| Provided by Hyotan Group, Hitachi City | |
| Azuki Arai Fudoson 2015.9 |
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 Signboard of Azuki Arai Fudoson |
Today, "Yokai" or "monsters" are in the boom among Japanese children. Have you ever heard of a Yokai called "Azuki Arai"? Azuki Arai is a Yokai who washes red beans while making eerie sound in the river. Azuki Arai is described in famous comics of Shigeru Mizuki. So it is a Yokai well known to those who are Yokai maniacs. There are a lot of folktales of Azuki Arai all over Japan. |
 Cluster Amaryllis |
There is a small temple named Azuki Arai Fudoson in Hitachi City where we live. Azuki Arai Fudoson is located by the lower bank of Ayukawa River under the "University Bridge". The address is 3 chome Narusawa-cho, Hitachi City. (Tozaki Area) |
 Origin of Azuki Arai Fudoson |
In 1390 (Muromachi Period), Umanosuke Sato, who was a vassal of Satake Domain, built a manor. (Azuki Arai Kan, 4 chome Ayukawa-cho) He built a small temple in unlucky direction of the manor. It was 80 meters north west of the University Bridge and it was the beginning of Azuki Arai Fudoson. It was the guardian god of the manor's peace and welfare. In this temple Kurikara Myoo is enshrined. |
 Body of Azuki Arai Fudoson |
In 1615, Satake Domain was moved to Akita Prefecture. The management of Azuki Arai Fudoson changed from Azuki Arai Kan to the residents of the town. The Azuki Arai Fudoson has been kept without the financial support from the officials for about 400 years. Many people visit the small temple on 28th every month. |
 Watermill |
Keeping the small temple by the town's residents was accompanied with a lot of hardships. In 1719 the body of the temple was devastated. They made the new image of Kurikara Fudoson Myoo with gold and moved the small temple to the current position. In 1921 the golden image was stolen and they renewed the image with gold again. In 1974 they reformed the body of the temple and the space around the temple was cleaned. The small temple was kept with endless devotion and endeavor of the residents in the town. |
 Water Spring |
"The Mystery of Azuki Arai" We would like to introduce you a sad story which is believed to be the root of the name of Azuki Arai. It is hard for us to specify the time of the birth of the folktale. We refer to the story just for your reference. |
 Azuki Arai Fudoson? |
A long time ago, a manor of a powerful family was located on the hill. There lived a lord, his wife and a pretty princess. At the age of nine, the princess lost her mother. One year later, her father remarried. Her stepmother began to bully the child. At the end of the year , her stepmother told her to go to wash a full basket of red beans. Halfway up to the slope, she fell unconscious. Red beans were littered all over the dark slope. She decided to kill herself. She put stones in her sleeves and threw herself in the river. Thereafter a rumor spread that whenever people passed by the spot the weird sound of the red beans rattling could be heard. Thinking that it is the sorrow of the princess, they joined their hands together to pray when passing that spot. This is why they call the spot Azuki Arai. |
 Flame on Body |
If there is the place named Azuki Arai in the area of your surroundings, why don't you have an interest in the origin of that space. |
 Tile of Azuki Arai Fudoson? |
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| Address 3-1-6, Higashi-narusawa-cho, Hitachi city, Ibaraki Prefecture |
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