Legend of the demon-stopping brothers of Iwajiro and Iwazaburo, passed down in Akiu Onsen [Miyagi Prefecture]

Akiu Onsen located in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture , has long been loved by people as a hot spring town with beautiful autumn foliage.

The legend of Iwaji Iwasaburo is famous for bringing various legends and traditions to various places, from Akiu in the center to the borders of Iwate and Akita prefectures in the north, and to the Ou Mountains of Tochigi prefecture in the south

In this article, we will explain the folktale of two brothers named Iwajiro and Iwasaburo

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Who are the brothers Iwajiro and Iwasaburo of Akiu?

The story begins when a princess, traveling with her nurse through the mountain range near Akiu called Koto Pass, suddenly complains of stomach pain and has to take a break

The nurse returned to the village to ask for help, but the princess had suddenly disappeared from the place where she was resting

Encounter with a mysterious monster

While complaining of stomach pain, the princess encounters a strange monster. Feeling she will be killed, she faints, but when she wakes up, the monster has taken care of her and all her pain and wounds have been cured

Once the princess lets her guard down, the monster treats her well and gives her food. The monster's true identity is a silver monkey

Although they could not communicate with each other through language, the two connected by heart and eventually had two children, Iwajiro and Iwasaburo, .

Currently, the two children born to the princess and the monkey, who was treated as a monster, Iwajiro and Iwasaburo, are said to be enshrined at the foot of the mountain as mountain gods

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The legend of the Iwajiro and Iwasaburo brothers

There are many legends about Iwajiro and Iwasaburo. From here on, we will introduce some of the legends that the brothers are said to have performed

Demon slaying and the upside-down bamboo of Ishigamori

The Akiu area is mostly mountainous and a little far from human settlements, so there were constant rumors of thieves and demons

When the brothers Iwajiro and Iwasaburo grew up and began to fly across the mountains, rumors began to spread about a demon appearing in the area called Namiki (Nagabukuro). It was said that the demon would sweet talk travelers into its mansion, then kill them and strip them of all their belongings

The brothers Iwajiro and Iwasaburo had been doing the same thing up until then, but now that they had a change of heart, they decided to try and defeat the demon. After using their specialized martial arts and sword skills to drive the demon away, they chased the fleeing demon and threw a bamboo stick that pierced the spot where the demon's mansion used to be

Later, people who came to see the bamboo were so deeply embedded that they could not remove it, so they decided to leave it there as a token of their gratitude. The bamboo eventually took root in the ground and grew into a bamboo grove

The bamboo grove still exists today, and is said to be the upside-down bamboo of the brothers Iwajiro and Iwasaburo in Akiu legend

At the Yabusame event held in Akiu, bamboo is offered, arrows are made from the bamboo, and a custom of celebrating good health and safety has also developed. The anecdotes left by the brothers Iwajiro and Iwasaburo show that they also became the foundation of Akiu culture

Meeting with Jikaku Daishi Ennin

Jikaku Daishi Ennin was a legendary monk who left his mark on Akiu and other parts of the Tohoku region. He is said to have founded famous temples such as Risshakuji Temple in Yamagata, Zuiganji Temple in Matsushima, and Chusonji Temple in Hiraizumi. There are also over 331 other temples across the Tohoku region that are said to have been founded or rebuilt by Ennin

The legend of Iwajiro and Iwasaburo records the events that occurred when Ennin built Risshakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei

Ennin, who was on a pilgrimage to Tohoku to build temples and shrines in various parts of the Tohoku region at the command of the Emperor, was thinking of building a temple on the site of Yamadera. He also wanted to turn the surrounding area into a sacred place where killing animals was prohibited, so he met with the brothers Iwajiro and Iwasaburo, who were the leaders of the two hunters

It is said that the brothers Iwajiro and Iwasaburo were so impressed by Ennin's ideas that they stopped hunting in the neighborhood and enthusiastically helped with the construction of the temple

The lion dance, which is dedicated by the Yamadera Iwa priest of Risshakuji Temple every August, is said to be a reenactment of the dance of animals who rejoiced at the ban on hunting at that time

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summary

We introduced the brothers Iwajiro and Iwasaburo, who are said to have traveled across a wide range of mountain ranges, mainly in the Akiu region but also in Iwate, Akita, and Tochigi

Although the roads have been improved, Akiu is still an area filled with nature. In autumn, the autumn leaves are at their best. Looking at the forests and bamboo groves, you can think back to the days of the brothers Iwajiro and Iwasaburo. If you're interested, be sure to visit

 

Information

• Akiu Onsen Ryokan Association Official Website: http://www.akiuonsenkumiai.com/
• Mount Hoshu and Risshakuji Temple: https://www.rissyakuji.jp/

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