Sessho-seki
Encyclopedia
The Sessho-seki or "Killing Stone," is an object in Japanese mythology
. It is said that the stone kills anyone who comes into contact with it. The stone is believed to be the transformed corpse of Tamamo no Mae
, a beautiful woman who was exposed to be a kind nine-tailed fox
working for an evil daimyo
plotting to kill the Japanese Emperor Konoe and take his throne. As told in the Otogizoshi
, when the nine-tailed fox
was killed by the famous warrior Miura-nosuke, its body became the Sessho-seki.
The Sessho-seki was said to be haunted by Hoji, the transformed spirit of the kind fox, until a Buddhist priest called Genno stopped for a rest near the stone, and was threatened by Hoji. Genno performed certain spiritual rituals, and begged the spirit to consider her spiritual salvation, until finally Hoji relented and swore to never haunt the stone again.
In Matsuo Bashō
's famous book, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
(Oku no Hosomichi
), Bashō tells of visiting the stone in Nasu
, located in modern-day Tochigi Prefecture
. Today, an area in the volcanic mountains of Nasu (famous for their sulfur hot springs
) commemorates the myth.
Japanese mythology
Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculturally based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon comprises innumerable kami...
. It is said that the stone kills anyone who comes into contact with it. The stone is believed to be the transformed corpse of Tamamo no Mae
Tamamo no Mae
Tamamo-no-Mae is a legendary figure in Japanese mythology. In the Otogizōshi, a collection of Japanese prose written in the Muromachi period, Tamamo-no-Mae was a courtesan under the Japanese Emperor Konoe . She was said to be the most beautiful and intelligent woman in Japan...
, a beautiful woman who was exposed to be a kind nine-tailed fox
Nine-tailed fox
The Nine-tailed fox is a mythological creature that has the appearance of a fox but with nine tails. This mythological creature was first created in Asia .-Mythology:...
working for an evil daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
plotting to kill the Japanese Emperor Konoe and take his throne. As told in the Otogizoshi
Otogizoshi
refers to a group of approximately 350 Japanese prose narratives written primarily in the Muromachi period . These illustrated short stories, which remain unattributed, together form one of the representative literary genres of the Japanese medieval era.-Overview:This type of short prose narrative...
, when the nine-tailed fox
Nine-tailed fox
The Nine-tailed fox is a mythological creature that has the appearance of a fox but with nine tails. This mythological creature was first created in Asia .-Mythology:...
was killed by the famous warrior Miura-nosuke, its body became the Sessho-seki.
The Sessho-seki was said to be haunted by Hoji, the transformed spirit of the kind fox, until a Buddhist priest called Genno stopped for a rest near the stone, and was threatened by Hoji. Genno performed certain spiritual rituals, and begged the spirit to consider her spiritual salvation, until finally Hoji relented and swore to never haunt the stone again.
In Matsuo Bashō
Matsuo Basho
, born , then , was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as a master of brief and clear haiku...
's famous book, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Oku no Hosomichi
, translated alternately as The Narrow Road to the Deep North and The Narrow Road to the Interior, is a major work by the Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō considered "one of the major texts of classical Japanese literature."...
(Oku no Hosomichi
Oku no Hosomichi
, translated alternately as The Narrow Road to the Deep North and The Narrow Road to the Interior, is a major work by the Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō considered "one of the major texts of classical Japanese literature."...
), Bashō tells of visiting the stone in Nasu
Nasu, Tochigi
is a town located in Nasu District, Tochigi, Japan.As of April 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population of 26,629 and a density of 71.5 persons per km². The total area is 372.31 km².Nasu Imperial Villa is located there.-External links:*...
, located in modern-day Tochigi Prefecture
Tochigi Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...
. Today, an area in the volcanic mountains of Nasu (famous for their sulfur hot springs
Onsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
) commemorates the myth.