Is there a statue of a sumo wrestler crying at night? A legend passed down at Senshoji Temple, the family temple of Mogami Yoshiaki's daughter [Yamagata Prefecture]

Mysterious legends exist all over Japan, and one such story can be found here at Senshoji Temple in the heart of Yamagata City

This time, wethe legend of the crying sumo wrestler statue that.

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Senshoji Temple, the family temple of Princess Koma, the second daughter of Mogami Yoshiaki

Senshoji Templeis a Jodo Shinshu Otani sect temple located in Midorimachi, Yamagata City. It was originally located in Tendo City, north of Yamagata City, but was moved to Yamagata City following an incident in 1595.

Komahime, the second daughter of Mogami Yoshiaki, the daimyo of Dewa Province at the time, was renowned for her beauty, and in 1595 she was summoned to Jurakudai in Kyoto to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Toyotomi Hidetsugu, the regent at the time

However, in July of the same year, HidetsuguToyotomi Hideyoshi andcommitted seppuku at Mount Koya.His children, wives, and concubines, including Komahime, were also implicated in Hidetsugu's actions and executed at Sanjo Kawara in Kyoto.

At this time, Princess Koma was only 15 years old

Deeply saddened by this event, Mogami Yoshiaki, knowing that Komahime's birth mother was a follower of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism,relocated Senshoji Temple in Tendō to Yamagata.In 1598, he donated temple land and moved it again to its current location. He erected a magnificent abbey to mourn Komahime.

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The legend of the sumo wrestler who cries at night and sneaks out to wrestle?

The existing main hall of Senshoji Temple was built in 1703 andis the largest wooden building in the Tohoku region from the mid-Edo period.

themain hall, there are statues of four sumo wrestlers, as if supporting the roof.

This sumo wrestler statue, said to be the work of Hidari Jingoro, a legendary sculptor from the Edo period , is believed to have a soul due to its magnificent craftsmanship , and the following legend is said to have been passed down about it.

Legend 1: The statue of a sumo wrestler cries at night because it can no longer bear the weight of the roof

The four sumo wrestlers supporting the roof gain will and spirits once souls inhabit them. While they manage to withstand the weight during the day, they begin tocry at night, complaining, "It's so heavy... so heavy..."

Unable to bear the nightly crying any longer, the head priest one dayasked a hunter to fire a gun near the sumo wrestler's feet to scare him away.Apparently, the crying stopped completely.

Legend 2: A statue of a sumo wrestler who sneaks out in the middle of the night to wrestle and buy alcohol

Another version of the story goes that the head priest, displeased that the sumo wrestler statues would jump out from under the eaves every night to play sumo or go out to buy sake, nailed their feet shut , and as a result, the statues could no longer move around freely and began to cry at night.

In this story, the crying at night finally stopped after the baby was shot

Incidentally,the sumo wrestler statue on the northeast side is located on the grounds of the adjacent kindergarten andis off-limits! Therefore, I haven't been able to confirm the location of that sumo wrestler. The Senshoji Temple's official website also features a photo of the northeast sumo wrestler statue.

• Link:Senshoji Temple Official Website

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summary

When I first heard this story, my first thought was, "The head priest must be strict!" lol

As long as there's no real harm, like a tilted roof, I think it's okay to let them go out to wrestle or buy alcohol. If they had a nail driven into their foot, they'd probably cry at night

Senshoji Temple <Information>

• Name: Special temple
• Address: 3-7-67 Midoricho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture, 990-0041
• Phone number: 023-622-5981
• Official URL:https://www.senshojigakuen.jp/temple/

Google maps

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