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Tono's Connecting Stones

What is Tsukuishi? A detailed introduction to the mysterious stone depicted in Kunio Yanagita's Tono Monogatari [Tono City, Iwate Prefecture]

In Ayaori-cho, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, there remains a mysterious stone called "Tsuzui-ishi," which consists of two stones lined up like a platform with a huge capstone on top, allowing you to pass underneath it like a torii gate

Information board for the Tsuzuiishi rock formations in Tono
Information board for the Tsuzuiishi rock formations in Tono

This article provides a detailed explanation of what the "Tsuzuiishi" described by folklorist Kunio Yanagita in his " Tono Monogatari " (Tales of Tono) were

Tsukuishi depicted in the Tale of Tono

The story of Tsuzukiishi, depicted in the 91st chapter of the Tono Monogatari, is as follows

Tono Monogatari, Story 91 (Modern Japanese Translation)

Long ago in the town of Tono , there was a man named Tori Gozen who knew the mountains well and was originally a falconer for the Nanbu Baron family

One day, while I was picking mushrooms in the mountains just above where the rare rock called Tsuzukiishi is located in Ayaori Village, I came across a man and woman with red faces talking

When the man and woman saw Tori Gozen, they spread their arms and made a gesture as if to push her back, but Tori Gozen was a playful person, so she drew her sword just to tease her, but the man kicked her away and she fell unconscious at the bottom of the valley

When Tori Gozen was found, she returned home and told the whole story, but she strictly kept it a secret from her family, and she fell ill for three days before passing away

My family member died under mysterious circumstances, so we consulted Kenkoin Temple in Yamabushi, where we were told that "they died after being cursed for disturbing the mountain god while he was playing."

Because Torigozen was familiar with the mountains, she did not seem to think it was a big deal to venture deep into the Tsuzukiishi, but because she had stepped into the realm of the gods, she was mercilessly punished, making for a story that makes you feel a little sorry for her

Tsukuishi depicted in the Tales of Tono

The Tono Monogatari Shūi (Supplementary Tales of Tono) was published in 1935 as an augmented version of the Tono Monogatari. In the 11th story of the Tono Monogatari Shūi, the following is written about the Tsugiishi and the Nakiishi (Weeping Stone) next to it:

Description from the 11th story of the Tono Monogatari Shūi (Collection of Tales of Tono)

The Tsuzukiishi in Yamaguchi, Ayaori Village, is very similar to what scholars call a dolmen, with a large stone about one and a half ken wide and five ken long placed on top of two side-by-side base stones about six feet high, and people can pass through underneath like a torii gate

The connected stones resemble a torii gate
The connected stones resemble a torii gate

The Tsuzukiishi is said to have been made by Musashibo Benkei, and the following legend has been passed down:

The Legend of Tsugiishi and Benkei (Tono Monogatari Shūi, Story 11)

Long ago, Musashibo Benkei brought a kasaseki (a stone that sits on top of a rock like an umbrella) and placed it on top of a certain large rock

The rock then said, "It's a shame that I am a high-ranking rock and will be placed below other rocks for the rest of my life," and spent the whole night crying

Because the large rock was weeping so much, Benkei decided to use another stone as a base, so he stepped onto the capstone again to carry it and placed it back on the current base stone

As a result, the capstone of the Tsuzukiishi still has an indentation of Benkei's footprint

Weeping Stone near Tsugiishi
Weeping Stone near Tsugiishi

Meanwhile, the large rock where it is said that he cried all night"Nakiishi"), and it still stands beside the Tsuzuki Stones, dripping like tears.

The Crying Stone seems to be a proud stone, but in this story we can see the kindness of Musashibo Benkei, who warmly accepts the Crying Stone's feelings and uses another stone as the base

Among Yanagita Kunio's works included in Aozora Bunko, Tono Monogatari Shui is still a work in progress, so if you're interested, you might want to take a look at it once it's finished

summary

The Tsuzukiishi is located in Ayaori-cho, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture. It is a pair of stones lined up like a platform with a huge capstone on top, allowing people to pass under it like a torii gate. It turns out that Kunio Yanagita's Tono Monogatari and Tono Monogatari Shuui each contain some interesting legends

Please take a look at the Tono Monogatari and Tono Monogatari Shuui and ponder the mysterious Tsukuishi

Tsuzokuishi <Information>

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