, where he is said to live in a cave. The famous archer Aisu Shigeaki 愛洲重明 tried to shoot the monster, but instead his own wife became ill. He tried to avoid her company and became friends with a vagrant singer from Kyoto. This brought a fight with his father-in-law of the Kitabatake family, and finally the family of Aisu became extinct. source : www.bunka.pref.mie . . . . . The Legend of Kigobei in Miyamura Village 宮川村 の喜五兵衛 Once upon a time, there lived a famous hunter in Miyamura. Near the village was a waterfall along the deep water pool called "Ushionibuchi". But it was haunted place, this waterfall. Forest workers had build a small hut nearby. Sometimes they heard a strange sound ... zabuuunnn ... and observed some huge something fly off from the pool. One day they looked more closely and saw a monster with the head of a demon and the body of a bull come out of the water and full of fear they run away. They were afraid to work there any more and asked the hunter Kigobei to kill the demon. When the demon appeared, he fired his gun and hit it three, four times but whow ... the monster was not affected in the least and just flew away and disappeared. Kigobei stayed in the hut for a few days until the monsters appeared again. He made a bullet with a prayer to Amida Buddha and shot it into the pool And whow ... the pool turned all red with blood. And the demons were not seen any more in this region. There is another legend in the region too about Kigobei. He shot the demons again and even hit a dragon with his special bullet. The river ran red with blood after he shot it. Kigobei sat at the riverbank and breathed with relief. Then a white deer appeared and spoke to him: "I am the messenger of the local deity. You should not kill anymore things around here. Put your gun away in peace now.!" spoke these words and vanished. Kigobei gave up his hunting business at once, but he became solitary and lonely and died soon afterwards. The villagers built him a nice grave and cared for the grave and the gravestone. One day a huge wolf appeared and brought the gravestone to fall down. The villagers mumbled amongst themselves: "Kigobei was such a famous hunter, but now the animals do not fear him any more, what a shame!" and they left his grave. A few days later when they came back, they found a dead wolf at the side of the gravestone. The villagers mubled amongst themselves: "Kigobei was indeed a famous hunter. Even now his soul is amongst us here!" And they kept talking about him until our day now. source : www.bunka.pref.mie ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: shigeo manga ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Okayama Prefecture 和岡山県 Ushimado Village 牛窓町 (lit. Ox-window) When Empress-consort Jingu Kogo (?169 - 269) passed here on her war path with Korea, she killed a monster called Jinrin Ki 塵輪鬼 which had eight heads of an oxen, with her arrow. The monster divided itself into three parts, head, body and tail and the three parts became three islands off Ushimada, called Yellow Island, Front Island and Green Island 黄島、前島、青島. On her way back from Korea, Jingo Kogo was attacked by the monster again, because it could not find peace in Buddha yet. But the deity Sumiyoshi Myojin 住吉明神 grabbed the horns of the monster and threw it far away into the sea. And whow and behold, the three islands suddenly changed and became Black Island, Small Middle Island and Small Island at the Edge 黒島、中ノ小島、端ノ小島. The local name of USHIMADO is a local dialect of the meaning "changing of the ox" (ushi marobi 牛転（うしまろび） ＞ Ushimado. Festival Poster 2011 The annual Ushioni Festival 牛鬼まつり is in July. . Jingu Kogo 神功皇后 and Japanese Dolls . - - - - - ....................................................................... Koshihata village 美作苫田郡越畑 At Mount Ohirayama 大平山 (Oohirayama) there is a legend about Gyuuki 牛鬼（ぎゅうき). In the year 1645, Kane, a girl from the village had a relationship with a local officer and bore a baby boy. This boy had long tusks, a tail and horns on his head and looked like Ushi-oni. Her parents became ashamed and angry and killed it, driving iron bars throuhg its body. Yanagida Kunio believes these kinds of monsterlegends are about the Deity protecting metal mines in the mountains of Japan. ....................................................................... 八束 Yatsuka 中和村 Chukason village kudan 件 In the year 1963 they found records in Yatsuka village. A Kudan was born and predicted that next year in June a great war would break out. Others say it was born in 川上村 Kawakami village or in Chukason village and had predicted a good harvest and the outbreak of hayariyamai 流行病 an epidemic. - quote - The kudan (件, literally "matter", more creatively translated as "human-faced bovine") is a yōkai which became widely known throughout Japan during the first half of the 19th century. The kanji for kudan is composed of two characters: hito (人, "human"), and ushi (牛, "cow" or "bull"). ... Appearance Traditionally, the kudan is depicted as having the head of a human and the body of a bovine. Subsequent depictions have occasionally switched these elements and placed the head of a bovine onto the body of a human similar to a Minotaur. Ushi-onna ... - - - More in the WIKIPEDIA ! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Shimane 島根県 . ushioni 牛鬼 "bull demon" and nure-onna 濡女 "wet woman" . :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　 Wakayama Prefecture 和歌山県 Ushoonin うしょーにん in local dialect. Nishimuro gun village 西牟婁郡 in Southern Wakayama also in Higashimuro When the water in the inlay of Esumi 江住 became muddy, the villagers knew that the Ushioni was up to no good. Whoever met this monster fell ill soon afterwards. It was a time when "stoned can float, leaves sink to the bottom of the river, oxen start neighing and horses howl". This monster howls every month on the night of the 23rd day. Some say this monster had the body of a cat, with a tail of more than 3.3 meters. Its body was light and it did not make any sound when walking in the woods. It shows up in the valley of Mino-O 箕尾谷 and in Oto village 大塔村 (Ootoo mura) . At night the bull-demon goes to the cow sheds and flirts with the cows. In Koza village 古座町 (Nishimuro) lived a female monster in the waterfall pool. She heared the flute of a hunter and came close to listen. But the hunter saw her real features in the water and shot her dead. But soon the curse got him, he became mad and died soon after. In Susami village すさみ町 in the Valley of Hirose 広瀬谷 at the waterfall Koto no Taki 琴の滝 the monster licks the shadows of people. It liked also to drink sake. Almost the same story is told here: In Kamitogawa village 上戸川 there was a waterfall pool where the Ushi-oni lived. If the shadow of a person in the water was licked up by the demon, this person would get a high fever and even die within a few days. To appease the demon, every year on the New Year, villagers brought offerings of sake to the waterfall. Along the river Mio no kawa (Miogawa) 三尾川, the Ushi-oni could change his form to look like a human being and even help people in distress. One day a hungry lady monster sat at the riverside. A young man of the village, Ueda Matanosuke 上田又之助, shared his lunch with her. She was in fact the monster of the river. Two months later, when the youngster was almost swept away during the flooding of the river, the monster helped him again and saved his life. After that, she could not go on living any more, and the river became all red with the blood of the monster and then it was not seen again any more. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　 Yamaguchi Prefecture 山口県 Hikarishi town 光市 There is an island Ushijima 牛島 with legends relating to the Ushi-Oni monster. ushioni clay doll from Ushijima source :　kamishibai There lived an Ushi-Oni monster on the island in the village of Miwa 三輪村, but there came two Samurai brothers and killed the monster with their bow and arrows. . . . . . oni-ushi yo an island full of bullheads :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::　 . Ushi-Oni, the Bull Demon, 「牛鬼像」at Negoro Temple Negoro 根来寺, Shikoku　四国 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: . . . CLICK here for Photos ! . Reference . ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: H A I K U Natsui Itsuki sensei 夏井いつき o dekake haiku-ing おでかけ俳句ｉｎｇ going out to write a haiku, in 2009 at the store Yoshio Mingei Ten よしを民芸店 Papermachee dolls of the Head of Ushi-Oni Ne Ushi-Oni ね牛鬼 "Hello, Ushi-oni" source : 100nenhaiku.marukobo.com

- reference : Nichibun Yokai Database - 牛鬼 -
50 legends to explore

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. Onipedia 日本の鬼 The Demons of Japan .

. Oni 鬼　Demon Amulets .

. - yookai, yōkai 妖怪 Yokai monsters - Introduction .


. Regional Folk Toys from Japan .


. Tohoku after the BIG earthquake March 11, 2011

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