Who is Ibaraki-doji?
Ibaraki-doji is an oni said to be the chief follower of Shuten-doji, chief of the oni who made Mount Oe his stronghold in the Heian period. It is sometimes depicted as a female oni. A well-known legend says it was born in Ibaraki in Settsu Province (today’s Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture).
Watanabe no Tsuna and the oni’s arm
The most famous Ibaraki-doji legend is its battle with Watanabe no Tsuna, one of Minamoto no Raiko’s “Four Heavenly Kings.” At Rashomon gate (or Ichijo Modoribashi bridge) in Kyoto, Tsuna was attacked by an oni disguised as a woman, but he cut off its arm with his famous sword and drove it away. Later, Ibaraki-doji visited Tsuna’s house disguised as his aunt and asked to see the arm. When Tsuna showed it, the “aunt” revealed its true form as an oni, snatched back the arm and flew off into the sky.
Ibaraki-doji in Noh and kabuki
The story became the subject of the Noh play Rashomon and the kabuki dance drama Ibaraki, among others. When Shuten-doji of Mount Oe was slain by Minamoto no Raiko, Ibaraki-doji is said to have escaped. As one of Japan’s most famous oni, it remains popular in manga and games today.
