In the Heian period, Momiji, a beautiful woman exiled from the capital, became a demon woman, holed up in the Togakushi mountains and fought the government army, until Taira no Koremochi defeated her. The place name Kinasa ("no oni village") and sites linked to Momiji remain.
Legend Site
Kinasa (Legend of the Demon Woman Momiji)
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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 | Oni |
|---|---|
| Location | Nagano Nagano |
| Type of place | Historic site or landmark |
| 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.