Five oni brought by Emperor Wu of Han tormented the villagers, who promised a daughter if the oni could build a thousand stone steps in one night. The oni reached 999 steps, but fled back to the mountains at a (fake) rooster's crow announcing dawn. This is said to be one of the origins of the Namahage.
Legend Site
Oga Peninsula (Akagami Shrine Goshado)
Please note Trespassing on private property or restricted areas is prohibited by law. Please be considerate of local residents.
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 | Oni |
|---|---|
| Location | Akita Oga |
| Type of place | Shrine or temple |
| Map position | Approximate position (Municipality), not the exact place |
The quintessential Japanese yokai, with horns on its head and a tiger-skin loincloth. It is familiar from the Setsubun bean-throwing festival and the folktale Momotaro. Its appearance is said to come from the "ushitora" direction of the demon gate.