This story has the potential to go off on so many interesting tangents that I have to be careful how I tell it… This summer I visited the Kyoto History Museum, which puts a lot of this legend into a very tangible perspective, making it all the more interesting because of the connections with other yokai and characters I have written about/illustrated in the past. | この伝説にも沢山の興味深い説があります。そしてこの夏、私は京都の歴史博物館を訪れてそこで多くの絵巻物を見ました。それらは過去に私が描いた妖怪などと関係のある物ばかりで大変面白い経験をしました。そのため、今回の京都の話と関連して関係のない事まで色々書いてしまいそうですから自分に「気をつけて！」と言い聞かせないと．．．

Ibaraki-dōji, the demon of Rashōmon

The Demon of Rashōmon, Ibaraki-dōji (羅城門の鬼、茨木童子)

The story takes place at Rashōmon, the south gate of old Kyoto. The ancient capitals of Heijō-kyō (Nara) and Heian-kyō (Kyoto) were built according to Chinese geomantic/architectural ideals, somewhat akin to feng shui. There were gates at the four cardinal directions, and these plus the emperor’s palace at the intersection of the roads connecting the gates represented the five cardinal elements. They also were represented by five celestial monsters, Byakko, Suzaku, Genbu, and Seiryū (the yellow dragon or the emperor in the center representing the fifth element, earth). Rashōmon was the gate at the end of Suzaku-dōri — the southern gate — and served as the main gate in the old city walls. It was built in 789, but after the Heian period it fell into serious disrepair and became known as an unsavory place. It became overgrown and unkempt. Thieves and bandits hung out near it. Supposedly, it even served as a dumping point for unwanted babies, and a spot to dispose of murder victims. Further adding to its haunted reputation was the legend of Rashōmon no oni — the demon of Rashōmon.

Earlier this week, we talked about Shuten-dōji and his right-hand deputy, Ibaraki-dōji. According to most legends, the demon on Rashōmon is none other than the infamous Ibaraki-đoji, and its most famous tale centers around the occurrence at Rashōmon gate.

Not very much is known about Ibaraki-dôji; it isn’t even known if he is a he or if he is a she! Many stories and most of the illustrations I have seen paint Ibaraki as a kijo, or a female oni, and so I will refer to him/her as such; although there are many other stories that talk about Shuten-dōji’s right-hand man, not woman, so who knows? It also adds a possible element that not only were they partners in crime, but also lovers. (Don’t you love debating the gender and relationships of imaginary beings? I feel like a theologian…) What is known is that Ibaraki was a wholly terrible and fearsome monster, bent of wreaking as much havoc in the human world as possible.

After his celebrated victory over Shuten-dōji, Minamoto no Yorimitsu (whom we’ve seen before a few times on this blog and in Night Parade), returned triumphant to Kyoto. He was at his home with his deputies, a foursome of heroic samurai known as the Four Heavenly Kings (an allusion to Buddhist mythology): Sakata no Kintoki (from the House of Suzaku), Urabe no Suetake (from the House of Seiryū), Usui Sadamitsu (from the House of Genbu), and Watanabe no Tsuna (from the House of Byakko). Fujiwara no Yasumasa, a noble, informed them that an oni was seen haunting Rashōmon gate. Watanabe no Tsuna, having just returned from a great battle with Shuten-dōji’s clan, could not believe that there were any oni left, and single-handedly went out to investigate. He mounted his horse and went south…

When Tsuna arrived at the gate, a great howling wind broke out and his horse could travel no further. He dismounted and went on foot. Approaching the gate in the fierce gale, suddenly he felt an enormous hand reach out and grab his kabuto (samurai helmet) fast. Tsuna wasted no time, and swung his great katana around, severing the arm of an enormous demon — Ibaraki-dōji, according to most legends. Ibaraki ran away, leaving her arm behind, and Rashōmon was no longer haunted.

According to other legends, which have been turned into Noh plays and songs, Ibaraki later returned to Rashōmon looking for her arm. She disguised herself as Watanabe no Tsuna’s wetnurse, and was able to steal back her severed arm and flee. After that, her whereabouts were never known again, though for many years after, occasionally in some town or another, villagers would claim that they had seen Ibaraki-dōji coming or going…

Thus ends the story of Ibaraki-dōji, but not Rashōmon. Eventually, as Kyoto grew, the old city walls became obsolete and vanished, making way for progress. The songs and legends about the old southern gate guaranteed that, even as the old ruined gate was built over, it would never disappear entirely. Akira Kurosawa’s amazingly beautiful film Rashōmon takes place at the gate, and is a groundbreaking piece of cinema. There are no oni in it, but watch it for a great tale in psychology. Today, there are some standing stones and plaques set up to remember this important historic location, but not even the foundation of the gate remains. In fact, a schoolyard playground lies over the spot where this demonic gate once stood. The darker side of me loves the idea of little kids laughing and playing in the same exact spot where a demon once had his armed chopped off by a giant katana…

All that remains of the demon gate…

Do you like Japanese ghosts and demons? Are you a fan of strange Japanese horror? Then get my book, The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons from Amazon.com today! |

Ibaraki-dōji, the demon of Rashōmon

The Demon of Rashōmon, Ibaraki-dōji (羅城門の鬼、茨木童子)

これはその名の通り羅城門にまつわる話である。羅城門は平城京や平安京の南端に構えられた大門であり、この配置は中国の風水による四神相応の考え方からきている。東西南北の主要な４地点にはそれぞれ門が設けられ、加えて帝の位置とで５つにそれぞれエレメントが象徴となっている。白虎,朱雀,玄武,青龍（黄龍または麒麟が中央になる）であり、羅城門は朱雀大路の終わり（南門）に位置しメインゲートになる。建設されたのは７８９年であるが、平安時代の終わりと共に倒壊し治安も悪化していった。盗人や賊はそこに潜伏し、子供を捨てる場所にまでなっていたという。羅城門にまつわる「羅城門の鬼」伝説は、そのおどろおどろしい羅生門のイメージをさらに強烈な物にしている。

今週の初めに酒呑童子の右腕として紹介した茨木童子であるが、多くの伝説によれば羅城門の鬼とはこの茨木童子の事をさしており、これは茨木童子にまつわる大変有名な伝説である。。。

茨木童子についてはそれほど多くの記述が残っていない。それが男であったか女であったかすら曖昧であるのだ。多くの話や絵巻では茨木童子は鬼女か女の鬼として描かれている。

酒呑童子の右腕として活躍した男の鬼、茨木童子の話しもおおくあるが、今となってはどちらが本当かは知る由もない。そしてもう一点、茨木童子はただの相棒ではなく恋人であったという説もあるという。どの説でも共通して分かっている事は、茨木童子は人の世をひどく荒らす凶暴で恐ろしい物の怪であるという事である。

酒呑童子との戦いに勝利した源頼光（数日前のブログとNight Parade：百鬼夜行にて彼について紹介している）は戦いを共にした四天王（坂田金時，卜部季武，碓井貞光，渡辺綱）と共に意気揚々と京へ戻った。しかしある夜藤原保昌から「近頃羅城門に鬼が出るらしい」とう話しを聞いた渡辺綱は、酒呑童子らとの戦いを終えてもなおまだ鬼が残っているという事が信じられず、一人で確かめに羅城門へと向かった…。

門に着く頃ものすごい突風が吹き渡り、彼の馬は恐れてそれ以上進む事ができなくなった。そのため仕方なしに彼は馬から降り歩いて門まで向かうと、何か大きな手が彼の兜をつかんだ。するとつかまれるや否や、綱はすかさず刀を振り上げその腕を切り落としたのである。腕の持ち主であった茨木童子は腕を残したまま逃げ去り、綱は羅生門に棲みつく鬼を追い払うのに成功したのである。

他の説によると、茨木童子は腕を探しに京へ戻ったとされている。取り返す時に茨木童子は綱の乳母（叔母，老婆など色々な説がある）に化けて綱をまんまとだまして腕を取り返し逃げ去ったという。その後の消息は分かっていないが、何年も後にどこかの村などで茨木童子が現れた（または去っていく）姿を見たという話もある…。

茨木童子の伝説は終わるが羅生門の話は続く。京の都が発展するにつれ古い壁はとり壊され、今は跡碑が残るのみではあるが現在もなお伝統芸能の中で語りづがれている。そして黒澤明監督による美しい映画「羅生門」でも門は生き続けている。映画の中に鬼は“出演”していないが、考えさせられる素晴らしい映画である。

現在、羅生門のあった場所では子供たちが遊び回り、人々が何事もなく往来している。かつての恐ろしい出来事など微塵も感じさせないが、私はこの平和な場所に潜む“闇”が好きである。ここではかつて、大きな刀によって鬼が腕を切り落とされたのである．．．。

All that remains of the demon gate…

他の妖怪にも興味をもっていただけたなら、是非アマゾンから「The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons（百鬼夜行）」をどうぞ！