Japan is an amazing country with an extremely rich culture of folklore which is still currently relevant to modern society. Folklore has played an important role in society for generations, in countries around the world in addition to Japan, such as in North America. The influence of folklore played a role in my life as I was growing up and became enchanted by the world of knights, dragons, princesses and the very notion of valor. As I grew older and more knowledgeable, my hunger to understand the folklores of the word became a quest of sorts. Tales of King Arthur and Excalibur turned into those of the Shogun Yoritomo and his brother Yoshimitsu and their adventures through ancient Japan. I feel this curiosity peaked during my last year of university when I completed my thesis on the evolution of Japanese folklore as an East Asian Studies undergraduate student, and compared it to its western neighbors.
I have evolved from that young boy intrigued by elements of fantasy and valour into a grown man who feels a certain tie to these forgotten folk legends. In my opinion, all things lost and forgotten must be found. Therefore, after obtaining my undergraduate degree I headed to Japan for a one year work opportunity, and decided to take it upon myself to engage in cultural exchanges and report on Japanese culture. Fate seemed to have chosen me for this quest, and I was going to do nothing other than cooperate.
My quest was dangerous, often leading to places such as the town of Ooe in Kyoto province, forgotten by the Japanese themselves. Ooe was the town of Shutendoji, or the drunken demon. The town was famous for the biggest demon museum in the country as well as a shrine housing the head of the drunken demon! Despite the authenticity of the town, Ooe was being overlooked due to its rural location; all the young people had left for the bigger economic centers while all the local business were catering to a tourist market that no longer existed. Demon mechanic and hardware stores lined the streets, and even the local undertaker was demon themed. Local Ramen or noodle shops sold demon noodles, a heavy miso ramen with quail eggs and other spices. But, alas there were no tourists to enjoy the spectacle, only a lonely Canadian on a tight budget.
I continued my adventure in Chigoku and Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four main islands. I came here because it was famous for its rare temples, museums and historic sites. Specifically, small temples and shrines dedicated to obscure gods or long forgotten tourist towns. I traveled Shikoku looking for the illusive Tinuki, as well as a shape shifting raccoon in Tokushima. I further found the illusive Ushioni or cow demon on the 88 temple trail in Takamatsu. In Okayama, I followed ancient kings and demon slayers on the Kibi trail and visited the cradle of the gods in Shimane. I also went ghost hunting in Matsue looking for the souls of spited women and angry samurai who embodied forgotten temples, and even visited Tottori province in search of a famous demon toilet and phone booth.
The last part of my quest took me to the North of Japan, Tohoku, a mysterious place where the local dialects are even undistinguishable to the Japanese themselves. This area throughout history had been seen as the cradle of folklore. Cold winters and lush forests steeped the entire region. Only exiled samurai and the worst of criminals would end up in this dark land. In Tohoku, the bear hunting Matagi can be found in Akita. Osorezan, the gate to hell can be found in Aoimori province, and for those interested in the occult there is the resting place of the Japanese Jesus Christ, which is also oddly enough famous for garlic ice cream. Probably the most famous place in this region in the village of Tono in Iwate province know as the “birth place of Japanese folklore”. The town of Tono and surrounding hamlets were the grail of my quest since the entire town felt like a jump back to Japan’s ancient past.
I am not delusional and know these monsters do not exist, but they represented aspects of fear, joy and mischief found in the Japan of old. Sadly, since the failure of the Fukushima nuclear power plant Japan has become a dark land once more. Through this journey though I did not come face to face with the supernatural, however, I did achieve what all travelers yearn for a unique experience. Taking the road less traveled brought me to towns not even the Japanese visit. I hung out and ate with locals and shared a love of their culture and grew as an individual. Given this opportunity again I would change nothing!
- See more at: http://www.travelculturemag.com/japanese-folklore/#sthash.VDOZB7j8.dpuf
