Dososhin, or roadside gods, are said to be placed at the borders of villages and along mountain passes to ward off foreign epidemics and evil spirits. It's notable that they come in a variety of different types and shapes throughout Japan.
Murasakihime
In Ayaori-cho, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, there remains a mysterious stone structure called "Tsuzui-ishi," which consists of two stones placed side by side like platforms, topped with a huge capstone, allowing one to pass underneath like a torii gate. Folklorist Yanagida...
Murasakihime
In his book "Yuki Dewa Do," Sugae Masumi, a Japanese classical scholar and travel writer from the late Edo period, writes that monkey sake was brewed at the home of Shimada Gensuke, a family who had lived in Tashiro Village (now Yamauchi Village) for generations, and that it was effective against stomach aches.
Murasakihime
Did you know that Yamagata has many folk tales, including some famous ones that were even broadcast on the Japanese comic strip Manga Mukashi Banashi? In this article, we'll introduce one of them, "Ubaki"...
Murasakihime
We all know that Kesaranpasaran is said to bring happiness to the person who holds it, but there are probably a surprising number of people who don't really know whether it is a living thing or a plant...
Murasakihime
When you think of Inari shrines, the red torii gates are what make them stand out, but the highlight is the vermilion torii gates seen at Takayama Inari Shrine in Aomori Prefecture, at the northern tip of Honshu. In snowy Aomori Prefecture, the vermilion torii gates stand in a garden buried in white snow...
One of the most important figures in the history of Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, is Uesugi Yozan. To this day, he is affectionately and respectfully referred to as Lord Yozan. In this article, we will explore who Uesugi Yozan was...
Takahata Tenmangu Shrine, located in Iizaka-cho, Fukushima City, in northern Fukushima Prefecture, holds the "Usokae Festival" twice a year. It is held with the hope that all misfortunes will be turned into lies and turned into good things. Only at the Usokae Festival can you get...
Akabeko is one of Fukushima Prefecture's most famous local toys. It has long been loved as a traditional lucky charm and as a character representing Fukushima Prefecture. In recent years, Akabeko has...
Located in northern Miyagi Prefecture, on the border with Iwate Prefecture, there is a place called "Kanari" in Kurihara City. It is said that gold dust was mined in the Natsukawa River that flows through this area, and the charcoal maker "Sumi-yaki Tota" (Sumi-yaki Tota) was named after the place name.
