Folk Legends of Japan

FOLK LEGENDS OF JAPAN

FOLK LEGENDS OF JAPAN

by
  
RICHARD M. DORSON

Chairman, Folklore Program
Indiana University

illustrated by
  Y
OSHIE
N
OGUCHI

C
HARLES
E. T
UTTLE
C
OMPANY
: P
UBLISHERS
Rutland, Vermont         Tokyo, Japan

European Representatives
Continent:
BOXERBOOKS, INC.,
Zurich
British Isles:
PRENTICE-HALL INTERNATIONAL INC.,
London

Published by Charles E. Tuttle Company
of Rutland, Vermont & Tokyo, Japan
with editorial offices at
Osaki Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0032

Copyright in Japan, 1962
by Charles E. Tuttle Co.
All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress
Catalog Card No. 61-11972
ISBN: 978-1-4629-0963-6 (ebook)

First edition, 1962

Typography & book design
by M. Weatherby
Printed in Japan.

For TOPPER and REIKO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments:
page 13

Introduction:
17

P
ART
O
NE
. P
RIESTS
, T
EMPLES, AND
S
HRINES
:
31

Saint Kobo's Well:
33

The Willow Well of Kobo:
34

The Kobo Chestnut Trees:
34

The Waterless River in Takio:
35

The Stream Where Kobo Washed His Garment:
36

The Priest's Towel:
36

The Kannon Who Substituted:
57

The Statue of Buddha at Saiho-ji:
40

The Earless Jizo of Sendatsuno:
41

The Red Nose of the Image:
44

The Priest Who Ate the Corpse:
45

The Monk and the Maid:
46

The Shrine of the Vengeful Spirit:
48

The Shrine Built by Straw Dolls:
40

Visit to Zenko-ji Driven by a Cow:
50

The Temple of Raikyu Gongen:
52

The Origin of Enoo-ji:
53

The Origin of Kazo-ji on Mt. Wooden Pillow:
54

P
ART
T
WO
. M
ONSTERS
:
57

The Kappa of Fukiura:
59

The Kappa of Koda Pond:
61

The Kappa Who Played "Pull-Finger":
62

The Kappa Bonesetter:
63

A Grateful Kappa:
65

Wrestling a Kappa:
66

Memories of Kappa:
67

Tales of Tengu:
68

The Tengu Pine and Takegoro:
70

Burned to Death by a Tengu:
72

The Tengu of Komine Shrine:
73

The Tengu's Sword:
75

The Tengu Who Made Rice Cakes:
77

The Demon's Cave:
77

The Tooth-Marked Stone:
80

Great King with Eight Faces:
81

Mountain Giants:
83

The Mountain Man of Mt. Mitsubushi:
85

The Flute Player and the Shojo:
86

Spider Pool:
88

The Bodyless Horse:
89

Tales of Zashiki-bokko:
89

P
ART
T
HREE
. S
PIRITS
:
95

The Ghost That Cared for a Child:
97

The Ghost of the First Wife:
99

The Mirror Given by the Ghost:
101

The Dish Mansion in Unshu:
104

Fish Salad Mingled with Blood:
105

White Rice on the Pot:
106

The Seven Blind Minstrels:
106

The Revengeful Spirit of Masakado:
107

The Evil Spirit of Fusataro:
109

The Weaving Sound in the Water:
110

The Phantom Boat:
112

One Hundred Recited Tales:
113

P
ART
F
OUR
. T
RANSFORMATIONS
:
115

The Serpent Suitor:
117

The Blind Serpent-Wife:
118

The Serpent Goddess of Amo-ga-ike:
121

The Serpent of Mt. Unzen:
122

Two Daughters Who Became Serpents:
124

Hachiro's Transformation:
126

The Marsh of Tatsuko:
127

The Fox Demons:
128

The Fox Wrestler:
129

The Fox Wife:
132

The Badger That Was a Shamisen Player ;
134

Dankuro Badger:
136

Seventy-five Badgers:
137

Koike's Baba:
138

The God Akiba Revealed as a Beggar:
139

The Hunters Turned to Rats:
140

The Mystery of the Bull-Trout:
142

The Blacksmith's Wife:
143

The Girl Who Turned into a Stone:
144

The Woman Who Loved a Tree-Spirit:
143

Okesa the Dancer:
147

P
ART
F
IVE
. H
EROES AND
S
TRONG
M
EN
:
149

The Child of the Sun:
131

The Jewel That Grew Golden Flowers:
132

The Tale of Yuriwaka:
154

The Story of Kihachi:
156

Koga Saburo:
158

The Heike Refugees:
160

The Last of the Aki:
161

Relics of Benkei:
163

Benkei's Stone Mortar:
164

The Famous Horse Ikezuki:
164

The Faithful Dog of Tametomo:
166

Banji and Manji:
167

Nue the Hunter of Hatoya:
169

The Strongest Wrestler in Japan:
171

The Mighty Wresder Usodagawa:
174

Nasu Kozahara the Strong Man:
176