What is the legend of Hachirotaro? Introducing three episodes that even residents of the prefecture don't know much about [Akita Prefecture]

In Akita, of Hachirotaro, the dragon god of Lake Hachirogata, is passed down in various places, telling the story of how he transformed from a human into a dragon, lived in and married Princess Tatsuko of Lake

In this article, we will introduce three episodes from the many legends of Hachirotaro that are not well known even among the people of Akita Prefecture

[Episode 1] Hachirotaro's unrequited love

The story of Hachirotaro's union with Princess Tatsuko of Lake Tazawa is well known, but it is less known that he had fallen in love with another woman before that

However, in the legend of Hachirotaro, after he settled in Hachirogata, he searched for a lake that would not freeze over in the winter because Hachirogata would freeze over, and eventually he Ichinomegata in a place called Kitaura in Oga and the goddess who lived there, and began to visit there.

The goddess of Ichinomegata was troubled and asked Takeuchi Yagoro Masayasu, a master archer from Kyoto, to drive Hachirotaro away

Masayasu asked the goddess where he should aim to drive away Hachirotaro, and the goddess replied that Hachirotaro would appear on a black cloud from the top of Mount Kanpu, so he should aim his arrow at that cloud

Masayasu prepared his ancestral bow and arrows, hid behind the Mikasa Pine tree on the shores of Ichinomegata Lagoon, and waited for Hachirotaro to appear. Just as black clouds appeared, he fired an arrow

The arrow hits Hachirotaro, who then pulls it out and throws it back at Masayasu, saying, "I will make sure to carry this grudge to my descendants for seven generations, without losing an eye."

The arrow hit Masayasu in the left eye, and it is said that his left eye was disabled for seven generations thereafter

After this, Hachirotaro gave up on the goddess of Ichinomegata and began visiting Princess Tatsuko at Lake Tazawa, but all the crucian carp living in Ichinomegata lost their eyes

Not only does Hachirotaro suffer heartbreak, but he is also forced to give up on Ichinomegata, where he thought he could live in the winter, which is a rather sad turn of events, but from the perspective of the goddess of Ichinomegata, it could also be seen as her courting him in search of a place to live, so it could be said that it was a draw

[Episode 2] The inn where Hachirotaro stayed

Among the legends of Hachirotaro is a story about the inn where Hachirotaro stayed when he visited Ichinomegata and Lake Tazawa

The locations vary within Akita Prefecture, including Oga, Kamiyodogawa, Saimyo-ji, Nakagawa, Jinguji, Tsuchikawa, and Akita City, but one thing that all the legends that have been passed down in each region have in common is that they are taboo of "not looking .

The "taboo of not looking" is a story that can be found in many Japanese myths and folk tales, in which someone breaks the prohibition of looking at something that they are doing, resulting in tragic or terrifying consequences

In the legend of Hachirotaro, Hachirotaro stays at the inn disguised as a monk and makes sure that guests "never peek into the room," but one of the householders accidentally sees Hachirotaro sleeping, and from then on, not only does Hachirotaro stop coming to stay, but other guests also stop coming, and the inn falls into disuse

[Episode 3] The "Legend of Hachirotaro" recorded by Masumi Sugae at Lake Tokyaku

"Lake Towada," written in August 1807, Masumi Sugae, a traveler and naturalist from the late Edo period, that he stayed overnight at the Namayama Mine and listened to the story of Nansobo and Hachirotaro at the rest house.

The legend of Hachirotaro is written in Lake Tokyoku, and tells the story of how Hachirotaro, a hunter, went into Mount Okuse with his companions and ate all the trout they had eaten, but then became thirsty. After drinking water until he was satisfied, he lost his human form and asked his companions to give the straw raincoat and hat he was wearing to his parents and comrades

"Towada no Umi" is included in the first volume of the Akita Collection of Books, so if you would like to read the original text, check it out in the National Diet Digital Collection

Reference: Cultural Heritage Online "Lake Tokyoku"

Reference: National Diet Library Digital Collection "Akita Series Volume 1"

summary

The famous story of the Hachirotaro legend is that Hachirotaro transforms into a dragon, becomes the lord of Lake Hachirogata, and marries Princess Tatsuko, but we discovered that there are many other interesting episodes in other legends passed down in Akita Prefecture as well

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

What is the legendary story of "The Legend of Princess Tatsuko" that is passed down on Lake Tazawa, the deepest lake in Japan? [Akita Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/703

Tazawako is located about 10 minutes by bus from Tazawako Station, the Komachi stop on the Akita Shinkansen. Lake Tazawa, the deepest lake in Japan.Lake Tazawa has an area of ​​25.8 square kilometers, making it the 19th largest lake in Japan, but it is also the deepest lake in Japan with a depth of approximately 423 meters. If Japan's tallest building, the Sky Tree, were submerged, the water would be deep enough to submerge all the way to the second observation deck. Because of its deep water, unlike other lakes, it does not freeze even in the middle of winter. It has been selected as one of Japan's 100 Scenic Views, and the entire lake is included in the Prefectural Natural Park. There are tourist spots nearby such as Dakigaeri Valley and Nyuto Onsen. Lake Tazawa Lake Tazawa...

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Please use this article as a reference and learn more about the various legends of Hachiro Taro

Murasakihime

This is Sakihime.
I'm a web writer born in Akita who loves Japanese sake, so I 'm going to have fun introducing Akita's delicious sake, snacks that Akita residents secretly enjoy,
and sightseeing spots where you can enjoy beautiful scenery.
my hometown of Akita and visit “Ozatte Tanse”