Sessho-seki: Japan’s ‘Killing Stone' split in half

[thomas]

Japan's 'Killing Stone' (殺生石 sessho seki), located in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, has split in in the beginning of March. According to legend, it contained the transformed corpse of Tamamo-no-Mae (九尾の狐, 'Nine-Tailed Fox'), a beautiful woman who had been part of a secret plot hatched by a feudal warlord to kill Emperor Toba, who reigned from 1107-1123.

Legend has it that her true identity was an evil nine-tailed fox whose spirit is embedded in the hunk of lava, located in an area of Tochigi prefecture, near Tokyo, famous for its sulphurous hot springs. Its separation into two roughly equal parts, believed to have occurred within the past few days, has spooked online users who noted that, according to folklore, the stone continually spews poisonous gas – hence its name. While the stone was said to have been destroyed, and its spirit exorcised by a Buddhist monk who scattered its pieces across Japan, many Japanese prefer to believe that its home is on the slopes of Mount Nasu. Visitors to the area, a popular sightseeing spot, recoiled in horror at the weekend after witnesses posted photos of the fractured stone, a length of rope that had been secured around its circumference lying on the ground.

Japan’s ‘killing stone’ splits in two, releasing superstitions amid the sulphur springs

Legend has it there is an evil spirit trapped in the Sessho-seki stone, so what happens now that the stone is broken?

www.theguardian.com

Japan's 'Killing Stone,' Rumored To House an Evil Spirit, Has Split in Half

While we can't speak to the existence of the supposed evil spirit, Sessho-seki (the "Killing Stone") truly did split in two in March 2022.

www.snopes.com

「九尾の狐」伝説の「殺生石」が真っ二つ…ＳＮＳでは「狐が復活しないといいけど」

【読売新聞】　栃木県那須町の国指定名勝史跡「殺生石」が、真っ二つに割れているのが確認された。自然現象とみられるが、「九尾の 狐 （ きつね ） 」の伝説があるだけに、ＳＮＳ上で話題となっている。 　殺生石は那須岳の斜面にある巨大な溶

www.yomiuri.co.jp

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

It is that a matchless beautiful woman was let loose.
As Tokyo 800 years ago was the country, does she appear in Kyoto?
Or does she return to China?

 

[thomas]

How did she get here in the first place?

Fox spirit - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Enchanting Vixens of Japanese Folklore　｜　和樂web 日本文化の入り口マガジン

Several famous 狐 (kitsune, foxes) appear in Japanese folklore with supernatural qualities. What kind of image do these magical creatures have? According to Japanese tales, kitsune have the ability to ...

intojapanwaraku.com

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Nine-tailed Fox Tamamo no Mae Trapped in Sessho seki


Is it a hot topic all over the world?