sessho-seki

The stone is believed to be the transformed corpse of Tamamo-no-Mae, a beautiful woman who was exposed as a nine-tailed fox working for an evil daimyō plotting to kill Emperor Konoe and take his throne. According to the otogi-zōshi, when the nine-tailed fox was killed by the famous warrior named Miura-no-suke, her body became the Sessho-seki. Later, a Buddhist priest called Genno stopped for a rest near the stone and was threatened by the spirit of Tamamo-no-Mae. Genno performed exorcism rituals and begged the spirit to consider her salvation. Tamamo-no-Mae relented and swore never to haunt the stone again.

File:Splited Sessho-Seki.jpg

It was reported on March 5, 2022 that the stone had split into two parts, likely as a result of natural weathering. Some people expressed their fear of the exorcised Kitsune.{{cite web |last1=McCurry |first1=Justin |title=Japan's 'killing stone' splits in two, releasing superstitions amid the sulphur springs |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/07/japans-killing-stone-splits-in-two-releasing-superstitions-and-toxic-gases |website=The Guardian |access-date=7 March 2022 |language=en |date=7 March 2022}} On 26 March 2022, the local government had priests host a ceremony to appease the spirit and pacify the beast at the site with prayers, offerings, and waving haraegushi upon the split rock.{{cite web |last1=McGee |first1=Oona |title=Mist descends upon Japan's "Killing Stone" after ceremony to appease nine-tailed fox spirit |url=https://soranews24.com/2022/03/28/mist-descends-upon-japans-killing-stone-after-ceremony-to-appease-nine-tailed-fox-spirit/ |website=Sora News 24 |access-date=2022-03-30 |language=en |date=2022-03-28}}

• A Noh play about the stone, attributed to Hiyoshi Sa'ami."Sesshoseki play" [https://theatrenohgaku.wordpress.com/2012/11/18/sesshoseki/" Sesshōseki (殺生石) | .Theatre Nohgaku Blog.] Retrieved September 11, 2018.
• It was mentioned in Oku no Hosomichi by Matsuo Bashō as he visited the stone in the 17th century and tells of his visit in his book (Narrow Road to the Deep North).
• Tamamo-no-Mae, a novel by Kido Okamoto, was based on the legend of the stone. A film adaptation, Kyuubi no Kitsune to Tobimaru (Sesshouseki) followed.
• In chapter 123 of the manga Bakidou the author used the story of the rock breaking to show the kick power of one of the characters.

File:Sassyouseki,nasu-town,japan.JPG|Entrance to the area

File:Stone Jizos (stone statues of Kshitigarbha) in front of the “Sessho-seki”(Killing Stone),Nasu,Tochigi,Japan.jpg|A thousand Jizōs at the site

File:SekienSessho-seki.jpg|Print by Toriyama Sekien

File:Tamamo-no-mae-woodblock.jpg|Print by Yoshitoshi

• List of individual rocks

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• {{Cite web|title=Station 9 – Sesshoseki |work=Basho's World |url=http://www.uoregon.edu/~kohl/basho/9-sesshoseki/trans-britton.html |accessdate=February 23, 2006 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041226031309/http://www.uoregon.edu/%7Ekohl/basho/9-sesshoseki/trans-britton.html |archivedate=December 26, 2004 }}
• {{Cite web | title=Tamamo-no-mae (Synopsis) | work=Enjoying Otogi Zoshi with the Help of Synopsis and Illustrations | url=http://ddb.libnet.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/exhibit-e/otogi/tamamo/tamamo.html | accessdate=February 22, 2006 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20060710075630/http://ddb.libnet.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/exhibit-e/otogi/tamamo/tamamo.html | archivedate=July 10, 2006 }}

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Category:Japanese mythology

Category:Mythological objects

Category:Noh plays

Category:Stones

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