Traditions and customs

[Series 5: The Battle of Zenkunen and the Battle of Gosannen] 20 years after the Battle of Zenkunen, wars once again spread across Oshu...

After the Battle of Zenkunen, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi returned to Kyoto, and the six Oku districts of Mutsu (inland Iwate Prefecture), which had been under the control of the Abe clan, came under the rule of the Kiyohara clan. The Kiyohara clan fought a long war...

DaiwaConsilio2023.12.26

[Series 4: The Battle of Zenkunen and the Battle of Gosannen] The Kiyohara clan, who completely changed the course of the Battle of Zenkunen...

After their crushing defeat at the hands of Abe no Sadato in the Battle of the Yellow Sea, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and his son Yoshiie are said to have worked tirelessly to regain their fighting strength...

DaiwaConsilio2023.12.19

[Series 3: The Former Nine Years' War and the Later Three Years' War] The unrivaled Abe army was driven into a corner...

Following the Akutogawa Incident in February 1056 (the 4th year of the Tenki era), Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and Abe no Yoritoki were once again at war, with the battle situation fluctuating...

DaiwaConsilio2023.12.15

[Series 2: The Battle of Zenkunen and the Battle of Gosannen] The Battle of Zenkunen was a hard-fought...

Abe Yoriyoshi, the chief of the Oku-Roku District (Iwate Prefecture), ordered Mutsu no Kami Fujiwara no Naritō, who had raised an army to subjugate the enemy, to flee to the Onikiribe region.

DaiwaConsilio2023.12.08

[Series 1: The Zenkunen War and the Gosannen War] Why did the Oshu Wars occur at the end of the Heian period?.

Also known as the "Twelve Years' War of Oshu," this battle, which took place at the end of the Heian period between Mutsu and Dewa, now Iwate and Akita prefectures, was not just a local battle but also served as a bridge to the Kamakura period...

DaiwaConsilio2023.11.28

Myoken Shrine (Yamagata Prefecture) - home to the legend of Benbeko Taro, a fierce battle between a dog and a raccoon dog

In Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture, there is a folk tale called "Benbeko Taro Legend," which can be said to be the Yamagata version of the famous "Hayataro Legend (Shippei Taro Legend)" folk tale from Nagano and Shizuoka prefectures. To summarize...

Aoiwa2023.11.17

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...

Mysterious legends exist all over Japan, and one such story exists right here at Senshoji Temple in the center of Yamagata City. This time, we'll be looking at the "Legend of the Night-Crying Sumo Wrestler Statue" at Senshoji Temple...

Aoiwa2023.10.30

The legend of the demon hag of Adachihara. It's a scary ghost story with a tragic human drama!.

There is a legend about an onibaba (demon hag) who attacks travelers in Adachigahara, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture. This story is well-known nationwide and has been performed in kabuki and ningyo joruri (Japanese puppet theater) plays under the name "Oshu Adachigahara.".

Aoiwa2023.10.27

One of Japan's three Fudo temples is in Miyagi Prefecture? Yokoyama Fudoson at Daitokuji Temple in Tome City [Miyagi Prefecture]

Sendai City is located in the center of Miyagi Prefecture. About 80km northeast of there, in Tome City, is Daitokuji Temple's Yokoyama Fudoson. The Acala enshrined there...

Aoiwa2023.10.10

A god splits the cape in half, along with the whale! "Kamiwarizaki" (Kamiwari Cape), where the legend of the god splits the cape in half (Miyagi Prefecture)

Kamiwarizaki, a scenic spot in Minamisanriku Town, Motoyoshi District, Miyagi Prefecture, is a famous tourist destination that is often heard of by people living in Miyagi Prefecture. However, many people don't know what it's actually like...

Aoiwa2023.10.05