This week, we continue on our journey in search of hometowns of legends and folk tales. Visit the places behind these old tales, and you will be surprised by what you learn and discover. Sometimes, you will also hear different versions of these legends, depending on who you talk to and where you go.
We start by going to the hometown of the famous Japanese hero Minamoto no Yoshitsune, popularly known as Ushiwakamaru. He had learnt swordsmanship from the Tengu (heavenly dogs) in the mountains. It is said he learnt swordsmanship to take revenge for his family. In a duel on the Gojo Ohanshi bridge, he defeated the legendary warrior Benkei, who was famous for depriving Gojo Ohanshi’s swordsmen of their weapons on the bridge. Benkei became Ushiwakamaru’s retainer, and both of them went on to overthrow the Taira clan. To find out more about this tale, take a 40-minute bus ride to Ushiwaka-cho, the birthplace of Ushiwakamaru. Go to Konenji, which enshrines Ushiwakamaru’s mother, Tokiwa Gozen. There is a monument here which commemorates the well where Ushiwakamaru had his first bath after his birth. You will also see where Ushiwakamaru’s umbilical cord and placenta have been buried.
The locals will tell you that there is a rice store called Hasegawa, in which there is a stone Benkei had sat on while waiting for the swordsmen of Gojo Ohanshi. The residents here also believe that the bridge where Benkei met Ushiwakamaru was not in Gojo but in this area. Explore the ancient capital of Kyoto and go to Shinsenen, said to be the oldest garden of Heian-kyo (old capital). This is where Ushiwakamaru is believed to have met Shizuka Gozen. The story goes that long ago, there had been a spell of dry weather. A pretty woman called Shizuka Gozen performed a rain dance to pray for rain. Ushiwakamaru saw her and fell in love with her, and soon after, they started dating.
The garden has a restaurant and its speciality is Udonchiri. Next, take a train to the place where Ushiwakamaru learnt swordsmanship. Enjoy the scenic view of the mountains during the 30-minute ride. Get off at Kurama Station, located in a suburban area of Kyoto. As you go to the mountains of Kurama-dera, where Ushiwakamaru learnt swordsmanship skills from the Tengu, drop by an old sweet shop Tamondo. Its speciality is Ushiwaka-mochi (rice cake), which contains the fruit of horse chestnut. After this, make your way to Kurama-dera temple. You can take a cable car to go to the main hall. But if you are fit and have the physical strength, it is advisable to walk there. You will reach Yoshitsune Memorial Tower after walking for 30 minutes. Go to the main hall of Kurama-dera. The place was founded over 1000 years ago. Besides the main hall, there is also the Mt. Kurama Museum. It features items related to Ushiwakamaru, such as a wooden sword which he is believed to have used to practise swordsmanship. The armour he wore is also exhibited. As you walk around, you will also come across the Yoshitsune-ko Sekurabe-ishi – Ushiwakamaru had stood with his back to this 120cm-high stone to measure his height while being trained.
After leaving Mt. Kurama, go to the Kibune Shrine at the foot of the mountain, where Ushiwakamaru had prayed to conquer the Taira clan. The shrine worships the God of Water and many people come here to pray for success in romance and marriage. You can stay the night at a hotel at the foot of Mt. Kurama. The Japanese-style inn was founded over 200 years ago. Enjoy a relaxing and refreshing rock bath which uses spring water from the mountains. For dinner, feast on the various delicacies of this ancient city. The luxurious Kyo-Kaiseki meal includes local fresh fish from the river; boiled unagi-otoshi (eel) – a speciality of the inn – served with wasabi soy sauce; sweet fish with roe; and crawfish.
The next day, take the hotel’s pick-up car to Moyori Station, and go to the hometown of the legendary Issun-boshi in Osaka. According to the fairy tale, Issun-boshi was tiny but had big dreams of becoming a samurai. Using chopsticks, he rowed along Dotonbori River in a bowl to Fushimi in Kyoto. Once, when he was accompanying a lady, he was swallowed by a ghost. He defeated the ghost by pricking it from within with a needle which served as his sword. He shook the mallet of luck left by the ghost, and surprisingly, he grew tall and became successful in life. He then went on to marry the lady. From Namba, Osaka, go to Hozenji Yokocho, and visit Issun-boshi Daimyojin, which worships Issun-boshi.
Next, make your way to Sumiyoshi Taisha, the main shrine of all Sumiyoshi Shrines. The God for Easy Birth is enshrined here. According to the folk tale, an old couple was blessed with Issun-boshi after praying at this shrine. It is said that Issun-boshi went to Kyoto from here. After this, go back to Fushimi, where you can take a ride on a jukkokusen (sight seeing boat). After this, go to the Gion district in Kyoto, and try the unique Issun-boshi lunch box. It comprises a big bowl of Kyoto specialities, such as dried small fish, shiso rice, soup and ebi-imo. After this delightful meal, go to the Sanjo shopping arcade. Inside a lane here, there is a shop related to Issun-boshi - an old needle shop called Misuyabari. As the shop dates back to the period of Prince Shotoku, some believe that Issun-boshi may have used one of the shop’s needles as his sword!
Next, go to Hoshakuji which enshrines Daikokuten. You will discover a different version of the story of Issun-boshi here. According to this account, Issun-boshi had undergone ascetic practices here. Daikoku (God of Wealth) saw him as hardworking, so he used uchide and kozuchi (mallet) to grant Issun-boshi success in life. People come here to worship the uchide and kozuchi. It is said that uchide will grant your wish, while kozuchi will bring you fortune. Later, they collectively became known as uchide-no-kozuchi. This mallet of luck will end your trip to the hometown of Issun-boshi on an auspicious note.
In our next adventure, we find out more about the old tale Tsuru no Ongaeshi. (The Crane's Repayment for Kindness Received). Nanyo City in Yamagata Prefecture is believed to be the origin of this folk tale. From Akayu Station, take the local line Yamagata Railway. As you will soon discover, there are many versions to this tale. You will also find many things associated with this tale. For example, the name Orihata (loom) can be seen everywhere, such as Orihata-bashi (bridge) and Orihata River. From Orihata Station, walk for 10 minutes to Yuzuru no Sato – the hometown of Tsuru no Ongaeshi. There is a museum here which tells the story of Tsuru no Ongaeshi using books, pictures and other tools. The storyteller here uses the local Yamagata dialect to recount one version of this famous tale. According to him, once upon a time, there was an honest man called Kinzo living in the mountains. One day, as he was going home, he saw an injured crane among a flock of cranes. Kinzo helped to rescue this crane. Soon after, a woman came to Kinzo and looked after him. She also worked at the loom in his home, and made beautiful cloth for him to sell. One day, Kinzo discovered that the woman is actually the crane he had saved. It however flew away after its identity was exposed. Kinzo, full of regret, then went on to build a temple Kinzoji, which later became Mt. Kakufu Chinzoji. You can visit the temple, where you will see a stuffed crane in the main hall. The mandala weaved by the crane used to be kept here until 1700, but it was later destroyed by fire.
Head back to Akayu and have lunch at a Japanese restaurant. Depending on the season, you can try the omakase (chef special) set lunch. It includes a speciality of Yamagata called imoni, which has Yamagata beef and local taro. The set lunch, which consists of seven dishes with local mountain vegetables, costs 1500 yen (S$ 22.80). After lunch, go to Akkopoppo for the free ashiyu (foot bath). It is very hot but helps to get rid of fatigue. After this, go to Tanpakan, a Japanese-style inn founded in 1868. Try the inn’s relaxing Akayu onsen. For dinner, feast on dishes such as Yonezawa beef and kaiseki ryori.
The next day, go to Takahata town in Yamagata Prefecture where the story of the Crying Red Ogre originated. According to folklore, a red ogre wanted to get along with the villagers. So a blue ogre planned to let the red ogre fight him off, so that the red ogre would become popular in the villagers’ eyes. The blue ogre disappeared after leaving a note which said, “People think you’re bad if you stay with me”. The red ogre could not stop crying because of the blue ogre’s kindness.
Rent bicycles to explore the hometown of the red ogre. After riding for 10 minutes, you will reach the Hamada Hirosuke Memorial Hall. Hamada Hirosuke was a writer of fairy tales who was born in Takahata. He had written the tale about the red ogre, and you can visit his house and see the desk where he wrote his fairy tales. You will also find “Hirosuke’s pebbles”, which have words written on them. Some people have also drawn cute pictures of ogres on these stones. From here, continue riding your bicycle for about 20 minutes and go to the shopping district. There is a restaurant here which serves delicious handmade soba. Everything in this tasteful eatery is related to the red ogre. You can choose between the Red Ogre Soba or the Blue Ogre Soba. The former contains prawns, whereas the latter has seaweed in it. End your trip by praying to Vairocana Buddha and expressing your gratitude for a safe trip.
