x. The Arrowhead Jizo (矢ノ根地蔵) and the Tomb of Yorimasa's Head (頼政塚) or "Live Nue" Part 4

Location: Kameoka City (near Kameoka Stn., JR Line), Kyoto Prefecture; about 1 hour from Osaka or 20-25 min. from Kyoto + 15 min. walking time (about the same again if you plan to continue on to the tomb)

Associated with: Nue aka "the Japanese chimera"

It doesn't seem that it was ever Yorimasa's mission to construct the perfect arrow for the job; from what I can tell he would have tried shooting the nue with a chopstick if that's all he had. Rather, it was the case that the arrow took shape in the process of the warrior reflecting on the task at hand. In the case of this particular site, it was Yorimasa looking to seek spiritual guidance from the Bodhisattva Jizo.

As any visitor to Japan knows, you needn't go far to find a statue of Jizo, so it strikes me as odd that Yorimasa sought out this particular statue of Jizo on the other side of town. (Though I suppose it's no more ridiculous than harvesting bamboo arrow shafts from two prefectures over.)

But as it happened, Yorimasa was apparently worried about whether he could defeat the nue, so at Kameoka he offered up prayers to the guardian Bodhisattva. That night, Jizo appeared to Yorimasa in a dream and told him to quell the menace by making an arrow with the feathers of a mountain pheasant from Mt. Tori.

Photo Credit: Gragma's Yokai Tourbus

The site goes by a few names. The correct name for the location appears to be Kose-Jizo-do (古世地蔵堂), or Kose-Jizo Hall, but it's also known as the Arrowhead Jizo Hall (Yanone-Jizo-do). It houses the Arrowhead Jizo, which is apparently also known as the Yoko-cho Jizo (横町地蔵). Yoko-cho, or Yoko Town, is where the building is located... kind of. (It's actually just outside the municipal designation.)

The question is though, does the hall in any way acknowledge the part in played in the nue legend? Researching the site, one will discover that their Jizo statue holds a staff in its hand for most of the year, but on the day of the Jizo-bon festival (the third weekend in August), the staff is replaced with an arrow in honor of Yorimasa's defeat of the nue.

Well things lined up for me this past year and I was able to pay a visit to Kameoka on the third weekend in August.

Photo Credit: Gragma's Yokai Tourbus

Jizo-bon festivals are usually tiny affairs put on for children by their local neighborhood associations. Possibly due to the declining birthrate, the number of adults that come to help out at these festivals is often larger than the number of kids, and having participated in several local Jizo-bon festivals, I knew I could probably expect to find a group of neighbors sitting around and having a chat. That meant my reception would depend on them and whoever happened to be the association head that year.

I needn't have worried. I received a warm welcome and was soon invited in for tea. Inside, the hall was decorated with hangings of Yorimasa slaying the nue, a life-size diagram of his bow, and depictions of the Buddhist realms of rebirth. (This might explain why sitting on the right of the altar was a statue of Enma, the King of Hell.)

Photo Credit: Gragma's Yokai Tourbus

I found myself in a bit of quandary as Jizo was not really visible through the viewing window. I asked if it would be all right to get up close to the altar, and couldn't believe my luck when the head of the association offered to open up the back door to the inner sanctum for me.

Nearby, a group of middle-aged ladies sat enjoying the proceedings. Upon hearing that the door to Jizo's sanctum was being opened, several remarked that it was their first time to get a look inside. One said the only time she'd ever seen the Jizo statue was when the hall was renovated. I realized then that if almost none of these locals had even seen the Jizo, it was doubtful that anybody had been in there to change around the staff for an arrow (or do anything) for a long time, and certainly not that day. What would I find? Would Jizo be carrying a staff or an arrow?

Photo Credit: Gragma's Yokai Tourbus

You can imagine my disappointment when I discovered that on this day, the day of the Jizo-bon festival, Jizo was holding a staff. And by the looks of it, the staff didn't seem to be the kind of accessory that could be switched out easily. I have to admit it was a letdown after the excitement of being allowed to see the statue.

But then I took another look.

Photo Credit: Gragma's Yokai Tourbus

Jizo was holding a staff, but he was also holding an arrow. The arrowhead was simply pointing down so that to the casual observer it looked like he was holding a staff. It was only when you looked closer that the arrow became apparent. With plenty of photos taken and that bit of debunking out of the way, it was time for me to bid farewell to my gracious hosts and head off to the next site.

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Speaking of heads being off, you're probably wondering what this business is regarding the tomb of "Yorimasa's head." Those of you not acquainted with history are no doubt beginning to suspect that things eventually did not end well for the man, as in order to have a tomb for a head (a kubizuka, or 首塚), the head in question first needs to be removed from its owner's body.

I'm going to cover Yorimasa's fate in a separate entry, but one thing I'll say now about head removal in Japan is that in the impending arrival of an enemy who is about to defeat you, if you've managed to cut your guts open and have a friend chop your head off, you've had just about the best death you could hope for. What could put a dampener on it is your head becoming a war trophy or being shown as proof of your death to an opposing general while he, say, sips tea in a temple he has "borrowed" for his headquarters. If there is a risk of that happening, it's preferable to have your head hidden after it has been separated from your body. Following a noble death, this may involve hiding it in a very ignoble fashion so that not only enemies but just about anybody would have trouble retrieving it. 

And so it happened that in the official account, after Yorimasa's noble and honorable death, a retainer threw his head into a river... However, one legend has it that the retainer in fact smuggled out the head and gave it a proper burial here in Kameoka City.

The tomb known as Yorimasa-zuka (頼政塚 or "Yorimasa's Tomb") is on a hill and adjacent to Tsutsujigaoka Elementary School. This location is rather far from where Yorimasa breathed his last, and quite a long way to carry a head, but some legitimacy is given to the tale in that it is a location very close to the land that was awarded to Yorimasa for his extermination of the nue, an area that was to become known as Yada (矢田) or "Arrowfield." In fact just west of the Arrowhead Jizo there are municipal designations that still bear this title in their names: Yadacho ("Arrowfield Town") and Shimo-Yada ("Lower Arrowfield"). It is thought that perhaps Yorimasa's head was buried here because out of all his lands, this was the least distance from where he died.

Not that any of my dear readers should be too concerned, but the head, perhaps not totally satisfied with its circumstances, is rumored to bestow a curse upon visitors who display improper or impolite behavior. Said curse will cause paralysis to the hands and feet, followed by death. Always being on my best behavior I wasn't particularly worried, but that changed when my first step up the hill caused a snake to spring out from under the brush. While it didn't have the characteristic markings of the dreaded mamushi, or Japanese pit viper, the experience had me watching my every step. Grappling with the fear of being bitten by a snake for the entire walk up, by the time I reached the tomb all I could think about was the curse. While not a particularly imposing structure, for some reason I could not bring myself to photograph it, so instead here's the view from the top.

Photo Credit: Gragma's Yokai Tourbus

Comments: Kameoka is a lovely city, but the sites themselves are not that impressive to the casual tourist. After all, that's probably not Yorimasa's actual head in there, so I would only recommend it if you had a spare day in Kyoto and wanted to get away from the tourist throng. There is not a lot to do "while you're there," but you could combine it with a trip to Arashiyama (speaking of tourist throngs). I would aim to get the Kameoka sites out of the way in the morning so you can take Arashiyama at your own pace for the rest of the day.

Getting There

The starting point on the Midosuji subway line is Umeda Stn. Our destination is Kameoka Stn. on the JR line. 

Umeda Stn. lies next to Osaka Stn., a large hub of intersecting JR lines. From subway Umeda, follow the signs directing you to JR Osaka Stn. Unlike Umeda, there is only one "Osaka" station, but south there is another JR station called Kitashinchi. Though you'll likely find Osaka Stn. with your eyes closed, if you are following "JR" signs  and you've been walking for longer than 5 minutes or so there is a small possibility you've made a wrong turn. I again want to point out that we're starting at subway Umeda Stn. to keep it in line with our Midosuji Line-centered travel, but if you are staying in the Osaka Stn. area or near a station on the Loop Line, you obviously needn't worry about the subway for this trip.

As for Osaka Stn., it's a big one so take your time finding your platform. The longest that you'll wait for a train leaving for Kyoto is 10 minutes, so don't rush and don't stress out. Just take your time to follow the signs and directions to the platform and you will be fine.

As for Kyoto Stn., it's on the Kyoto Line stretch of the Tokaido Main Line. The Tokaido Line continues past Osaka Stn. and Kyoto Stn., but the sections of it are named differently according to its location. The Kyoto Line operates in combination with the Biwako Line (and JR Kobe Line in the opposite direction). This means a train service will likely not terminate at Kyoto Stn. but continue uninterrupted on the next stretch of line. So, for example, trains at Osaka Stn. leaving for Nagahama, Maibara or Yasu, will all stop without fail at Kyoto Stn. as they are all on the Tokaido Main Line past Kyoto. In other words, you need to look for trains going in the direction of Kyoto or trains stopping at Kyoto, as the train services won't necessarily be labeled as "Kyoto Trains" because they almost certainly won't be terminating there.

Take the shinkaisoku, or special rapid service train from Osaka. You can also take the kaisoku, or rapid service train, but it will add more time to your trip. If it's a consideration, the kaisoku is a bit easier to get a seat on compared to the special rapid service. At Kyoto Station you need to change lines but not stations, so don't go through the ticket gates. The name of the line is the Sanin Main Line, and specifically the Sagano Line for the first stretch of it you will travel on. If you are lucky to get a kaisoku, or rapid service train, it will only take 20 minutes from Kyoto to Kameoka (4 stops). The regular service though only takes another 5 minutes or so (9 stops), and with the relative infrequency of services, I recommend you jump on whatever is leaving first. If you're planning to visit Arashiyama the same day, the stop on the JR line is Saga-Arashiyama Station. You'll pass it on the way to Kameoka and on the way back. The rapid service also makes a stop there.
  

Getting Your Bearings at Kameoka Station

At Kameoka Stn., go through the ticket gates and turn right to head out the South Exit. You'll be able to recognize the South Exit as the "town side." If you leave the station and immediately see a whole bunch of farmland, chances are you've gone out the North Exit. The route to the Arrowhead Jizo is fairly straightforward. Please refer to the map below:

Map courtesy of Google Maps

It's a bit difficult to see on the above map, but there is a right turn at the end. After turning, the Arrowhead Jizo Hall can be seen immediately on the right.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Image courtesy of Google Maps

It is another 20 minutes on foot to get to Yorimasa's kubizuka.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Here is the first half of the route to the river, followed by the second half from the river to the site, and then the final approach.

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Map courtesy of Google Maps

Image/Map courtesy of Google Maps

Image courtesy of Google Maps

Additional Notes on the Sites

The Arrowhead Jizo Hall may well be closed up when you get there, as it doesn't open like a regular temple or shrine. To see inside, you could try holding yourself close to the doors to peer through the glass. If the doors are unlocked, it should be fine for you to open them up to pay your respects, but please be sure to close them afterward as the hall may or may not be staffed when you visit. The Jizo statue is not easily visible behind the altar.

As for the Tomb of Yorimasa's Head, you'll no doubt be on your best behavior in order to avoid the curse. I suppose I should add to watch out for snakes. Also be aware that the site is immediately adjacent to a school, so if there are kids out in the yard for PE, be respectful by not distracting or photographing them, or otherwise causing a ruckus.


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

The Master List (Kyoto)
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html

(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"