The Killing Stone, said to be the transformed nine-tailed fox. Volcanic gas still seeps out around it, and Matsuo Basho visited on his journey of The Narrow Road to the Deep North. In 2022 the stone was found split in two, making headlines.
Legend Site
Sessho-seki (Nasu Yumoto)
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Positions on the map are a rough guide to the area where a legend or sighting is set. Most pins are placed at representative points of a municipality or prefecture (outside Japan, a city position rounded to about 10 km, or the country), not at the exact place.
Municipality points: Geolonia address data (CC BY 4.0), based on the Address Base Registry (Digital Agency of Japan) / Country points: Natural Earth
| Encyclopedia | Sessho-seki (Killing Stone) |
|---|---|
| Location | Tochigi Nasu |
| Type of place | Historic site or landmark |
| Map position | Approximate position (Municipality), not the exact place |
A rock at Nasu-Yumoto in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, long feared for killing any living thing that approached it. Legend says it is the nine-tailed fox Tamamo-no-Mae turned to stone after being unmasked and slain. In 2022 the stone was found split in two.