Nasu's Sessho-seki or Killing Stone

Nasu's link to Japanese mythology

Dale A. Brown Feb 09, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>Jizo statues each slightly different.</p>

<p>The Killing Stone is part of Japanese Mythology, as told in the store of Otogizoshi.</p>

<p>Looking down upon the riverbed of the Sanzu River.</p>

<p>The Killing Stone, Legend has it that anyone who comes in contact with the stone will die.</p>

<p>The statues wear bibs or children's clothing, they are put on the statues by grieving parents wishing protection for their lost child.</p>

<p>Hundreds of Jizo statues flank the path leading to the Killing Stone.</p>

<p>Jizu statues, a symbol of Ksitigarbha who is a patron of children, stand to protect the souls of children who die before their parents.</p>

<p>Hundreds of Jizu statues stand as guardians for the souls of children, a part of Buddhist tradition.</p>

<p>Rolling hills in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture</p>

Nasu’s Sessho-seki, or the Killing Stone, is one of several features in the historically rich region of Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture. A core part of Japanese mythology, the Sessho-seki stone, Sanzu river, and the hundreds of Jizu statues that adorn the site represent an important tradition of the area as well as an important part of the great Buddhist lineage of Japanese culture. The Killing Stone is linked to the story of Otogizoshi, a story that dates back to the Nuromachi period of Japanese narratives, as well as the famous book The Narrow Road to the Deep North, an account of Matsuo Bashō’s visit to Nasu. This whole area is set in the amazing natural beauty of northern Tochigi as well as having an inspiringly rich mythology and amazing onsen experiences. Sessho-seki is accessible by car and by bus.

Dale A. Brown @dale.brown

I was born and raised just outside of the city of Portland in beautiful Oregon wine country in the United States. In 2011 traveled to and studied at Akita International University focusing on Japanese culture and language as well as Korean culture. I graduated from Portland State University in 20...