Hear about Hidari Jingorō on Episode 33 of our Podcast, the Japan Archives.

• Period: Azuchi-Momoyama Period, Edo Period
• Occupation: Sculptor
• Family:
• Birth: c.1548
• Death: c.1634

Hidari Jingorō

Hidari Jingorō (左 甚五郎) is said to have lived from c.1584-1634,¹ and whose real name was Itami Toshikatsu.¹²

Born in Akashi (now Hyogo Prefecture) he was discipled to a master carpenter of the Imperial Court.²

Said to have been left handed (hence the name ‘hidari‘)¹ he is said to have worked on several different projects in his lifetime.

He assisted in the reconstruction of Negoroji in Kii Province,² as well as constructing the bell tower of Hōkō-ji.¹² Hidari also worked in Nishi Hongan-ji and Chion-in in Kyoto where he constructed the uguisu-bari (singing floors).¹

Later he moved to Edo and married a daughter of the Tokugawa families master carpenter.² It was here he worked on projects such as the carving of the nemuri-neko in Tōshō-gu in Nikkō. His familiy continues to sculpt to this day.¹

Footnotes

1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.
2. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

	Check out the Japan Archives, our Japanese History Podcast. Instagram (Japan): @japan_archives
	Check out our Gaming Channel on Youtube. Instagram (Minecraft): @mycenria
	Find the website useful? Please consider donating to help up keep the website running.

The post Hidari Jingorō appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.

Kejōrō

Kejōrō (毛倡妓 – Dangling hair) is a type of Yōkai depicted in the Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki by Toriyama Sekien.

She is depicted as a women hiding her face with her hair all the way down passed her chin.

Sekien’s depiciton here is set in the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters of Edo where women were traditionally here displayed behind wooden latices. The position and width of these lattices depended on the wealth of house.¹

External Links

• View the Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki online here: Konjaku Online.

Footnotes

1. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.

	Check out the Japan Archives, our Japanese History Podcast. Instagram (Japan): @japan_archives
	Check out our Gaming Channel on Youtube. Instagram (Minecraft): @mycenria
	Find the website useful? Please consider donating to help up keep the website running.

The post Kejōrō appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.

Aoyama Tessan was a man who has connections to the story of Banchō Sarayashiki, his role is slightly different depending on the version of the folktale.

In the Harima Province version, he is a Samurai who serves the lord of the Province. Aoyama wants to be ruler instead and so plots to poison him using his servant Okiku. The posioning is discovered, and eventually Okiku is killed. She then returns as a ghost, and the Lord learning of this ghost makes Aoyama commit ritual suicide.

In the Edo Version he is the Lord, and has a mansion in Edo. He cuts off the middle finger of Okiku for breaking a priceless plate (one of ten), and has her thrown in a dungeon. She escapes and throws herself down a well. Her ghost then haunts the well, meaning Aoyama is forced to bring a priest to exorcise her. It is also said that later in his life, his first child was born with her middle finger missing.¹

Footnotes

1. Yoda, H & Alt, M. (2012) “Yurei Attack: The Japanese Ghost Survival Guide” Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing.

	Check out the Japan Archives, our Japanese History Podcast. Instagram (Japan): @japan_archives
	Check out our Gaming Channel on Youtube. Instagram (Minecraft): @mycenria
	Find the website useful? Please consider donating to help up keep the website running.

The post Aoyama Tessan appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.

Hear about the Banchō Sarayashiki on Episode 26 of our Podcast, the Japan Archives.

Banchō Sarayashiki

Banchō Sarayashiki (番町皿屋敷, The Dish Mansion at Banchō) is a Japanese Folktale from 1741 involving the woman known as Okiku. There are various versions to this tale.

Harima Province Version

Okiku was from Harima Province, working as a maid servant for the Samurai Aoyama Tessan. Tessan wanted to rule the province and plotted to poison the Lord using Okiku. However, word got out and so the plan was abandoned. The Lord sent a man called Danshiro to find out who had planned this assassination, and he discovered Okiku was to blame.

Danshiro said he would not tell anyone and cover up her act if she became his lover, as he has always held strong emotions for her. However, she refuses him.

Angry at being rejected, he frames Okiku by hiding one of set of ten plates, these being priceless heirlooms. He publicly blames her and so deals with her ‘crime’ by killing her and throwing her down a well.

Her ghost returned after that, counting every night from the well. Reaching nine she would begin again, as their was no tenth plate to count. Eventually the news reached the Lord of the area, who made Tessan commit ritual suicide and dissolved his families assets.

Edo Verion

The tale which is set in Edo varies from the Harima version. There was a mansion owned by Lord Aoyama, who represented Harima Province. He comes to his house in Edo with ten heirloom plates, specifically Delftware from the Netherlands. Okiku was clumsy and accidently dropped one. Aoyama furious, cuts off her middle finger and locks her in the mansions dungeon.

She manages to escape and then throws herself to her death down a well. Again night after night, voices come from the well counting to nine and starting again. Lord Aoyama realises this is not normal and calls an abbot from a nearby temple.

The abbot unable to get the ghost to leave, in frustration one day just shouts ten, and so Okiku’s ghost says ‘finally!’ and leaves.¹

Footnotes

1. Yoda, H & Alt, M. (2012) “Yurei Attack: The Japanese Ghost Survival Guide” Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing.

	Check out the Japan Archives, our Japanese History Podcast. Instagram (Japan): @japan_archives
	Check out our Gaming Channel on Youtube. Instagram (Minecraft): @mycenria
	Find the website useful? Please consider donating to help up keep the website running.

The post Banchō Sarayashiki appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.

Hear about Okiku in Episode 26 of our Podcast, the Japan Archives.

Okiku

Okiku (お菊)is a well known ghost in Japan. Known from the 1741 folktale by the name of Banchō Sarayashiki, she falls into the category of an Onryō (vengeful ghost)

Harima Province Version

Okiku was from Harima Province, working as a maid servant for the Samurai Aoyama Tessan. Tessan wanted to rule the province and plotted to poison the Lord using Okiku. However, word got out and so the plan was abandoned. The Lord sent a man called Danshiro to find out who had planned this assassination, and he discovered Okiku was to blame.

Danshiro said he would not tell anyone and cover up her act if she became his lover, as he has always held strong emotions for her. However, she refuses him.

Angry at being rejected, he frames Okiku by hiding one of set of ten plates, these being priceless heirlooms. He publicly blames her and so deals with her ‘crime’ by killing her and throwing her down a well.

Her ghost returned after that, counting every night from the well. Reaching nine she would begin again, as their was no tenth plate to count. Eventually the news reached the Lord of the area, who made Tessan commit ritual suicide and dissolved his families assets.¹

Another source about this tale (though the authors of the book are the same; see footnotes below) states that this tale is set in Himeji Castle. Okiku rejects the advances of the high-ranking Samurai who then retalitates by hiding a pricelss plate. He then blames Okiku for losing it, and says he will forgive her if she becomes his. Again she rejects him and so he kills her and throws her down a well, leading to her ghost to return.²

Edo Verion

The tale which is set in Edo varies from the Harima version. There was a mansion owned by Lord Aoyama, who represented Harima Province. He comes to his house in Edo with ten heirloom plates, specifically Delftware from the Netherlands. Okiku was clumsy and accidently dropped one. Aoyama furious, cuts off her middle finger and locks her in the mansions dungeon.

She manages to escape and then throws herself to her death down a well. Again night after night, voices come from the well counting to nine and starting again. Lord Aoyama realises this is not normal and calls an abbot from a nearby temple.

The abbot unable to get the ghost to leave, in frustration one day just shouts ten, and so Okiku’s ghost says ‘finally!’ and leaves.

Okiku’s Plates

The temple of Chokyu-ji in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture say they have in their possession a set of plates owned by Okiku. It is said her mother gave them to temple so priests could give her a kuyo (funeral rite) to release her daughter’s connection to the plates. They still have six of them to this day.¹

Depictions

Portrayed by several artists, Okiku was also depicted by Toriyama Sekien in his Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki. In this he refers to Okiku as Sarakazoe (皿数え – Plate Counter).²

Okiku Bugs

In 1795 there was a large swarm of insects known as shako-ageha born in wells around Harima Province. People came to dub them Okiku Bugs as their cocoons hung down from silken strings, and people though it represented the torment of Okiku.¹

External Links

• View the Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki online here: Konjaku Online.

Footnotes

1. Yoda, H & Alt, M. (2012) “Yurei Attack: The Japanese Ghost Survival Guide” Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing.

2. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: over Publications, Inc.

	Check out the Japan Archives, our Japanese History Podcast. Instagram (Japan): @japan_archives
	Check out our Gaming Channel on Youtube. Instagram (Minecraft): @mycenria
	Find the website useful? Please consider donating to help up keep the website running.

The post Okiku appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.

One Hundred Famous Views of Edo

One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (名所江戸百景, Meisho Edo Hyakkei) is a publication of Ukiyo-e prints created by Utagawa Hiroshige.

Within its pages, it includes only one image with a supernatural element, where a Kitsunebi is depicted.¹

References

1. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: over Publications, Inc.

	Check out the Japan Archives, our Japanese History Podcast. Instagram (Japan): @japan_archives
	Check out our Gaming Channel on Youtube. Instagram (Minecraft): @mycenria
	Find the website useful? Please consider donating to help up keep the website running.

The post One Hundred Famous Views of Edo appeared first on . A History . . of Japan . 日本歴史.