ii. Ibarakidoji-Sugatami Bridge (茨木童子貌見橋) or "Ibarakidoji" Part 2

Location: Shinjo-cho (near Ibaraki-shi Stn., Hankyu Line; can also be accessed from Ibaraki Stn., JR Line) Ibaraki City; about 15-20 min. from Osaka or about 25-30 min. from Kyoto + 10 min. walking time

Associated with: The legend of Ibarakidoji

In our last entry, we were in Hyogo Prefecture visiting a shrine with a local origin legend for the demon Ibarakidoji. There are a few other theories on where he was born, but eventually they all merge and have him ending up in Kyoto. Before going there though we need to see what happened to Ibarakidoji as a child.

The popular account has the demon, then merely an abnormally developed and unruly child, being abandoned in the village of Ibaraki (now Ibaraki city). Another origin tale actually has Ibarakidoji being born in Mizuo (a nearby town, now incorporated into the city), so depending on which account you go with, Ibarakidoji's parents traveled all the way across the province from Tomatsu, or just walked down the road and left him there.

Luckily for our anti-hero, Ibarakidoji was taken in by a childless barber, and despite being a handful it so happened that Ibarakidoji picked up the trade and began to work in the barbershop. The story goes that one day Ibarakidoji got blood on his fingers after accidentally nicking a customer in the middle of a shave. Licking the blood clean from his fingers, Ibarakidoji quickly developed a taste for the red. More "accidents" followed, resulting in a severe scolding from Ibarakidoji's adoptive mother.

The iconic scene that followed happened at a location known as Sugatami Bridge. Despondent, Ibarakidoji leaned over the bridge and hung his head in shame. Looking down into the water he caught sight of his reflection: a fully formed demon.

If you're so inclined, you can visit the site where the bridge once stood.

Comments: Ibaraki is one of the best towns you never stopped at on the way to somewhere else. Bang in the middle between Osaka and Kyoto, it's perhaps the most viewed city from the comfort of an air-conditioned train. If you're inclined to visit just a reg'lar old town, then Ibaraki is great. Just be mindful that the main object of your visit is a stone marker. Nearby there are also some relics of the old bridge: an ishidoro, or stone lantern, and a small hokora, or wayside shrine. Don't be too disappointed by the outside structure of the hokora. It's not unusual for these to be rebuilt and even moved to a slightly different location. This one was perhaps situated on the east side of the bridge and the statues inside it have likely been in that general area as part of a hokora for a long time.

Though you're not going here to see anything amazing, the bridge area is something that won't be appearing on any map. You'd be one of the few foreigners to visit it and know what the hell it is.

Getting There

The starting point on the Midosuji subway line is Umeda Stn. Our destination is Ibaraki-shi Stn. on the Hankyu Line. You can also depart from JR Osaka Stn. (also next to subway Umeda Stn.) and get off at Ibaraki Stn. The site lies between the two, but is closer to Hankyu. Neither approach is particularly inconvenient though.

As we learned last time, subway Umeda Stn. lies next to stations, also called Umeda, operated by two other train companies: Hankyu and Hanshin. From subway Umeda, follow the signs directing you to the Hankyu Line. There are a few lines that leave from Hankyu Umeda, and Ibaraki-shi is on the Kyoto Main Line. Quite a few services stop at Ibaraki-shi. You will be fine taking a Rapid Express or anything slower. The Limited Express, or Tokkyu will stop there, as will the "Commutation Express" - Tsukin Tokkyu, which runs mornings and evenings on weekdays.  Other limited express services will shoot right past it, so be careful if you haven't traveled on Hankyu before. Though not immediately after Ibaraki-shi, if you've come from Osaka and find yourself passing through Takatsuki-shi Stn. or even Katsura Stn., it means you've gone too far. If you're coming via JR, take the kaisoku, or rapid service train. The special rapid service train will shoot right past it.

Getting Your Bearings at the Station

At Ibaraki-shi Stn., to get to the site you need to go out the west exit. This shouldn't be too difficult to find. It's the exit with the massive rotary of taxis and buses. From there, you're basically heading south along the train line before taking a right and heading further west. Please refer to the map.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

The first star on the map is the bridge site and is marked with a simple stone marker. This is it folks. This is where the bridge once stood. Further along is the stone lantern and wayside shrine.

Image courtesy of Google Maps

Okay, that was fun. Time to go home? You can if you like, but if you're in a "while I'm here" kind of mood, the stars on the map below are where you can find statues of Ibarakidoji, though unfortunately they are of his city "mascot" likeness, and not his legendary likeness. Following the stars will allow you to see a bit more of the town proper. Ibaraki Shrine in the north also looks nice. It dates back to the 9th century and seems to be thoroughly ignored by foreign visitors.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Being generally on the way to Kyoto, visiting the site of the old Sugatami Bridge is not a particularly inconvenient detour. Just be mindful you're going to see a stick in the ground, albeit one with some historical significance. Zuikoji Temple (see Master List, Osaka) is also on the Hankyu Main Kyoto Line between Umeda and Ibaraki-shi.


Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/

The Master List (Osaka)
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html

(yokai) Ibarakidoji (茨木童子)
Site: Ibarakidoji-Sugatami Bridge or 茨木童子貌見橋 (いばらきどうじすがたみばし)
Nearest Station: (Hankyu Line) Ibaraki-shi Stn. (茨木市駅); (JR Line) Ibaraki Stn. (茨木駅) is also reasonably close
Google Map Search: NA

i. Nishi-Tomatsu Susano Shrine (西富松 須佐男神社) or "Ibarakidoji" Part 1

Location: Mukonoso-Higashi (near Mukonoso Stn., Hankyu Line) Amagasaki City; 15 min. from Osaka or 20 min. from Kobe + 7 min. walking time

Associated with: The legend of Ibarakidoji

This site is connected to one version of the origin of the demon Ibarakidoji. According to this account he was born in Tomatsu, which was once a part of Settsu province but is now located in present-day Amagasaki city. Nishi-Tomatsu Susano Shrine is a remnant of old Tomatsu and associates itself with the local legend.

Photo Credit: Gragma's Yokai Tourbus

According to the shrine's website, the demon child was born in Tomatsu but later abandoned about 12 miles west in the village of Ibaraki. Not to be completely forgotten, the shrine recounts the rather dubious tale of how later in life Ibarakidoji returns to Tomatsu when he discovers his parents have taken ill. The shock of his return causes them to miraculously recover, and they all celebrate with sweet dumplings.

Not surprisingly the shrine has a sweet dumpling festival. It's held on September 1. They hold another customary festival on October 16.

Photo Credit: Gragma's Yokai Tourbus

Comments: This is a local shrine no different to the dozens of other local shrines you are bound to encounter. If you find its folkloric significance appealing, then providing its on your way to another destination (I currently don't have any suggestions) it would not be a particularly costly or timely detour.

Getting There

The starting point on the Midosuji subway line is Umeda Stn. Our destination is Mukonoso Stn. on the Hankyu Line.

Subway Umeda Stn. lies next to other stations, also called Umeda, operated by two train companies: Hankyu and Hanshin. From subway Umeda Stn. (or Osaka Stn. if you've come via JR), follow the signs directing you to the Hankyu Line. There are a few lines that leave from Hankyu Umeda, and Mukonoso is on the Kobe Main Line. It's a local stop (except the "Commutation Express" that runs mornings and evenings on weekdays), so if you get on anything faster you're going to shoot past it. From Umeda, it's six stops to Mukonoso. The first stop after departing Umeda is Nakatsu (Hankyu) and the stop just before Mukonoso is Tsukaguchi. The first stop after Mukonoso is Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi... if you see or pass that, you've gone too far.

Getting Your Bearings at Mukonoso Station

To get to the shrine you need to go out the north exit. If you've come from Osaka, the train will deposit you on the south side of the station, so don't leave the station from the same platform you got off at. You need to go up the platform stairs and along the walkway to the exit on the platform on the opposite side. Now you just need to follow the map:

Map courtesy of Google Maps

The star on the map is the last turnoff on the approach to the shrine. It's also the closest you can get on Google Streetview. The road here is gravel and there is a bollard in the center to prevent cars from entering. At this corner there is also a red mail box and a neighborhood bulletin board.

 Photo Credit: Gragma's Yokai Tourbus

Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/

The Master List (Hyogo):
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html

(yokai) Ibarakidoji (茨木童子)
Site: Nishi-Tomatsu Susano Shrine (西富松 須佐男神社)
Nearest Station: (Hankyu Line) Mukonoso Stn. (武庫之荘駅)
Google Map Search: NA

6 g. The Master List (Wakayama)

Wakayama

1. (religion) Japanese Whale Cults (鯨崇拝)
Site: The Taiji Whale Museum (太地町立くじらの博物館)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Taiji Stn. (太地駅)
Google Map Search: "Taiji Whale Museum"
Notes: The museum displays artifacts tracing 400 years of whaling history in Taiji. It has an excellent side exhibition titled The Last Harpooner.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/08/xxi-taiji-whale-museum-or-taiji-part-1.html

2. (religion) Japanese Whale Cults (鯨崇拝)
Site: Asuka Shrine (飛鳥神社)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Taiji Stn. (太地駅)
Google Map Search: "Asuka Shrine Taiji"
Notes: This shrine is of great importance to the Taiji townsfolk. There is more to it than would appear at first glance.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/08/xxii-asuka-shrine-or-taiji-part-2.html

3. (religion) Japanese Whale Cults (鯨崇拝); Ebisu (恵比須/恵比寿/夷/戎)
Site: Ebisu-jinja Shrine (恵比須神社)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Taiji Stn. (太地駅)
Google Map Search: NA <-- A different shrine will come up if you search for "Ebisu Shrine."
Notes: This local shrine is displays the character of Taiji in a highly symbolic way. Out the front is a torii gate made from the jawbones of a sperm whale.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/08/xxiii-whale-bone-torii-of-ebisu-jinja.html

4. (religion) Japanese Whale Cults (鯨崇拝)
Site: Tomyo-ji Temple (東明寺)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Taiji Stn. (太地駅)
Google Map Search: "Tomyoji Taiji"
Notes: This temple has on its grounds a memorial tower for the souls of departed whales. The temple was built on the old stone fortifications of Taiji castle.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/08/xxv-memorials-for-whales-and-people-or.html

5. (religion) Japanese Whale Cults (鯨崇拝)
Site: Semi-Nagare Monument/Monument to Those Lost at Sea (漂流人紀念碑)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Taiji Stn. (太地駅)
Google Map Search: NA
Notes: This is a memorial to honor those lost in the 1878 Semi-Nagare tragedy.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/08/xxv-memorials-for-whales-and-people-or.html


Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/


The Master Lists
Osaka:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html
Hyogo:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html
Kyoto:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
Shiga:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-d-master-list-shiga.html
Nara:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
Mie:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-f-master-list-mie.html
Wakayama:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-g-master-list-wakayama.html

6 f. The Master List (Mie)

Mie

I'm on it!


Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/


The Master Lists
Osaka:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html
Hyogo:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html
Kyoto:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
Shiga:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-d-master-list-shiga.html
Nara:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
Mie:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-f-master-list-mie.html
Wakayama:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-g-master-list-wakayama.html

6 e. The Master List (Nara)

Nara

-Nara City Area

1. (yokai) The Demon of Gango-ji (元興寺の鬼)
Site: Nara Hotel (奈良ホテル)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Nara Stn. (奈良駅) or (Kintetsu Line) Kintetsu-Nara Stn. (近鉄奈良駅)
Google Map Search: "Nara Hotel Takabatakecho"
Notes: It's not so much the hotel but the land it occupies that is significant to our tale of a demon that terrorized nearby Gango-ji Temple.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2017/02/xxviii-nara-hotel-or-demon-of-gango-ji.html

2. (yokai) The Demon of Gango-ji (元興寺の鬼)
Site: The Crossroad of Suspicion or Fushin ga Tsuji (不審ヶ辻)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Nara Stn. (奈良駅)
Google Map Search: NA
Notes: The crossroad marks the grave of a 6th century burglar who was a menace in life and death.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2017/06/xxx-crossroad-of-suspicion-or-demon-of.html

3. (yokai) The Demon of Gango-ji (元興寺の鬼)
Site: Gango-ji (元興寺)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Nara Stn. (奈良駅) or Kyobate Stn. (京終駅)
Google Map Search: "Gango-ji Nara"
Notes: Gango-ji is the temple from which our tale gets its name. You can still visit what's left of it on your trip to Nara City. Gango-ji is about five blocks' south of Kofukuji.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2017/03/xxix-gango-ji-temple-or-demon-of-gango.html

4. (ghost) The Speaking Skull
Site: Gango-ji (元興寺)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Nara Stn. (奈良駅) or Kyobate Stn. (京終駅)
Google Map Search: "Gango-ji Nara"
Notes: Gango-ji was the residence of Doutou and his disciple Manryo. While out on a stroll, they came across a human skull in rather bad shape. At Doutou's suggestion, Manryo stuck the skull up in a tree to stop it from getting kicked around and all muddy. Of course he did. Not long after, a man appeared at Gango-ji, and ghostliness ensued. Gango-ji is about five blocks' south of Kofukuji.
Entry: (see above)

5. (ghost) Grudge-Bearing Spirits, or Onryo (怨霊)
Site: Goryo Jinja (御霊神社)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Nara Stn. (奈良駅) or Kyobate Stn. (京終駅)
Google Map Search: "Goryo Shrine Nara"
Notes: "Goryo" is a system of Shinto that enshrines the wrathful or vengeful dead, transforming them into protective entities. This shrine prominently enshrines Empress Igami (8th century), who was accused of putting a curse on her husband. After she died in prison, natural disasters and other odd phenomenon followed, and she was enshrined to calm her spirit. This Goryo Shrine is about six blocks' south of Kofukuji.

-South of Nara City Area, Including Sakurai and Asuka

1. (Shinto) Snakes (蛇、巳); and the Shinto rain god Omononushi (大物主)
Site: Omiwa Shrine (大神神社)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Miwa Stn. (三輪駅)
Google Map Search: "Omiwa Shrine Sakurai" <-- The English on the map for some reason just comes up as "Shinto Shrine." To make sure you have the right location, look for Miwa Stn. just to the west of the shrine.
Notes: Omiwa Shrine is an early Shinto site on Mt. Miwa, a mountain which houses the rain god Omononushi. The shrine is associated with several snake legends and an ancient account of how a half human/half kami known as Otataneko saved the land from a terrible epidemic.
Entry (Part 1): http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/06/xix-omiwa-shrine-and-hashihaka-part-1.html
Entry (Part 2): http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/06/xix-omiwa-shrine-and-hashihaka-part-2.html

2. (Shinto/historical) Snakes (蛇、巳); and the Shinto rain god Omononushi (大物主)
Site: Hashihaka Tumulus (箸墓古墳)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Makimuku Stn. (巻向駅)
Google Map Search: "Hashihaka" <-- Be mindful that the pin appears at a place on the mound that is inaccessible. You can only walk the perimeter of a kofun. You cannot enter one (it's like walking on a grave).
Notes: By the traditional account, Hashihaka is the burial mound of Yamato-totohi-momoso-hime, aunt of Emperor Sujin (r. 97-30 BC) and consort of the deity Omononushi. In recent years it has become a likely candidate for the resting place of Queen Himiko, the shaman ruler who appears in early Chinese records pertaining to the Land of Wa (Japan).
Entry (Part 1): http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/06/xix-omiwa-shrine-and-hashihaka-part-1.html
Entry (Part 2): http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/06/xix-omiwa-shrine-and-hashihaka-part-2.html

3. (yokai) The Face Powder Hag, or Oshiroi Baba (白粉婆); The Oshiroi Baba of Hasedera Temple (長谷寺の白粉婆)
Site: Hase-dera (長谷寺)
Nearest Station: (Kintetsu Line) Hasedera Stn. (長谷寺駅)
Google Map Search: "Hase-dera Temple Nara"
Notes: In 1537, Oshiroi Baba is said to have performed a "Feeding the Multitude" type of miracle for a large group of visiting artisan monks. A temple was built on the grounds of Hase-dera in her honor, which still exists to this day. The temple has many buildings, but if you do a google image seach for "白粉婆 長谷寺" (Oshiroi Baba and Hase-dera in Japanese), a picture of what to look for should pop up as the second or third image.

4. (historical) Abe no Seimei (安倍の晴明)
Site: Abe Monju-in (安倍文殊院)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Sakurai Stn. (桜井駅) or (Kintetsu Line) Sakurai Stn. (桜井駅) - the stations are side by side
Google Map Search: "Abe Monju-in" or "Abe Monju-in Nara"
Notes: Abe no Seimei (lit. Seimei of clan Abe) was a famous Heian era practitioner of onmyodo - a discipline combining cosmology, natural sciences and the occult. He is sometimes referred to as the Merlin of Japan, and though Seimei was a historical figure, the legends that have sprung up around him make this a valid comparison. He was said to have been able to control demons, and his long life was credited to his Yokai ancestry: his mother, Kuzunoha, was a fox spirit. Abe Monju-in is another location said to be the birthplace of Abe no Seimei that I have listed on this site (Abe Seimei Shrine in Osaka being the other). Of the two, Abe Monju-in seems to be more regarded as a historical site.

-Yoshino Area and Beyond

1. (yokai) White Snake (白蛇)
Site: Ryusenji (龍泉寺 or 竜泉寺)
Nearest Station: (Kintetsu Line) Shimoichiguchi Stn. (下市口駅) for the Dorogawa Onsen (洞川温泉) bus
Google Map Search: "Ryusen-ji Dorogawa"
Notes: Long ago, a man in Dorogawa married a woman and together they had a child. The wife told her husband, "When you come home from the mountains, be sure to call out, 'I'm home!' so I know you're coming." This he did for a while without giving it too much thought, but one day he decided to enter his house without making a sound. Inside he found his wife, who appeared as a coiled up white snake. Seen in her true form, she entrusted the child to her husband and hid herself away in a nearby pond. As she departed, she gave to her child one of her eyeballs. The child sucked on the eyeball and grew, and over time the eyeball eventually became smaller and smaller until it was nothing. The snake reappeared and gave to the child its other eyeball, but without eyes, the snake was now blind. No longer able to tell the time of day, the snake asked that a bell be rung three times in the morning and six times in the evening. The husband built a temple on the edge of the pond and it was named Ryusen-ji (Dragon Spring Temple). The temple still houses the bell, which continues to be rung today. To get to Ryusen-ji, go to Shimoichiguchi Stn. and take the No. 2 bus in front of the station for Dorogawa Onsen. The bus trip is 90 minutes, and you'll be getting off at the last stop (Dorogawa Onsen). The temple is only a five-minute walk from there.

2. (yokai) Giant Snake or Daija (大蛇)
Site: Akodaki Waterfall (阿古滝) near Ominesan-ji Temple (大峯山寺)
Nearest Station: (Kintetsu Line) Shimoichiguchi Stn. (下市口駅) for the Dorogawa Onsen (洞川温泉) bus
Google Map Search: Look up both "Ominesanji" and "阿古滝" to get your bearings. If you're having trouble finding Akodaki, it will appear on Google Maps about 1 km east of Ominesan-ji, just south of a fork in a river.
Notes: Two hundred years after the Shugendo temple on Mt. Omine was established, a daija took up residence in the mountains near Akodaki waterfall, causing the mountain to fall into ruin. The high priest Shobo (aka Rigen Daishi) and Hakoya Kanbe, a man of great strength, entered the mountains to deal with the menace. Kanbe first flushed out the daija by blowing a giant conch shell, which was said to have been as loud as a hundred conch shells (hyakkai). Shobo then used his ascetic powers to put a spell on the creature; while Kanbe, wielding a hefty ax, finished the daija off by cutting it in two. The mountain was restored to prosperity and it remains a sacred site if you happen to be a Shugendo pilgrim... and a man. Mt. Omine is now the only religious site in all of Japan still off limits to women. So, fellas, to get to Ominesan-ji, go to Shimoichiguchi Stn. and take the No. 2 bus in front of the station for Dorogawa Onsen. The bus trip is 90 minutes, chaps, and you'll be getting off at the last stop (Dorogawa Onsen). It's then about a 4-hour hike to Ominesan-ji and further to Akodaki waterfall. One more thing, boyos, Ominesan-ji is open from May 3 to September 23 each year. Keep that in mind as you plan your trip, dudes.

3. (yokai) Giant Snake or Daija (大蛇)
Site: Hokakuji Temple (鳳閣寺)
Nearest Station: (Yoshino Ropeway) Yoshinoyama Stn. (吉野山駅) for the bus to Okusenbon-guchi (奥千本口)
Google Map Search: "鳳閣寺"
Notes: Two hundred years after the Shugendo temple on Mt. Omine was established, a daija took up residence in the mountains near Akodaki waterfall, causing the mountain to fall into ruin. The high priest Shobo (aka Rigen Daishi) and Hakoya Kanbe, a man of great strength, entered the mountains to deal with the menace. Kanbe first flushed out the daija by blowing a giant conch shell, which was said to have been as loud as a hundred conch shells (hyakkai). Shobo then used his ascetic powers to put a spell on the creature; while Kanbe, wielding a hefty ax, finished the daija off by cutting it in two. The conch and bones of the daija are now treasures of Hokakuji, a temple that sits near the base of a mountain known fittingly as Hyakkaidake (Hyakkai Peak). Unfortunately, reaching the temple directly is difficult except by car. The cheapest way is to first take the Yoshino Ropeway to Yoshinoyama Station, and from there take the bus (a little over 20 minutes) to Okusenbon-guchi (奥千本口). Once there, it's a 5-minute walk to Kinpu Shrine (金峯神社), and from Kinpu Shrine, there is a mountain trail approximately 3.5 km long that you can take to get to Hokakuji.

4. (mytho-historical) Legends associated with Amaterasu (天照), Emperor Jimmu (神武天皇), and the three-legged crow Yatagarasu (八咫烏)
Site: Tenkawa Dai-Benzaiten Shrine 天河大弁財天社
Nearest Station: (Kintetsu Line) Shimoichiguchi Stn. (下市口駅) for the bus to Tenkawa Jinja-mae (天河神社前)/Tenkawadaibenzaitensha (天河大弁財天社)
Google Map Search: "Tenkawadaibenzaitensha"
Notes: You may have heard the story of the sun goddess Amaterasu going into hiding and retreating into a cave. She eventually came out after being drawn to the sound of the other deities laughing at Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, a goddess who delighted the throng by performing a funny dance (a striptease) on an overturned tub. While Uzume danced, she held in her hand three circular bells that were said to contain 50 kami, and Tenkawa Dai-Benzaiten Shrine claims to have in its possession this sacred object, known as the Isuzu (五十鈴). If that weren't incredible enough, Emperor Jimmu (r. 660 BCE-585 BCE), Japanese emperor numero uno, after becoming lost in the area received help from the three-legged crow Yatagarasu (八咫烏), who had been sent to aid him by Amaterasu. With Yatagarasu's help, he eventually found the kingdom of Yamato to the north. Jimmu also received here by divine oracle the term Hi no Moto (日ノ本), which came to be shortened to Nihon (日本), an alternative reading of the first and last characters that we of course know in English as Japan. To get to the shrine, go to Shimoichiguchi Stn. and take the No. 7 Nara Kotsu bus for Naka-Iosumi (中庵住). Get off at Tenkawa Jinja-mae (天河神社前)/Tenkawadaibenzaitensha (天河大弁財天社). The bus trip is about 60 minutes, and there are only three services per day.


Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/


The Master Lists
Osaka:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html
Hyogo:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html
Kyoto:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
Shiga:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-d-master-list-shiga.html
Nara:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
Mie:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-f-master-list-mie.html
Wakayama:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-g-master-list-wakayama.html

6 d. The Master List (Shiga)

Shiga

1. (yokai) Tesso (鉄鼠) or, "The Iron Rat" aka "Raigo the Rat" (頼豪鼠)
Site: Hiyoshi Taisha (日吉大社)
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Sakamoto Stn. (坂本駅) or (JR Line) Hieizan Sakamoto Stn. (比叡山坂本駅)
Google Map Search: "Hiyoshi Taisha"
Notes: On the grounds of Hiyoshi Taisha there is a small shrine off to the side known as the "Nezumi no Hokura" (鼠の秀倉); "Sosha," or maybe "Nesha" (鼠社); or the "Shrine of the Rat." It is also sometimes associated with the Tesso legend.

2. (yokai) Tesso (鉄鼠) or, "The Iron Rat" aka "Raigo the Rat" (頼豪鼠)
Site: Enryaku-ji (延暦寺)
Nearest Station: (Hieizan Line) Cable Enryakuji Stn. (ケーブル延暦寺駅)
Google Map Search: "Enryakuji"
Notes: It was Enryaku-ji where Tesso and an army of rats took out their malice by eating Buddhist scriptures and statues.

3. (yokai) Hitotsume-nyudo (一つ目入道) or Ichigan Hitoashi Hoshi (一眼一足法師); "One-Eyed Monk" or "One-Eyed One-Footed Priest"
Site: Enryaku-ji (延暦寺)
Nearest Station: (Hieizan Line) Cable Enryakuji Stn. (ケーブル延暦寺駅)
Google Map Search: "Enryakuji"
Notes: The One-Eyed One-Footed Priest is said to reside on Mt. Hiei, admonishing and driving out lazy monks by giving them the stink-eye. This yokai is thought perhaps to be Ryogen (良源), a particularly strict abbot at Enryaku-ji during the 10th century. 

4. (yokai) Shuten-doji (酒呑童子)
Site: Enryaku-ji (延暦寺)
Nearest Station: (Hieizan Line) Cable Enryakuji Stn. (ケーブル延暦寺駅)
Google Map Search: "Enryakuji"
Notes: In one account of Shuten-doji's life, his mother was human but his father was the eight-headed snake Yamata no Orochi. He became a page at Enryakuji, but his boozing distracted him from the monastic life. Wikipedia writes how he was a big drinker and was therefore "hated by everyone." (citation needed) One day he dressed up as a demon as part of a festival, and found that when it came to taking off the costume he was unable to remove the mask. Similar to Ibaraki-doji noticing his (or her) reflection in the river, Shuten-doji decided that the demon's life was for him.

5. (yokai) Giant Centipede, or 大百足 (おおむかで)
Site: Katsube Shrine (勝部神社)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Moriyama Stn. (守山駅)
Google Map Search: "Katsube Shrine Moriyama"
Notes: Fujiwara no Hidesato dispatched the Giant Centipede with a poison-tipped arrow (actually it wasn't poison, he just spat on it). In a follow-up account to "My Lord Bag of Rice," the centipede was said to have fallen from the sky in firey pieces. The tail landed near the Seta Karahashi Bridge, but the body landed on the grounds of Katsube Shrine. The telling has become entwined with their yearly fire festival. (Another telling has hunters slaying an orochi, which is either a giant snake or a kind of dragon-serpent, again with its body falling onto the grounds of the shrine.) The fire festival is held on the second Saturday in January. This location is closer to Mt. Mikami, but it can take some doing getting a clear view of it between buildings.

6. (yokai) Giant Centipede, or 大百足 (おおむかで)
Site: Sumiyoshi Shrine (住吉神社)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Moriyama Stn. (守山駅)
Google Map Search: "Sumiyoshi Shrine Moriyama" <-- The entrance to the shrine is on the southwest curve of the block the shrine is located on. Be sure to include "Moriyama" in the search.
Notes: As per the entry above, the Giant Centipede fell from the sky in pieces. The tail landed near the bridge, and the body landed on the grounds of Katsube Shrine. The head though landed on the grounds of Sumiyoshi Shrine. This story has become part of their fire festival, which is held on the same day as the fire festival at Katsube Shine (second Saturday in January). I've read that the ceremonies are pretty much timed the same, so you can only attend one or the other. If you'd like to get a view of Mt. Mikami, it's possible to glimpse it between buildings from the road running along the eastern border of Sumiyoshi Shrine. That might require a bit of circling around, but its striking conical shape gives you an idea of the impact it once may have had on the landscape.

7. (yokai) Giant Centipede, or 大百足 (おおむかで)
Site: Mii-dera (三井寺 or 御井寺)
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Miidera Stn. (三井寺駅) or Bessho Stn. (別所駅)
Google Map Search: "Miidera Otsu"
Notes: Mii-dera makes an appearance here in the "Lord Bag of Rice" series. To recap, the Giant Centipede had been destroyed and bits of it were raining down on local shrines. The Dragon Princess (or King) was grateful and bestowed Fujiwara no Hidesato (aka Tawara Toda) several magical gifts, including a bottomless bag of rice. He was also given a large temple bell, apparently lacking in magic. As it was "just a bell," he gave it to a temple, and that temple was... Mii-dera! As it turned out, the bell had some zing in it after all. The warrior monk Benkei, in what must be the 12th century equivalent of a fraternity prank, stole the thing and hauled it all the way to Enryaku-ji. When the monks there tried to ring it, it toned, "I want to go back!" Benkei apparently took it back part of the way before chucking it down a mountain and leaving it. The Mii-dera priests found it cracked but were able to get it back to the temple. As it was rehung, a small snake (dragon) appeared and used its tail to repair the damage.

8. (yokai) Tesso (鉄鼠) or, "The Iron Rat" aka "Raigo the Rat" (頼豪鼠)
Site: Mii-dera (三井寺 or 御井寺)
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Miidera Stn. (三井寺駅) or Bessho Stn. (別所駅)
Google Map Search: "Miidera Otsu"
Notes: Raigo, a real historical figure, was the abbot of Miidera Temple, who in a feud with Emperor Shirakawa went on a hunger strike and died. Raigo was reborn as a grudge-bearing yokai in the form of man-sized rat, with a "body of stone and claws and teeth of iron."  There is a shrine (十八明神社) on the grounds of Mii-dera dedicated to Raigo known as the "Shrine of the Rat" (鼠の宮).

9. (yokai) Giant Centipede, or 大百足 (おおむかで)
Site: Seta-no-Karahashi (瀬田の唐橋), or the Seta Karahashi Bridge
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Karahashimae Stn. (唐橋前駅)
Google Map Search: "Karahashi-mae Station" <-- The bridge is just east of the station.
Notes: This is the bridge from the folktale Tawara Toda or "My Lord Bag of Rice." It was here that Fujiwara no Hidesato (early-to-mid 10th century) encountered a serpent or "serpent-dragon." The creature turned out to be the Dragon Princess (or Dragon King, depending on the version you read). His bravery tested, the Dragon entreated Hidesato to help deal with the dreaded Giant Centipede of Mt. Mikami (三上山). Mt. Mikami lies to the northeast of the bridge, but it's not possible to see it from the bridge itself.


Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/


The Master Lists
Osaka:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html
Hyogo:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html
Kyoto:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
Shiga:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-d-master-list-shiga.html
Nara:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
Mie:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-f-master-list-mie.html
Wakayama:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-g-master-list-wakayama.html

6 c. The Master List (Kyoto)

Kyoto

-Central Kyoto

1. (ghost) Grudge-Bearing Spirits, or Onryo (怨霊)
Site: Goryo Jinja (御霊神社), aka Kamigoryo Jinja (上御霊神社) or Upper Goryo Shrine
Nearest Station: (Subway) Kuramaguchi Stn. (鞍馬口駅)
Google Map Search: "Kamigoryo Shrine Kyoto" <-- may come up but appear on the map as just "Goryo Shrine"
Notes: "Goryo" is a system of Shinto that enshrines the wrathful or vengeful dead, transforming them into protective entities. This is one of two ancient Goryo Shrines in Kyoto City enshrining a host of potentially prickly passed-on bigwigs.

2. (yokai) Nue (鵺)
Site: The Kyoto Imperial Palace, or Kyoto Gosho (京都御所)
Nearest Station: (Subway Line) Imadegawa Stn. (今出川駅) in the north (recommended) or subway Marutamachi Stn. (丸太町) in the south (possible)
Google Map Search: "Kyoto Imperial Palace"
Notes: The nue, also known as the Japanese chimera, is part monkey, part tiger, part snake and possibly part tanuki too. It made a famous appearance in the summer of 1153 by terrorizing the capital from the sky. The nue was said to have appeared above the imperial palace, specifically the building in which Emperor Konoe slept. This building was called the Seiryo-den (清涼殿) and its renovated structure still exists on the palace grounds.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/11/viii-kyoto-imperial-palace-or-kyoto.html

3. (historical) Abe no Seimei (安倍の晴明)
Site: Seimei Shrine (晴明神社)
Nearest Station: (Subway) Imadegawa Stn. (今出川駅)
Google Map Search: "Seimei Shrine Kyoto"
Notes: Abe no Seimei (lit. Seimei of clan Abe) was a famous Heian era practitioner of onmyodo - a discipline combining cosmology, natural sciences and the occult. He is sometimes referred to as the Merlin of Japan, and though Seimei was a historical figure, the legends that sprung up around him make this a valid comparison. He was said to have been able to control demons, and his long life was credited to his Yokai ancestry: his mother, Kuzunoha, was a fox spirit. Seimei Shrine was founded in 1007, two years after his death. It was built on the site of Abe no Seimei's house.

4. (yokai/historical) The Hashihime of Uji (宇治の橋姫) and general historical macabre
Site: Ichijo Modoribashi Bridge (一条戻橋)
Nearest Station: (Subway) Imadegawa Stn. (今出川駅)
Google Map Search: If you input the Japanese "一条戻橋" the correct location will come up.
Notes: In a tale that seems to have been conflated with the legend of the demon Ibarakidoji, it is said that on this bridge Hashihime disguised herself as a young beautiful woman who tricked Watanabe no Tsuna into giving her a lift on his horse. They had gone part of the way when she suddenly turned into her demon form, and in the ensuing scuffle had her arm severed. The bridge is also located on Ichijo-dori St., the path taken by the Tsukumo-gami for their Demons' Night Parade! Legends aside, the bridge was often an execution ground, and the noggin of Sen no Rikyu (the founder of the Japanese tea ceremony) was put on display there. It was also the route that 26 Catholic missionaries exited from when they were exiled from the capital. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had their ears cut off at the bridge before sending them on their way.

5. (ghost) Grudge-Bearing Spirits, or Onryo (怨霊)
Site: Shimogoryo Jinja (下御霊神社) or Lower Goryo Shrine
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Jingu-Marutamachi Stn. (神宮丸太町駅)
Google Map Search: "Shimogoryo Shrine Kyoto"
Notes: This is one of two ancient Goryo Shrines in Kyoto City. According to its website, Shimogoryo enshrines the Hassho-Goryoan, kind of an "eight-god" team consisting of six enshrined gods from the Upper Goryo Shrine and "two others."

6. (yokai) Nue (鵺)
Site: The Pond of the Nue (鵺池) and the Nue Shrine (鵺大明神)
Nearest Station: Subway Nijojo-mae Stn. (二条城前駅); JR/subway Nijo Stn. (二条駅) is about the same distance to the site, but further away from the entrance to Nijo Castle.
Google Map Search: "鵺大明神" will take you right to the shrine; "二条公園" will bring up the park containing the shrine.
Notes: The nue, also known as the Japanese chimera, is part monkey, part tiger, part snake and possibly part tanuki too. It made a famous appearance in the summer of 1153 by terrorizing Kyoto from the sky. Master archer Minamoto no Yorimasa struck it with an arrow, and it plummeted to the ground near this location here in modern-day Nijo Park.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/01/the-pond-of-nue-and-nue-shrine-or-dead.html

7. (yokai) Nue (鵺)
Site: Shinmei Shrine (神明神社), aka Enoki-Shinmei (榎神明)
Nearest Station: Subway Shijo Stn. (四条駅)
Google Map Search: "Shinmei Shrine Shimogyo"
Notes: The nue, also known as the Japanese chimera, is part monkey, part tiger, part snake and possibly part tanuki too. It made a famous appearance in the summer of 1153 by terrorizing the capital from the sky. Before embarking on the task, the warrior Minamoto no Yorimasa prayed for a successful mission at Shinmei Shrine, and devoted the arrowheads used to slay the creature to the shrine once the job was done. 
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/12/xi-shinmei-shrine-or-live-nue-part-5.html

-Northern Kyoto

1. (yokai/curse) The Hashihime of Uji (宇治の橋姫); and "Ushi no Koku Mairi" (丑の刻参り) or "Ushi no Toki Mairi" (丑の時参り), or Shrine Visit at the Hour of the Ox
Site: Kifune Shrine (貴船神社) <-- Sometimes seen and read as "Kibune Shrine," but the name of the shrine itself is pronounced "Kifune"
Nearest Station: (Eizan Line) Kibuneguchi Stn. (貴船口駅) <-- an example of the same lettering, but with the hard "b" sound instead of the soft "f"
Google Map Search: "Kifune Shrine"
Notes: It is possible to hike up to the shrine, but the No. 33 bus from Kibuneguchi Stn. will get you there in 5 minutes. Ushi no Koku Mairi is an elaborate ritual that involves hammering nails, famously hammering straw dolls with said nails, into a sacred tree on the grounds of a Shinto Shrine. Kifune is the shrine most associated with Ushi no Koku Mairi. The ritual has its roots in the legend of Hashihime, a woman who cloistered herself in prayer at Kifune Shrine with the wish of transforming herself into a living demon. The Kami of Kifune took pity on her and taught her a ceremony that would enable her to do that. The ceremony was described in some detail and is not the same as Ushi no Koku Mairi (nor is the result), but some elements such as the length of time and some of the garb suggest a connection.

2. (historical) Bloody Ceilings, or Chi-tenjo (血天井)
Site: Hosenin (宝泉院)
Nearest Station: None. Take the No. 19 bus from (Subway) Kokusaikaikan Stn. (国際会館駅) to Ohara (20 min.). The No. 17 bus from Kyoto Stn. also provides a direct ride out to Ohara, taking approximately 60 min.
Google Map Search: "Hosenin Kyoto" should do it, but "宝泉院 京都" in Japanese might be safer
Notes: Fushimi Castle in southern Kyoto was the site of a famous siege in 1600 where 2,000 troops loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu kept 40,000 combatants occupied for 11 days. This was enough for Tokugawa to sufficiently regroup to later become the victor at the Battle of Sekigahara. Torii Mototada led the force defending the castle, and as it dwindled, those remaining within the castle committed ritual suicide. The unburned section of the castle in which these acts took place was dismantled in 1623, and the lumber was used to renovate at least five Kyoto temples. The stained timbers were incorporated into the ceilings, and these are known as Chi-tenjo, or Bloody Ceilings. The stains at Hosenin are said to be more subtle. However, a bloody face print can supposedly be made out.

3. (yokai) Kurama Tengu (鞍馬天狗), aka "Sojobo" (僧正坊) or "Kuramayama-Sojobo" (鞍馬山僧正坊), aka King of the Tengu
Site: Kurama-dera (鞍馬寺)
Nearest Station: (Kurama-dera Cable) Tahoto Stn. (多宝塔駅)
Google Map Search: "Kuramadera Temple"
Notes: Kurama Tengu is said to reside on Mt. Kurama. The temple is associated with the occult and has split away from mainstream Buddhism. Comfortable shoes recommended for climbing uphill.

4. (yokai) Kurama Tengu (鞍馬天狗), aka "Sojobo" (僧正坊) or "Kuramayama-Sojobo" (鞍馬山僧正坊), aka King of the Tengu
Site: Yuki-jinja Shrine (由岐神社)
Nearest Station: (Kurama-dera Cable) Sanmon Stn. (山門駅)
Google Map Search: "Yuki Jinja Shrine Kyoto"
Notes: Yuki-jinja is about halfway between Sanmon Stn. and Kurama-dera, roughly distance-wise where Tahoto Stn. sits. However, there is no path (access) from Tahoto Stn., so instead of taking the cable from Sanmon Stn., walk uphill to the shrine. It should be possible to then take an uphill winding path to reach Kurama-dera. Comfortable shoes recommended for climbing uphill.

5. (historical) Bloody Ceilings, or Chi-tenjo (血天井)
Site: Shoden-ji Temple (正伝寺)
Nearest Station: There are no stations particularly close by, but a trip could possibly be planned involving (Subway) Kitaoji Stn. (北大路駅)
Google Map Search: "Shoden-ji Temple"
Notes: Fushimi Castle in southern Kyoto was the site of a famous siege in 1600 where 2,000 troops loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu kept 40,000 combatants occupied for 11 days. This was enough for Tokugawa to sufficiently regroup to later become the victor at the Battle of Sekigahara. Torii Mototada led the force defending the castle, and as it dwindled, those remaining within the castle committed ritual suicide. The unburned section of the castle in which these acts took place was dismantled in 1623, and the lumber was used to renovate at least five Kyoto temples. The stained timbers were incorporated into the ceilings, and these are known as Chi-tenjo, or Bloody Ceilings. The Bloody Ceiling here is close to a garden and natural light. If you've visited the Golden Pavilion and made your way north to Genko-an (see below), the same distance again (roughly) will get you to Shoden-ji, but again, further away from anywhere central. You may appreciate encountering fewer fellow tourists here though.

6. (historical) Bloody Ceilings, or Chi-tenjo (血天井)
Site: Genko-an (源光庵)
Nearest Station: There are no stations particularly close by, but a trip could be planned via (Keifuku Line) Kitano Hakubaicho Stn. (北野白梅町駅), or the more convenient (Subway) Kitaoji Stn. (北大路駅)
Google Map Search: "Genkoan Kyoto"
Notes: Fushimi Castle in southern Kyoto was the site of a famous siege in 1600 where 2,000 troops loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu kept 40,000 combatants occupied for 11 days. This was enough for Tokugawa to sufficiently regroup to later become the victor at the Battle of Sekigahara. Torii Mototada led the force defending the castle, and as it dwindled, those remaining within the castle committed ritual suicide. The unburned section of the castle in which these acts took place was dismantled in 1623, and the lumber was used to renovate at least five Kyoto temples. The stained timbers were incorporated into the ceilings, and these are known as Chi-tenjo, or Bloody Ceilings. Identifiable stains such hand and foot prints can still be made out today, and the Bloody Ceiling here is fairly well lit. Genko-an on its own is not very conveniently located, but it is not impossibly far on foot from Kinkaku-ji, aka The Golden Pavilion. Please note that by walking to Genko-an from Kinkaku-ji, you are walking further away from any train station and firmly into bus and taxi territory.

-Southern Kyoto

1. (yokai) Ibarakidoji (茨木童子)
Site: Rashomon (羅城門)
Nearest Station: (Kintetsu Line) Toji Stn. (東寺駅)
Google Map Search: NA, see entry below
Notes: Ibarakidoji was an oni, or demon, and the most well-known underling (or lover if you follow the Ibarakidoji-as-female-oni theory) of the demon leader Shutendoji (酒呑童子). Ibarakidoji appears in quite a few tales, and interestingly the sites associated with these tales do not come up on map searches: perfect candidates for this site. Ibarakidoji's second-to-last encounter with Watanabe no Tsuna took place at Rashomon and features in the folktale "The Ogre of Rashomon."
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/09/iii-rashomon.html

2. (yokai) Genjo ("玄上" or "玄象")
Site: Rashomon (羅城門)
Nearest Station: (Kintetsu Line) Toji Stn. (東寺駅)
Google Map Search: NA, see entry below
Notes: The Genjo was kind of an enchanted lute (biwa), greatly prized by Emperor Murakami (r. 946-967). Unfortunately, it was stolen. Some time after, however, its music could be heard coming from the top of Rashomon...
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/09/iii-rashomon.html

3. (ghost) The Picture Ghost, or "Garei" (画霊)
Site: Kajuji Temple (勧修寺), aka Kanjuji Temple 
Nearest Station: (Subway) Ono Stn. (小野駅)
Google Map Search: "Kaju-ji Yamashina" ("勧修寺 山科")
Notes: The temple featured in the folktale of the same name in the Ochiguri Monogatari (落栗物語). Local municipal designations (town) with the temple as part of the name are pronounced "Kanshuji." There is another Ono Stn. in neighboring Shiga Prefecture with the same kanji. From Osaka, the approach to both stations is the same for a while, and the Shiga station tends to comes up a little more in searches.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/07/xx-kajuji.html

4. (yokai) The Hashihime of Uji (宇治の橋姫)
Site: Uji Bridge or Ujibashi Bridge (宇治橋)
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Uji Stn. (宇治駅) or (JR Line) Uji Stn. (宇治駅)
Google Map Search: "Keihan Uji Station" (the bridge is directly south of the station); you can also try "Ujibashi Post Office" (the bridge is to the east and slightly to the north)
Notes: After learning at Kifune Shrine the ceremony to transform herself into a living demon, the lady who was to become Hashihime made her way to the Kawase River in Uji. As instructed, she submerged herself for 21 days, finally to emerge as a demon. There she is said to dwell as "the dread 'Bridge Princess' Hashihime."

5. (yokai) The Hashihime of Uji (宇治の橋姫)
Site: Hashihime Shrine (橋姫神社)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Uji Stn. (宇治駅) is a bit closer, but (Keihan Line) Uji Stn. (宇治駅) is not much further, especially if you plan to cross the bridge.
Google Map Search: "Hashihime Shrine"
Notes: Enshrines the "Bridge Princess" Hashihime, and/or (possibly in an earlier incarnation of the shrine) Princess Seoritsu, a Shinto goddess of water. The shrine is said to receive visitors praying for a separation (e.g. from a spouse or unwanted foetus), so perhaps be wary to observe the general mood when you visit.

6. (historical) Bloody Ceilings, or Chi-tenjo (血天井)
Site: Koshoji Temple (興聖寺)
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Uji Stn. (宇治駅)
Google Map Search: "Kosho-ji Uji" <-- Remember to include "Uji" in the search.
Notes: Fushimi Castle in southern Kyoto was the site of a famous siege in 1600 where 2,000 troops loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu kept 40,000 combatants occupied for 11 days. This was enough for Tokugawa to sufficiently regroup to later become the victor at the Battle of Sekigahara. Torii Mototada led the force defending the castle, and as it dwindled, those remaining within the castle committed ritual suicide. The unburned section of the castle in which these acts took place was dismantled in 1623, and the lumber was used to renovate at least five Kyoto temples. The stained timbers were incorporated into the ceilings, and these are known as Chi-tenjo, or Bloody Ceilings. The lighting in Kosho-ji may not be bright enough to fully illuminate the ceiling, so some difficulty could be had in making out the stains here.

-Eastern Kyoto

1. (yokai) Nue (鵺)
Site: Heian Shrine, or Heian Jingu (平安神宮); and the Grave of the Nue, or Nuezuka (鵺塚) in Kyoto
Nearest Station: (subway) Higashiyama Stn. (東山駅)
Google Map Search: "Heian Shrine"
Notes: The nue, also known as the Japanese chimera, is part monkey, part tiger, part snake and possibly part tanuki too. It made a famous appearance in the summer of 1153 by terrorizing Kyoto from the sky. Heian Shrine is a reconstruction of the original Heian Palace, the one in which Emperor Konoe resided in at the time of the incident. Just south of the shrine is the former site of a "nue mound" or grave. It's now a tennis court in Okazaki Park. 
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/04/xvi-heian-shrine-or-heian-jingu-grave.html

2. (historical) Ishikawa Goemon (石川五右衛門)
Site: Nanzen-ji (南禅寺)
Nearest Station: (Subway) Keage Stn. (蹴上駅)
Google Map Search: "Nanzen-ji Kyoto"
Notes: Goemon was a semi-legendary Japanese folk hero, sometimes referred to as Japan's Robin Hood. While he may have been good at stealing, he was not so good when it came to killing warlords. Goemon's failed attempt to assassinate Toyotomi Hideyoshi led to his public execution, which saw him being boiled alive with his young son in front of the main gate at Nanzen-ji.

3. (yokai) Nue (鵺)
Site: Daishogun Shrine (大将軍神社)
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Sanjo Stn. (三条駅), though technically subway Keihan-Sanjo Stn. (京阪三条駅) is closer.
Google Map Search: "Daishogun Shrine Higashiyama"
Notes: The nue, also known as the Japanese chimera, is part monkey, part tiger, part snake and possibly part tanuki too. It made a famous appearance in the summer of 1153 by terrorizing the capital from the sky. Daishogun Shrine marks the location of the old Higashi-Sanjo Forest, also once known simply as the "Nue Forest." It is perhaps the closest thing we have to the nue's original habitat.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/11/vii-daishogun-shrine-aka-live-nue-part-1.html

4. (yurei) Child-Rearing Ghost or Kosodate-Yurei (子育て幽霊)
Site: Minatoya's Child-Rearing Ghost Candy Shop (みなとや幽霊子育飴本舗)
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Kiyomizu-Gojo Stn. (清水五条駅)
Google Map Search: "みなとや幽霊子育飴本舗" <-- A search for the Japanese will bring up the location.
Notes: This old-timey sweets shop got its name from selling candy to a ghostly mother trying to feed her abandoned still-living child.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/10/vi-minatoyas-child-rearing-ghost-candy.html

5. (yokai) Nue (鵺), "Ominous Bird" Type (怪鳥)
Site: Sannenzaka (三年坂 or 産寧坂)
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Gion-Shijo Stn. (祇園四条駅), though Kiyomizu-Gojo Stn. (清水五条駅) is actually closer.
Google Map Search: NA, but "Ninenzaka" does come up.
Notes: Really, guys, I was just looking for an excuse to get Sannenzaka on here. As luck would have it, Sannenzaka is associated with an atypical account involving a nue.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/05/xviii-sannenzaka-or-dead-nue-encore.html

6. (curse) "Ushi no Koku Mairi" (丑の刻参り) "Ushi no Toki Mairi" (丑の時参り), or Shrine Visit at the Hour of the Ox
Site: Jishu Jinja Shrine (地主神社) 
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Kiyomizu Gojo Stn. (清水五条駅)
Google Map Search: "Jishu Jinja Shrine"
Notes: Ushi no Koku Mairi is an elaborate ritual that involves hammering nails, famously hammering straw dolls with said nails, into a tree on the grounds of a Shinto Shrine. Jishu Jinja was a popular shrine for this ritual, and a tree stump has been preserved on site with evidence of the ritual having taken place. It is important to mention that Jishu Jinja Shrine is on the grounds of Kiyomizudera. While entry to the shrine is free, Kiyomizudera requires an entrance fee. If you are visiting the area for the first time, don't let this bother you. Kiyomizudera is an absolute must-see, and to visit the shrine without visiting the temple is, in this poster's opinion, unthinkable. For those who have been to Kiyomizudera before, it's actually possible to enter the temple grounds and Jishu Jinja (but not the temple) for free by going around the back to where people normally exit Kiyomizudera.

7. (yokai) "One-Inch Boy" or Issun-boshi (一寸法師)
Site: Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺)
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Kiyomizu-Gojo Stn. (清水五条駅).
Google Map Search: "Kiyomizu-dera Kyoto"
Notes: Issun-boshi is not really what comes to mind when we think of yokai, but the story involves kami, oni and magic. While out on a visit to Kiyomizu-dera, Issun-boshi and the princess are set upon by ogres. However, it wouldn't matter if all in the yokai pantheon set upon them and danced the Macarena. You need no excuse at all to visit Kiyomizu-dera. It's a must-see.

8. (historical) Japanese Invasion of Korea (1592-98)
Site: The Ear Mound, or "Mimizuka" (耳塚); originally known as The Nose Mound, or "Hanazuka" (鼻塚)
Nearest Station: (Keihan Line) Shichijo Stn. (七条駅)
Google Map Search: "Toyokuni Shrine Kyoto" <-- Not where the mound is exactly. Follow the directions below.
Notes: Stand at the entrance to Toyokuni Shrine, facing away from the torii gate as if you had just left the shrine. In front of you is a crosswalk, and on the other side is a park with some children's play equipment. Cross the street and follow the length of the park. At the end of it you'll find a stone gate encircling a small open area. To the left is a circular mound that's topped with a stone marker. This is the Mimizuka, or the "Mound of Ears." In fact it contains the severed noses (war trophies) of at least 38,000 Korean civilians and solidiers killed during Japan's invasion of Korea in the late 16th century.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/09/v-mimizuka-or-ear-mound-also-known-as.html

9. (historical) Bloody Ceilings, or Chi-tenjo (血天井)
Site: Yogen-in (養源院)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Kyoto Stn. (京都駅)
Google Map Search: "Yogen-in Temple"
Notes: Fushimi Castle in southern Kyoto was the site of a famous siege in 1600 where 2,000 troops loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu kept 40,000 combatants occupied for 11 days. This was enough for Tokugawa to sufficiently regroup to later become the victor at the Battle of Sekigahara. Torii Mototada led the force defending the castle, and as it dwindled, those remaining within the castle committed ritual suicide. The unburned section of the castle in which these acts took place was dismantled in 1623, and the lumber was used to renovate at least five Kyoto temples. The stained timbers were incorporated into the ceilings, and these are known as Chi-tenjo, or Bloody Ceilings. You may find the lighting in Yogen-in to be too dim to fully illuminate the ceiling, but the large stain is said to have been from a fallen body.

-Western Kyoto

1. (historical) Aerial Sepulchre, or Fuso (風葬)
Site: Adashino Nenbutsu-ji (化野念仏寺)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Saga-Arashiyama Stn. (嵯峨嵐山駅)
Google Map Search: "Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Kyoto"
Notes: Aerial sepulchre is when a body is disposed of by exposing it to the elements. From the Heian period to the Edo period, those without the means brought their dead to this hill and left them to decompose. The souls of the dead are now commemorated by a field of 8,000 stone Buddhas.

2. (yokai) Nue (鵺)
Site: Kose-Jizo Hall (古世地蔵堂), aka the Arrowhead Jizo Hall (矢ノ根地蔵堂)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Kameoka Stn. (亀岡駅)
Google Map Search: "古世地蔵堂"
Notes: The nue, also known as the Japanese chimera, is part monkey, part tiger, part snake and possibly part tanuki too. It made a famous appearance in the summer of 1153 by terrorizing the capital from the sky. Before embarking on the task of slaying the creature, the warrior Minamoto no Yorimasa prayed to the Bodisattva Jizo, who appeared to Yorimasa in a dream and advised him on the fletchings to use for his arrow. Kose-Jizo Hall houses the Jizo that Yorimasa is said to have prayed to. About a 20-minute walk from there is another location that may make one feel a little heady.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/12/x-arrowhead-jizo-and-tomb-of-yorimasas.html

3. (historical) The Crossroad of Corpses, or "Katabira no Tsuji" (帷子ノ辻)
Site: Katabiranotsuji Station (帷子ノ辻駅) 
Nearest Station: (Keifuku Line) Katabiranotsuji Stn. (帷子ノ辻駅)
Google Map Search: "Katabiranotsuji Station"
Notes: Empress Tachibana no Kachiko, aka Empress Danrin, requested in her will that her corpse be thrown into the street as a lesson on the impermanence of life. The empress was a devout Buddhist and was said to have been particularly lovely. The location of this event is said to have been near the present-day station. The street leading south from the station soon hits Sanjo St., making a clean crossroads and labeled on maps as the Katabiranotsuji Intersection. Following Sanjo St. to the east, one soon encounters another prominent crossroads where Sanjo intersects with two other streets. The surroundings here are pretty, but besides its name there is nothing very tangible in the immediate area connecting it to the macabre incident of the past. 


Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/


The Master Lists
Osaka:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html
Hyogo:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html
Kyoto:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
Shiga:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-d-master-list-shiga.html
Nara:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
Mie:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-f-master-list-mie.html
Wakayama:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-g-master-list-wakayama.html

6 b. The Master List (Hyogo)

Hyogo

1. (yokai) Ibarakidoji (茨木童子)
Site: Nishi-Tomatsu Susano Shrine (西富松 須佐男神社)
Nearest Station: (Hankyu Line) Mukonoso Stn. (武庫之荘駅)
Google Map Search: NA, even if you try putting in the Japanese, something else will probably come up instead, see entry below
Notes: Ibarakidoji was an oni, or demon, and the most well-known underling (or lover if you follow the Ibarakidoji-as-female-oni theory) of the demon leader Shutendoji (酒呑童子). Ibarakidoji appears in quite a few tales, and interestingly the sites associated with these tales do not come up on map searches: perfect candidates for this site. Nishi-Tomatsu Susano Shrine associates itself with an origin legend of Ibarakidoji.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/i-nishi-tomatsu-susano-shrine.html

2. (yokai) Nue (鵺)
Site: Grave of the Nue, or Nuezuka (鵺塚) in Ashiya
Nearest Station: (Hanshin Line) Ashiya Stn. (芦屋駅)
Google Map Search: NA
Notes: The nue, also known as the Japanese chimera, is part monkey, part tiger, part snake and possibly part tanuki too. It made a famous appearance in the summer of 1153 by terrorizing Kyoto from the sky. Master archer Minamoto no Yorimasa and his retainer killed the beast, then set adrift its accursed body down the river where it eventually washed ashore. This site here in Ashiya, Hyogo contains the "nue mound," a location where the nue was thought to have been retrieved and buried. 
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/04/xv-grave-of-nue-in-ashiya-or-dead-nue.html

3. (yokai) Nue (鵺)
Site: Chomei-ji Temple (長明時)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Nishiwakishi Stn. (西脇市駅)
Google Map Search: "Chomei-ji Nishiwaki"
Notes: The nue, also known as the Japanese chimera, is part monkey, part tiger, part snake and possibly part tanuki too. It made a famous appearance in the summer of 1153 by terrorizing the capital from the sky. Minamoto no Yorimasa shot the nue with an elaborately constructed arrow, the bamboo shaft of which is said to have come from a grove in Yorimasa's fief. Chomei-ji Temple boasts both this obscure tourist attraction as well as the Nuetaiji-zo, a statue of the face-off between Yorimasa and the nue.
Original Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/12/ix-arrow-bamboo-grove-of-chomei-ji-or.html
Follow-up Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/11/xxvii-follow-up-report-on-chomei-ji-or.html

4. (yokai) Datsueba (奪衣婆), The Old Hag of Hell
Site: Ichijo-ji Temple (一乗寺); in full "Hokkesan Ichijo-ji Temple" (法華山一乗寺)
Nearest Station: (Hojo Line) Hokkeguchi Stn. (法華口駅) <-- though not particularly "near"
Google Map Search: "Ichijo-ji Kasai"
Notes: The temple has many Jizo statues and piles of stones, as per the telling of how souls of departed children encounter Datsueba at the River Sanzu. This is not an easy one to reach, and would probably require a day trip on its own. The temple receives visitors who are grieving parents, and the atmosphere is melancholy.
Entry (Part 1): https://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2019/07/xxxiv-sai-riverbed-of-ichijo-ji-part-1.html
Entry (Part 2): https://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2019/07/xxxiv-sai-riverbed-of-ichijo-ji-part-2.html
Entry (Part 3): https://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2019/08/xxxiv-sai-riverbed-of-ichijo-ji-part-3.html

5. (wonders) "The Floating Stone" or Uki-ishi (浮石)
Site: Ohshiko Shrine (生石神社)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Hoden Stn. (宝殿駅)
Google Map Search: "生石神社" <-- The English doesn't seem to come up.
Notes: The Uki-ishi is an enormous stone of religious significance and mysterious origin, and one of the Three Wonders of Japan or Nihon-sanki (日本三奇). The shrine is thought to date back more than two-thousand years to the reign of Emperor Sujin (B.C. 97-30), but for all that this site doesn't appear to get much attention. Legend has it that two deities living in the stone appeared to the emperor in a dream, promising prosperity for their enshrinement. The stone itself is the honored god-body Ishi no Hoden (石の宝殿), or Stone Repository. Surrounded by water, it appears to be floating, hence its other title. The shrine is really getting with the program and boasts other "wonders" (fushigi or 不思議) on its homepage. These include an odd shape left behind after a landslide, three dragons in the side of a rock, and a large outcrop that looks like the head of a gorilla.
Entry: https://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2019/02/xxxiii-stone-treasure-house-of-ohshiko.html

6. (ghost) Okiku's Well (お菊井戸)
Site: Himeji Castle (姫路城)
Nearest Station: (JR) Himeji Stn. (姫路駅)
Google Map Search: "Himeji Castle" (the castle is north of Himeji Stn.)
Notes: The well from the folktale Bancho Sarayashiki (番町皿屋敷) is said, according to one telling, to be located in Himeji Castle.
Entry: https://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2018/08/xxxii-okikus-well.html


Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/


The Master Lists
Osaka:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html
Hyogo:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html
Kyoto:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
Shiga:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-d-master-list-shiga.html
Nara:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
Mie:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-f-master-list-mie.html
Wakayama:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-g-master-list-wakayama.html

6 a. The Master List (Osaka)

Osaka

-Osaka City

1. (religion) Japan Whale Cults (鯨崇拝)
Site: Zuiko-ji Temple (瑞光寺)
Nearest Station: (Hankyu Line) Kami-Shinjo Stn. (上新庄駅) or (Subway) Zuiko Yonchome Stn. (瑞光四丁目駅)
Google Map Search: "Zuiko-ji Temple Higashiyodogawa" - then to check you have the right location, "Zuikoji Park" should bring up the lot immediately next to the temple.
Notes: The temple belongs to the Myoshinji school of Buddhism but historically has a connection with a whaling village in the south. The legacy of that interaction can still be found on the temple grounds. Besides the whalebone entrance, one can also find the Setsugeikyo (雪鯨橋), better known as the Kujirabashi (くじら橋), or whale bridge. It was once made entirely of whale bones, but is now a combination of stone and bone. It is said to be the only whalebone bridge in all of Japan.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/08/xxiv-intermission-setsugeikyo-or-whale.html

2.  (historical) "Human Pillar" Human Sacrifice (人柱 or "Hitobashira")
Site: Daigan-ji Temple (大願寺)
Nearest Station: (JR Line) Higashi-Yodogawa Stn. (東淀川駅)
Google Map Search: "Daigan-ji Temple Yodogawa" or  "Daigan-ji Temple Osaka" - There are several temples named "Daigan-ji" in Japan, so perhaps cross reference the location with Higashi-Yodogawa Stn.
Notes: This temple is the successor to the Hashimoto Temple, which was built in 615 and dedicated to Iwa-uji, the man who was said to have sacrificed his life for the construction of the Nagarabashi Bridge. The temple contains several items connected to the sacrifice, such as a memorial tablet, his "grave," and part of the original bridge that Iwa-uji was tied to.
Entry (Part 1): http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/09/iv-nagarabashi-bridge-and-daigan-ji.html
Entry (Part 2): http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/09/iv-nagarabashi-bridge-and-daigan-ji_17.html

3. (yokai/historical) Hashihime (橋姫), local variant; "Human Pillar" Human Sacrifice (人柱 or "Hitobashira")
Site: Nagarabashi Bridge (長柄橋)
Nearest Station: (Subway) Tenjinbashisujirokuchome Stn. (天神橋筋六丁目駅) coming from the south; or (Hankyu Line) Sozenji Stn. (崇禅寺駅) coming from the north. Kunijima Stn. (柴島駅), on a different Hankyu Line, lies more-or-less next to Sozenji Stn., but you will probably find it less convenient if you plan to travel back to Umeda or onward into Kyoto.
Google Map Search: Try "Eneos Nagarabashi SS," which is a service station south of the bridge. If you follow the road the service station is situated on (Tenjinbashisuji), the river you come to is the Yodogawa River and the bridge is the Nagarabashi Bridge.
Notes: This bridge in Osaka is said to have a Hashihime legend attached to it. This Hashihime was a woman in connection with the human sacrifice for the bridge's successful construction. Unless you have a serious Hashihime itch and can't get to Uji, for all intents and purposes, it's just a bridge (and is thought to now lie south of its original location).
Entry (Part 1): http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/09/iv-nagarabashi-bridge-and-daigan-ji.html
Entry (Part 2): http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/09/iv-nagarabashi-bridge-and-daigan-ji_17.html

4. (yokai) Nue (鵺)
Site: Grave of the Nue, or Nuezuka (鵺塚) in Osaka
Nearest Station: Subway Miyakojima Stn. (都島駅)
Google Map Search: NA
Notes: The nue, also known as the Japanese chimera, is part monkey, part tiger, part snake and possibly part tanuki too. It made a famous appearance in the summer of 1153 by terrorizing Kyoto from the sky. Master archer Minamoto no Yorimasa and his retainer killed the beast, then set adrift its accursed body down the river where it eventually washed ashore. This site here in Miyakojima, Osaka contains a "nue mound," marking one possible location where the nue was retrieved and buried. 
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/02/xiv-grave-of-nue-in-osaka-or-dead-nue.html

5. (yokai) Danjiri Kichibei (地車吉兵衛)
Site: Horikawa Ebisu Shrine (堀川戎神社)
Nearest Station: (Subway Line) Minami-morimachi Stn. (南森町駅)
Google Map Search: "Horikawaebisu Shrine"
Notes: On the grounds of Horikawa Ebisu Shrine is a smaller shrine called Enoki Shrine, also known as "Danjiri Inari". It's connected with a tanuki or raccoon spirit known as Danjiri Kichibei, who was said to have tricked neighborhood residents by mimicking the sound of danjiri music thusly: kon-chiki-chin! Kichibei-san was thought to have been an incarnation of the shrine's spirit. It was said that one's prayers would be answered if you hear Kichibei's music coming out of the shrine, but the music has not been heard since the 1930s. Kon-chiki-chin!

6. (ghost) Grudge-Bearing Spirits, or Onryo (怨霊)
Site: Goryo Jinja (御霊神社)
Nearest Station: (Subway) Yodoyabashi Stn. (淀屋橋駅)
Google Map Search: "Goryo Shrine Osaka"
Notes: "Goryo" is a system of Shinto that enshrines the wrathful or vengeful dead, transforming them into protective entities. This is one of several that enshrines the warrior Kamakura Gongoro Kagemasa.

7. (yokai) Kappa (河童)

Site: Hommachi Bend, or Hommachi no Magari (本町のまがり)

Nearest Station: (Subway) Sakaisuji-Hommachi Stn. (堺筋本町駅)

Google Map Search: NA

Notes: This dinky little site was once a known kappa haunt. It's marked by a bend in the river and a Jizo statue.  
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2016/01/xii-intermission-hommachi-bend.html

8. (phenomenon) "Bone Buddhas" or Okotsu Butsu (お骨佛)
Site: Isshin-ji (一心寺)
Nearest Station: (JR or Subway Line) Tennoji Stn. (天王寺駅)
Google Map Search: "Isshin-ji" <-- The hyphen may be important to distinguish it from a similarly named temple.
Notes: This entry very quickly exhausts my basic understanding of Buddhism, but in line with the beliefs of Pure Land Buddhism, there is a practice, not universal, of mixing the crushed bones and ashes of devotees with clay and sculpting them into holy images. As of 2015, there are seven such sculptures of Amida Buddha at Isshin-ji. They are numbered seven to thirteen as the first six were destroyed in the war.

9. (historical) Abe no Seimei (安倍の晴明)
Site: Abe Seimei Shrine, sometimes appears in searches as Abeno Seimei Jinja or Shrine (安倍晴明神社)
Nearest Station: (Hankai Tramway) Higashi-Tengachaya Stn. (東天下茶屋駅); it's also only about a 10 min. walk from (Subway) Showacho Stn. (昭和町駅), a trip via the subway network being the more convenient
Google Map Search: "Abeseimei Shrine Osaka"
Notes: Abe no Seimei (lit. Seimei of clan Abe) was a famous Heian era practitioner of onmyodo - a discipline combining cosmology, natural sciences and the occult. He is sometimes referred to as the Merlin of Japan, and though Seimei was a historical figure, the legends that have sprung up around him make this a valid comparison. He was said to have been able to control demons, and his long life was credited to his Yokai ancestry: his mother, Kuzunoha, was a fox spirit. Abe Seimei Shrine in Osaka reportedly marks the site where Seimei was born. The other location often listed as his birthplace is Abe Monju-in in Nara, with Seimei Shrine in Kyoto being his former residence. Abe Seimei Shrine on the surface appears to be the less regarded as an actual historical site, but it's still absolutely the case that Abe no Seimei has been enshrined at this location. The shrine features a stone monument indicating his birthplace, the well where he apparently took his first bath, and an interesting Inari shrine for his mother Kuzunoha Gitsune. There is also a heavy stone, once an old anchor, that people visit to pray for safe childbirth. 

10. (yokai) "One-Inch Boy" or Issun-boshi (一寸法師)
Site: Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine or Sumiyoshi Taisha (住吉大社)
Nearest Station: Though I wouldn't call it a "hub," quite a few lines intersect around Sumiyoshi Taisha; (Nankai, Main Line) Sumiyoshitaisha Stn. (住吉大社駅), (Nankai, Koya Line) Sumiyoshihigashi Stn. (住吉東駅), and (Tramway, Hankai Line) Sumiyoshi-toriimae Stn. (住吉鳥居前駅).
Google Map Search: "Sumiyoshi Taisha"
Notes: Issun-boshi is not really what comes to mind when we think of yokai, but the story involves kami, oni and magic. In the modernized version of Issun-boshi, his elderly parents pray for a child at Sumiyoshi Taisha, "no matter how small," and the prayers were answered by Empress Jingu, who is enshrined at Sumiyoshi Taisha along with the Sumiyoshi Sanjin (住吉三神).

-Outside Osaka City

1. (yokai) Ibarakidoji (茨木童子)
Site: Ibarakidoji-Sugatami Bridge or 茨木童子貌見橋 (いばらきどうじすがたみばし)
Nearest Station: (Hankyu Line) Ibaraki-shi Stn. (茨木市駅); (JR Line) Ibaraki Stn. (茨木駅) is also reasonably close
Google Map Search: NA, see entry below
Notes: Ibarakidoji was an oni, or demon, and the most well-known underling (or lover if you follow the Ibarakidoji-as-female-oni theory) of the demon leader Shutendoji (酒呑童子). Ibarakidoji appears in quite a few tales, and interestingly the sites associated with these tales do not come up on map searches: perfect candidates for this site. Sugatami Bridge appears in one tale set during Ibarakidoji's upbringing.
Entry: http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/ii-ibarakidoji-sugatami-bridge-or.html

2. (legendary objects) A sword or tsurugi (剣) and arrow or ya (矢) that are able to cut/penetrate stone
Site: Ishikiri Tsurugiya Shrine (石切劔箭神社)
Nearest Station: Shin-Ishikiri Stn., Kintetsu Higashi-Osaka Line (新石切駅), or Ishikiri Stn., Kintetsu Nara Line (石切駅)
Google Map Search: "Ishikiri Tsurugiya Shrine" - Do not search for "Ishikiritsurugiya" (one word), as it will bring up a similarly named location to the east! So that you know you have the right location, Ishikiri Elementary School is just to the northwest of the shrine.
Notes: This shrine was established in 658, and its deities, the grandson and great-grandson of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, are enshrined in an arrow (the grandson?) and a sword (the great-grandson?) that are said to be able to cut and penetrate rock. Most people who come here to pray are not doing so in the hopes that their rocks will be cut in half or penetrated, rather they would be satisfied that their prayers help in the slicing or removal of a tumor or boil.

3. (historical) The Siege of Osaka, 1615 Summer Campaign  (大坂夏の陣); and Bloody Ceiling (血天井)
Site: Jokoji Temple (常光寺)
Nearest Station: (Kintetsu Line) Kintetsu-Yao Stn. (近鉄八尾駅)
Google Map Search: "Jokoji Yao"
Notes: During the 1615 summer campaign of the Siege of Osaka, the daimyo Todo Takatora of the Tokugawa Army encamped here at Jokoji. The heads of fallen enemies were lined up along the outdoor corridor for his viewing, staining the floorboards in the process. The bloodied planks were later preserved as part of the temple's ceiling. Takatora's sons, who died in the Battle of Yao that June, are also buried at the temple.


Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/


The Master Lists
Osaka:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-the-master-list-osaka.html
Hyogo:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-b-master-list-hyogo.html
Kyoto:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
Shiga:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-d-master-list-shiga.html
Nara:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-e-master-list-nara.html
Mie:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-f-master-list-mie.html
Wakayama:  http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.com/2015/08/6-g-master-list-wakayama.html