Hear about Emperor Shirakawa on Episode 2 of our Podcast, the Japan Archives.

• Reign: 1073-1087AD
• Period: Heian Period
• Family: Fujiwara no Kenshi (wife)
• Burial Place: –
• Order of Succession: Predecessor Emperor Go-Sanjō * Successor Emperor Horikawa

Emperor Shirakawa

Emperor Shirakawa (白河天皇) was the 72nd Emperor of Japan.

Family

He was married to the daughter of Morozane, Fujiwara no Kenshi.³

Childhood

His wet nurse, also raised the poet Fujiwara no Akisue, and due to this they grew close, allowing Aiksue to gain a lot of power.¹

Reign

During his reign he is known to have to approached the Buddhist monk Raigō to ask him to pray for the safe birth of his son, promising to expand his temple of Mii-dera if he did so. However, the Emperor later reneged on his pledge due to political manoeuvring on the part of Raigō’s rivals. This tale is related in the Taiheiki. This did lead to a plague of rats infesting the temple libraries of Kyoto as Raigō went on a hunger strike and then died, reborn as the plague of rats known as Tesso.²

Footnotes

1. MacMillan, P. (2018) ”One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse”. St. Ives: Penguin Classics.
2. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
3. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.

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• Co-ordinates: 35°04′14″N 135°50′28″E
• Region: Kansai Region
• Prefecture: Shiga Prefecture
• Founded: 788AD
• Affiliation: Buddhism

Enryaku-ji

Enryaku-ji (延暦寺) is a Buddhist Temple overlooking Kyoto. The temple itself is build upon Mount Hiei, situated in the old Province of Omi. Built during the Heian Period, the temple gained control of many estate lands (shoen) in Omi. By the Kamakura Period, territorial struggles between the Sasaki Family and Enryaku-ji ended up tearing the province apart.²

Supernatural Connections

It has connections to the Yōkai known as Tesso, the reborn spirit of the Buddhist monk Raigō. As Tesso (a plague of rats) the libraries of the temple were ravaged and largely destroyed.¹

Footnotes

1. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
2. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

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Hear about Miidera on Episode 18 of our Podcast, the Japan Archives.

• • Co-ordinates: 35°00′48″N 135°51′10″E
  • Region: Kansai Region
  • Prefecture: Shiga Prefecture
  • Founded: 672AD
  • Affiliation: Buddhism

Miidera (三井寺,御井寺) is a Buddhist Temple located close to Lake Biwa in Otsu city.

Folktales

It is mentioned in the Japanese Folktale My Lord Bag of Rice. According to the story, Fujiwara Hidesato donated a bell to the temple after receiving it from The Dragon King of Lake Biwa.¹

Yōkai Connections

This temple also has links to the Yōkai Spirit known as Tesso, a plague of rats formed by the reborn Spirit of the once head monk of this Temple by the name of Raigō. The tale is mentioned within the ‘Taiheiki‘. The monk was tasked by the Emperor Shirakawa to pray for the safe birth of his son, and in return the Emperor agreed to expand his temple. However, political maneuvering by Raigō’s rivals ensured the Emperor reneged on his pledge, leading to the monk’s hunger strike, death, and subsequent rebirth as Tesso.² Another Yōkai linked to this area is known as the Samebito, a strange shark man who cries blood tears which turn into rubies. After being expelled from the service of the Dragon King he goes to live with a man called Tōtaro who he eventually helps through the use of his ruby tears.³

The Bell of Miidera

There are several stories surrounding the Bell of Miidera.

One relates how women were forbidden to touch the bell as it was feared that it would cause the bell to go dull. A woman from Kyoto learns of this tales and so wishes to go and touch the bell. Journeying to the temple she looks at the gleaming bell and tentatively touches it. Upon the touching the bell, the part where her fingers touched shrank leaving an indentation. The rest of the bell is said to have then lots its shine.

Another tale relates to Benkei, who was the retainer of Miyamoto no Yoshitsune. The tale relates that when he was still a monk he sorely wanted to steal the bell to install it into his own monastery. He thought to roll the heavy bell down the hill, but fearing the monks would hear him and discover his theft he used his great strength to place the bell on one end of the cross-beam and his paper lantern on the other and proceeded the carry the heavy burden for seven miles. Eating a meal after arriving back at his temple, he then allows the monks to strike the bell.

However, instead the bell made a cry of ‘I want to go back to Miidera!’ They hoped that sprinkling the bell with holy water would appease it, but still the bell longed for Miidera. Benkei grew angry and so he struck the bell as hard as he could hoping it would break, but it did not. All it did was cry again, ‘I want to go back to Miidera!’ He took the bell to the top of a mountain, kicking it down the slope. Benkei no longer wanting the bell. Eventually the priests of Miidera found their bell once more and hung it back in its rightful place. It is said though the bell never spoke again, and merely rung like other temple bells.³

Footnotes

1. Ozaki, Y.T. (1903) “The Japanese Fairy Book”. Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co. Ltd.
2. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: over Publications, Inc.
3. Davis, F.H. (1992) “Myths and Legends of Japan.” New York: Dover Publications, Inc.

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Hear about Raigō on Episode 2 of our Podcast, the Japan Archives.

• Birth: –
• Death: –
• Period: Heian Period
• Occupation: Buddhist Monk

Raigō

Raigō was a Buddhist monk who lived during the reign of Emperor Shirakawa, residing at Mii-dera. During his lifetime he was tasked by Shirakawa to pray for the safe birth of his son, with the promise of his temple being expanded if he did so.

The Emperor ultimately reneged on his promise due to Raigō’s rivals and so he went on hunger strike and died. Legend says he was then reborn as the Yōkai called Tesso, a plague of rats which went on the ravage the temple libraries of Kyoto, in particular that of Enryaku-ji.¹

Footnotes

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

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Taiheiki

The Taiheiki (太平記, Chronicle of Great Peace) is a 14th Century chronicle.

Within it contains several mentionings to certian Yōkai.

One is that of Raigō, a monk, who dies from hunger strike. This is the result of the Emperor Shirakawa reneging on a promise he had made, causing him to be reborn after his death as the Yokai Tesso where he then plauges the temple libraries of Kyoto.

Another creature mentioned is the Itsumade, a creature with the head of a man and body of a snake. It is eventually killed by Hiroari with an arrow.¹

Footnotes

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

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Hear about Tesso on Episode 2 of our Podcast, the Japan Archives.

Tesso

Tesso (鉄鼠) is a Yōkai depicted in the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō by Toriyama Sekien. His tale is related in the Taiheiki.

This Yōkai takes the form of a plague of rats created by the Monk Raigō after his spirit was reborn, dying from a hunger strike, the hunger strike due to Emperor Shirakawa reneging on a promise to the monk.

This promise was that, if the monk prayed for the safe birth of his son then he would expand the temple of Mii-dera where Raigō resided.

As a horde of rats, this Yōkai ravaged the libraries of Kyoto’s temples, particularly that of Enryaku-ji.¹

External Links

• View the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō online here: Gazu Hyakki Yagyō Online.

Footnotes

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

List of Supernatural Creatures

Abura akago * Aka Manto * Akaname * Akashita * Amanozako * Amefuri Kozo * Ameonna * Amikiri * Aoandō * Aōbozu * Aonyobo * Aosagi no hi * Ayakashi * Buruburu * Chochin bi * Dōjōji no kane * Dōmeki * Dorotabō * Enenra * Funa Yurei * Furaribi * Fūri * Furutsubaki no rei * Gaikotsu * Ganbari Nyudo * Gagoze * Gangikozō * Gensuke * Haka no hi * Hangonkō * Hannya * Hashi-Hime * Hatahiro * Hiderigami * Hikeshi baba * Himamushi-nyūdō * Hinode * Hitodama * Hitotsume Kozō * Hiyoribo * Hōkō * Hone Onna * Hyōsube * Ikiryō * Inugami * Jakotsubaba * Jatai * Jorōgumo * Kamaitachi * Kamikiri * Kanedama * Kageonna * Kappa * Kasha * Katawa Guruma * Kawa Akago * Kawauso * Kazenbō * Kidōmaru * Kitsunebi * Kejoro * Kerakeraonna * Kodama * Kokuribaba * Kosamebō * Kosode no te * Kosenjo no hi * Kurozuka * Makurageishi * Mikoshi * Minobi * Momiji-gari * Momonjii * Morinji no Kama * Nekomata * Ningyo * Ninmenju * Noderabō * Nopperabo * Nuppeppō * Nurarihyon * Nureonna * Nuribotoke * Nyūnai Suzume * Obariyon * Oboro-guruma * Ōkaburo * Ōkubi * Okiku * Ōmagatoki * Oni * Onihitokuchi * Onmoraki * Osakabe * Oshiroibaba * Otoroshi * Ouni * Ōzatō * Rokurokubi * Sakabashira * Samebito * Sansei * Sarakozoe * Satori * Sesshō-seki * Seta * Shinkirō * Shirachigo * Shiranui * Shōkera * Shokuin * Shuten-dōji * Sōgenbi * Suiko * Takaonna * Tamamo-no-mae * Tanuki * Tenasobi * Tenjō-Kudari * Tengu * Tengu Tsubute * Tenome * Teratsutsuki * Tesso * Tōdaiki * Tōfu Kozō * Tsurubebi * Ubagabi * Ubume * Umibozū * Umizatō * Ushinotoki-mairi * Ushioni * Uwan * Waira * Wani * Wanyudo * Yamabiko * Yamauba * Yamawarawa * Yanari * Yukionna * Zenki and Goki

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