Hello Boils and Ghouls! Gragma here!
I thought I'd take the opportunity to talk to you directly and let you know what's been going on at the blog. As I type, it has had less than fifty views, so if you're reading this in 2015, thank you and kansha! More likely you'll be reading this after going through later posts (assuming the blog hasn't died in the meantime).
Firstly, some notes on navigating the blog. It has two main types of posts. There are general information posts like this one, which are numbered 1, 2, 3, and so on. The most important of these posts are the Master Lists per region. They contain enough basic information that with the help of a mapping site such as Google Maps you should be able to locate the places on your own. You'll notice that the basic entries on each list are not alphabetical. Rather I've listed them geographically from north to south. In the case of Hyogo they are listed east to west to follow the main stretch of train line.
The second type of post are the more fleshed-out entries that contain additional information, directions and maps. These are numbered using Roman numerals. You may find the choices so far rather obscure and I am deeply sorry for the lack of kappas. What I have been doing, and generally speaking what I will continue to do, is prioritize sites that won't or don't easily come up in a map search. For the majority of basic entries in the Master List posts, you'll be able to plot your trips with minimum effort. Though the idea is to flesh out all the list entries, unfortunately I'm restricted by time, so please refer to the Master Lists for updates as they will be more frequent and the haunts will appear there first. I've just done a bunch and they will be up soon.
Some notes on the directions. You'll notice that each fleshed-out entry gives directions from the subway Midosuji Line in Osaka. Please see one of my earliest posts to understand why I'm doing it this way.
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/4-midosuji-train-line.html
You'll likely find this system of directions tiresome if you're not based in Osaka. I am trying to include extra notes on navigating from local hubs.
One thing I haven't addressed are the train network maps at the stations. In theory they are a great idea. You find the station that is your destination on the network map, and near it is the fare you need to pay from the station you are currently at. Unfortunately, many maps have the entire region mapped out on them, and it can take a while to find your station if you're not familiar with the layout.
Here's a tip. You do not need to have the exact fare when you get on a train. If you're anxious to get to the platform and be on your way, you can buy the cheapest ticket and that will get you into the station. When you arrive at your destination, there will be something called a fare adjustment machine near the gate. Slip your ticket into it and it will tell you what the difference to pay is.
Finally, let me say a word on the layout and style of the site. You may have noticed that there are no detailed reviews, photos, pictures of yokai, and other pleasing visuals that would help make the blog more impressive. Though I can't deny this saves me a LOT of time, the fact is from the beginning I never planned to include any of it. If you're visiting this blog, I'm assuming you've already read up on yokai online, have perhaps seen the Toriyama Sekien prints and some of the other artwork, and maybe read a bit of Mizuki Shigeru.
While Gragma's Yokai Tourbus might provide you a new scrap of info here and there, my priority is not to educate people about the yokai themselves but to help guide them to their haunts. The problem I have is that it's not always obvious how a haunt ties in with a certain yokai, and it's often the case that some background information or tale needs to be told in order for it to make sense. For a legend or tale in which several accounts exist, I have no problem cherry picking the accounts or details most relevant to the haunt in question. Most of the time this involves leaving out accounts from other parts of Japan. Sorry Tokyo!
Again, I would be very happy to take requests, especially if you have a trip planned. Feedback is also welcome!
Driver Gragma (yokaitourbus "at" mail "dot" com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yokaitourbus/
Saturday, October 31, 2015
vi. Minatoya's Child-Rearing Ghost Candy Shop, or "みなとや幽霊子育飴本舗" (みなとやゆうれいこそだてあめほんぽ)
Location: Higashiyama Ward (near Kiyomizu-Gojo Stn., Keihan Line), Kyoto City; about 60 min. from Osaka or about 10-15 min. from Kyoto + 8 min. walking time
Associated with: A type of yurei known as a child-rearing ghost
There are many graveyards in the vicinity of Higashiyama, but not far from Rokudo Chinno-ji temple there is a confectionery store that has stood for centuries. Sometime in 1599, a woman began to appear each night to buy candy. After a time the shop owner suspected something was amiss when he discovered leaves in the coin box (an old shapeshifter trick). Thinking a fox may be duping him, he decided to follow the woman. Her moonlit form led him through the alleys and into a graveyard, where he lost sight of her. He was just about to leave when he noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. Amidst the decaying corpses was a newborn baby; it's tiny writhing form lying alongside the body of a recently deceased woman. Dumbfounded, he took the baby home to raise him, and the ghostly woman never appeared again. The supernatural tale of the mother keeping her child alive spread and the shop's wares became known as "child-rearing ghost candy" (as in, the candy of ghosts who raise children).
That's weird enough, but the candy has a rep for being lucky if you're seeking a promotion. It just so happens that the baby grew up to be a great Buddhist monk. I suppose going from a baby left for dead to adopted son of a candy shop owner to a great monk is a promotion of sorts.
Comments: This stretch along the Higashiyama Mountain Range is a must-see for anybody who has even one day in Kyoto, and the area here east of Kiyomizu-Gojo Stn. is in the thick of some of the best sites to be had. The granddaddy of them all is of course Kiyomizudera, and Minatoya's Child-Rearing Ghost Candy Shop is a relatively minor detour on the way to or from the temple.
Getting There
The starting point on the Midosuji subway line is Yodoyabashi Stn. Our destination is Kiyomizu-Gojo Stn. on the Keihan Line.
Subway Yodoyabashi Stn. is one stop south of Umeda. At the north end of subway Yodoyabashi Stn. you'll find the Keihan Line. From Yodoyabashi, the Keihan Main Line runs all the way into Kyoto. To get to Kiyomizu-Gojo, you can jump on the fastest service there is: the Limited Express. If your hotel is in the Kyobashi area or anywhere near Osaka Castle Park, then I recommend you make your way to Kyobashi and commence your journey from Kyobashi Stn. (Keihan Line).
From JR Kyoto Stn. you can take the JR Nara line and go one stop to Tofukuji, where there is an adjacent Keihan station. You can also walk from Kyoto Stn. to Shichijo Stn. in about 15 minutes and take the train one stop up from there.
Getting Your Bearings at Kiyomizu-Gojo Station
At Kiyomizu-Gojo, come out at Exit 5. This will have you facing north. Walk along in the same direction and take the first right, following the map below. Note that the main drag to Kiyomizudera is better accessed from Exit 4.
Map courtesy of Google Maps
Image courtesy of Google Maps
Information on Minatoya's Child-Rearing Ghost Candy Shop
The shop is open from 10:00 until 16:00, closed on Mondays unless Monday is a national holiday, in which case the shop will close on the following weekday. Keep in mind that sometimes Japan has national holidays strung together, so if it happens that Monday and Tuesday are national holidays, then the shop would close on Wednesday (for example).
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
(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.
The Master List (Kyoto)
http://yokaitourbus.blogspot.jp/2015/08/6-c-master-list-kyoto.html
(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.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
v. Mimizuka, or "Ear Mound" (耳塚), also known as Hanazuka ("Nose Mound" or 鼻塚)
Location: Higashiyama Ward (near Shichijo Stn., Keihan Line), Kyoto City; about 50 min. from Osaka or about 10 min. from Kyoto + under 10 min. walking time
Associated with: General historical macabre; Japan's 1592-1598 invasion of Korea
Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a great man: a leader, a unifier, a builder and a restorer, and a bloke who liked to cart around a gold room to conduct his tea ceremony in. Had he lived out his later years being the go-to samurai for an expertly brewed cuppa, we'd have remembered him only for his achievements and for his prowess with the tea cup. Instead, he doubled down on his glory and ended his days on a bit of a mean streak.
So what is the Mimizuka? Well mimi is Japanese for ear and tsuka (becomes zuka as the second part of the word here) means mound. The original name for it is Hanazuka, and unfortunately hana in this case does not mean flower (which would be delightful) but nose, as in, the noses of approximately 38,000 Koreans. Mimizuka, what was once known as the "Nose Mound," is in fact a big mound of noses.
Following the logic, the noses were once attached to Koreans, who had them lopped off by the Japanese as war trophies during Japan's invasion of Korea in the late 16th century. It's not that the Japanese had a fetish for noses, but that a method was required by which the number of dead could be tallied and the dispensers compensated. The traditional way was to bring back the heads for counting, but this became impractical with the high number of casualties. Not all were soldiers. Hideyoshi was specific in his instruction: mow down anyone regardless of age, gender, status or rank.
It's not clear what frame of mind he was in when he had the noses entombed with Buddhist priests on hand to pray for the repose of the souls of the people to whom the noses were once attached. The following year Hideyoshi himself died, and in the subsequent decades the crass-sounding "Nose Mound" was changed to the (supposedly) less cruel-sounding "Ear Mound."
Suggested Route: For the entry in the Master List (Kyoto) post I included simple directions from Toyokuni Shrine. Mimizuka is actually closer to Shichijo Stn., so I'll include maps with both a direct route and the original route via Toyokuni Shrine.
Toyokuni Shrine? Is that worth visiting? Well, it is in fact the official tomb and shrine of the nose-mounding Hideyoshi himself! You can decide whether its worth paying your respects. As I may not get around to a dedicated entry on him, I'll list up his crueler exploits here:
- Hideyoshi expelled 26 Christians from Kyoto, sending them on their way by first having their ears cut off (What is it with this guy?) before marching them to Nagasaki, where they were crucified. Amongst the now famous martyrs were three young boys aged 12, 13 and 14.
- He had tea ceremony master Sen no Rikyu commit ritual suicide, then displayed his head on a bridge.
- After both his young son and his brother died in 1591, he appointed his nephew as heir the following year. But in 1593 when his second son was born, he exiled his nephew to Mt. Koya and ordered him to commit suicide. When those of his nephew's family did not follow him into the afterlife, they were murdered in Kyoto. This included 31 women and several children.
- He executed Ishikawa Goemon, sometimes referred to as Japan's Robin Hood, by boiling him and his young son alive in oil.
- He had two thumbs on his right hand and apparently decided to keep the extra instead of cutting it off. You're welcome. (Not a cruel exploit, just FYI.)
Comments: This stretch along the Higashiyama Mountain Range is a must-see for anybody who has even one day in Kyoto. If you make your way north from Shichijo, you will encounter sites that you will remember for the rest of your life. However, you are going to run out of time if you linger too long at Toyokuni Shrine, so I recommend going if you are interested and not already "shrined out," but get a move on if you have a big day ahead of you.
Getting There
The starting point on the Midosuji subway line is Yodoyabashi Stn. Our destination is Shichijo Stn. on the Keihan Line.
Subway Yodoyabashi Stn. Is one stop south of Umeda. Godzilla flooded it in the not well-remembered scene from the not well-remembered Godzilla sequel Godzilla Raids Again. At the north end of subway Yodoyabashi Stn. is a new train line for us: the Keihan Line. From Yodoyabashi, the Keihan Main Line runs all the way into Kyoto. Though JR Kyoto Stn. is a large hub for buses and other lines, shooting into Kyoto from Yodoyabashi can be convenient as the last stretch of the Main Line is along the Higashiyama district. To get to Shichijo, you can jump on the Limited Express, which is the fastest service Keihan operates. Despite its exclusiveness, it will stop at every station until you get to Kyobashi, but after that you're good to go. If your hotel is in the Kyobashi area or anywhere near Osaka Castle Park, then I recommend you make your way to Kyobashi and commence your journey from there.
I haven't really travelled to Higashiyama from JR Kyoto Stn., but Shichijo Stn. is close enough to walk to in about 15 minutes. If you're with a group, a taxi from JR Kyoto Stn. also wouldn't be a terrible way to get there. It's detouring slightly, but you can also take the JR Nara line and go one stop to Tofukuji, where there is an adjacent Keihan station that will take you one stop north to Shichijo.
Getting Your Bearings at Shichijo Station
At Shichijo, come out at Exit 4. You should find yourself on the northeast corner of a large intersection. To your right will be a bridge and the Kamo River. In front of you and across the street you should see a McDonald's. Keep in mind that stores close down, including McDonald's, but this one has been there in the 15 or so years I've been coming to Kyoto. Anyway, as you come out of Exit 4 you'll be facing south. Turn left (to the east) at the intersection and follow the map below. This route will take you to Mimizuka via Toyokuni Shrine as per the directions in the Master List (Kyoto) entry.
To go straight to Mimizuka as quickly as possible, instead of Exit 4 go out Exit 6. This will have you exiting north. Walk along in the same direction and turn right at the first set of lights. Mimizuka will be a ways down the street on your right. If you find the road has ended in a t-junction (at Toyokuni Shrine in fact) it means you've walked passed Mimizuka and need to backtrack.
Information on Toyokuni Shrine
The shrine is open from 9:00 until 16:00 or 16:30. (I've seen both times quoted, so perhaps go earlier if you can.) Apparently there are no toilets, which is a bit sad.
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
(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.
Associated with: General historical macabre; Japan's 1592-1598 invasion of Korea
Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a great man: a leader, a unifier, a builder and a restorer, and a bloke who liked to cart around a gold room to conduct his tea ceremony in. Had he lived out his later years being the go-to samurai for an expertly brewed cuppa, we'd have remembered him only for his achievements and for his prowess with the tea cup. Instead, he doubled down on his glory and ended his days on a bit of a mean streak.
So what is the Mimizuka? Well mimi is Japanese for ear and tsuka (becomes zuka as the second part of the word here) means mound. The original name for it is Hanazuka, and unfortunately hana in this case does not mean flower (which would be delightful) but nose, as in, the noses of approximately 38,000 Koreans. Mimizuka, what was once known as the "Nose Mound," is in fact a big mound of noses.
Following the logic, the noses were once attached to Koreans, who had them lopped off by the Japanese as war trophies during Japan's invasion of Korea in the late 16th century. It's not that the Japanese had a fetish for noses, but that a method was required by which the number of dead could be tallied and the dispensers compensated. The traditional way was to bring back the heads for counting, but this became impractical with the high number of casualties. Not all were soldiers. Hideyoshi was specific in his instruction: mow down anyone regardless of age, gender, status or rank.
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 1866 (Source: Hara Shobo, http://www.harashobo.com/ via http://ukiyo-e.org)
It's not clear what frame of mind he was in when he had the noses entombed with Buddhist priests on hand to pray for the repose of the souls of the people to whom the noses were once attached. The following year Hideyoshi himself died, and in the subsequent decades the crass-sounding "Nose Mound" was changed to the (supposedly) less cruel-sounding "Ear Mound."
Suggested Route: For the entry in the Master List (Kyoto) post I included simple directions from Toyokuni Shrine. Mimizuka is actually closer to Shichijo Stn., so I'll include maps with both a direct route and the original route via Toyokuni Shrine.
Toyokuni Shrine? Is that worth visiting? Well, it is in fact the official tomb and shrine of the nose-mounding Hideyoshi himself! You can decide whether its worth paying your respects. As I may not get around to a dedicated entry on him, I'll list up his crueler exploits here:
- Hideyoshi expelled 26 Christians from Kyoto, sending them on their way by first having their ears cut off (What is it with this guy?) before marching them to Nagasaki, where they were crucified. Amongst the now famous martyrs were three young boys aged 12, 13 and 14.
- He had tea ceremony master Sen no Rikyu commit ritual suicide, then displayed his head on a bridge.
- After both his young son and his brother died in 1591, he appointed his nephew as heir the following year. But in 1593 when his second son was born, he exiled his nephew to Mt. Koya and ordered him to commit suicide. When those of his nephew's family did not follow him into the afterlife, they were murdered in Kyoto. This included 31 women and several children.
- He executed Ishikawa Goemon, sometimes referred to as Japan's Robin Hood, by boiling him and his young son alive in oil.
- He had two thumbs on his right hand and apparently decided to keep the extra instead of cutting it off. You're welcome. (Not a cruel exploit, just FYI.)
Comments: This stretch along the Higashiyama Mountain Range is a must-see for anybody who has even one day in Kyoto. If you make your way north from Shichijo, you will encounter sites that you will remember for the rest of your life. However, you are going to run out of time if you linger too long at Toyokuni Shrine, so I recommend going if you are interested and not already "shrined out," but get a move on if you have a big day ahead of you.
Getting There
The starting point on the Midosuji subway line is Yodoyabashi Stn. Our destination is Shichijo Stn. on the Keihan Line.
Subway Yodoyabashi Stn. Is one stop south of Umeda. Godzilla flooded it in the not well-remembered scene from the not well-remembered Godzilla sequel Godzilla Raids Again. At the north end of subway Yodoyabashi Stn. is a new train line for us: the Keihan Line. From Yodoyabashi, the Keihan Main Line runs all the way into Kyoto. Though JR Kyoto Stn. is a large hub for buses and other lines, shooting into Kyoto from Yodoyabashi can be convenient as the last stretch of the Main Line is along the Higashiyama district. To get to Shichijo, you can jump on the Limited Express, which is the fastest service Keihan operates. Despite its exclusiveness, it will stop at every station until you get to Kyobashi, but after that you're good to go. If your hotel is in the Kyobashi area or anywhere near Osaka Castle Park, then I recommend you make your way to Kyobashi and commence your journey from there.
I haven't really travelled to Higashiyama from JR Kyoto Stn., but Shichijo Stn. is close enough to walk to in about 15 minutes. If you're with a group, a taxi from JR Kyoto Stn. also wouldn't be a terrible way to get there. It's detouring slightly, but you can also take the JR Nara line and go one stop to Tofukuji, where there is an adjacent Keihan station that will take you one stop north to Shichijo.
Getting Your Bearings at Shichijo Station
At Shichijo, come out at Exit 4. You should find yourself on the northeast corner of a large intersection. To your right will be a bridge and the Kamo River. In front of you and across the street you should see a McDonald's. Keep in mind that stores close down, including McDonald's, but this one has been there in the 15 or so years I've been coming to Kyoto. Anyway, as you come out of Exit 4 you'll be facing south. Turn left (to the east) at the intersection and follow the map below. This route will take you to Mimizuka via Toyokuni Shrine as per the directions in the Master List (Kyoto) entry.
Map courtesy of Google Maps
To go straight to Mimizuka as quickly as possible, instead of Exit 4 go out Exit 6. This will have you exiting north. Walk along in the same direction and turn right at the first set of lights. Mimizuka will be a ways down the street on your right. If you find the road has ended in a t-junction (at Toyokuni Shrine in fact) it means you've walked passed Mimizuka and need to backtrack.
Map courtesy of Google Maps
Image courtesy of Google Maps
The shrine is open from 9:00 until 16:00 or 16:30. (I've seen both times quoted, so perhaps go earlier if you can.) Apparently there are no toilets, which is a bit sad.
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
(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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)