Edo Tensei Origins

Lore & Background

The origins of the Amanojaku are found in both Buddhist iconography and ancient Japanese Shinto mythology, which eventually syncretized. In Buddhism, the Amanojaku is considered a symbol of human earthly desires (bonnō). It is depicted as a wicked demon being trampled underfoot by the Four Heavenly Kings or by Vajrapani (Shūkongōshin). It also refers to the ogre-faced mask found on the abdomen of the armor of Bishamonten, one of the Four Heavenly Kings. This iconography is derived from a Chinese water spirit known as the "Kahaku" (River Earl), represented by the ogre face. Furthermore, another Chinese water spirit known as "Kaijaku" is read in Japanese Kun'yomi as "Amanojaku". Consequently, these Chinese concepts syncretized with the indigenous Japanese Amanojaku, and the term came to refer to the class of demons trampled under the feet of deities. In this Buddhist context, where it is considered an opponent of teachings, it is also called a jaki (邪鬼).

In Their Own Story

The indigenous Japanese Amanojaku originates from the deities Ame-no-wakahiko (Heavenly Young Lad) and the goddess Amenosagume (Heavenly Spy Woman) found in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. In the myth, Amenowakahiko was sent by Amaterasu to pacify the Ashihara no Nakatsukuni (Central Land of Reed Plains). However, he forgot his duty, took the daughter of Ōkuninushi as his wife, and did not return for eight years. When a pheasant named Nakime was sent as a second messenger to find him, Amenowakahiko shot and killed the bird with an arrow upon the suggestion of Amenosagume, who was serving him. However, that arrow was shot back from the heavens, killing Amenowakahiko himself. Amenosagume, as her name implies, was a shamanistic existence capable of exploring the movements of heaven, the future, and human hearts. This legend later evolved into the concept of a small demon who reads people's hearts and plays pranks in opposition to them. Originally, Amenosagume was not a villain, but because she told tales to Amenowakahiko, she came to be said to be a demon who hinders heaven—an "Amanojaku" (Heavenly Evil Spirit). Furthermore, because "Amenowakahiko" is also written as "天若彦" or "天若日子" (incorporating the character jaku/waka), it is thought that this figure syncretized with the Buddhist/Chinese "Kaijaku" (海若). The Wakan Sansai Zue, an encyclopedia from the Edo period, cites the Sendai Kuji Hongi in stating that the ferocious spirit (mōki) vomited from within the body of Susanoo became the goddess Amanozako. She is considered the ancestor of the Amanojaku and the Tengu.

Reader's Guide

In folk tales, the Amanojaku is described as a being with an extremely contrary nature: If it were ordered something, it would do the opposite. It is generally considered a yōkai that guesses the human heart and teases people by mimicking their words, provoking a person's darkest desires and instigating them into perpetrating wicked deeds. It is usually depicted as a kind of small oni. However, traditions vary significantly by region. In Hiraka District (Akita Prefecture), Inashiki District (Ibaraki Prefecture), Ora District (Gunma Prefecture), and Tagata District (Shizuoka Prefecture), the Kodama (tree spirit) or Yamabiko (echo) are called "Amanojaku" because they mimic human voices. In Haga District (Tochigi Prefecture), Nishitonami District (Toyama Prefecture), and Kamo District (Gifu Prefecture), the Yamauba (Mountain Crone) is referred to as Amanojaku. In Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture and Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, the Amanojaku is handed down as a giant-like being. Legend states that an Amanojaku once tried to break down Mount Fuji but failed, and the soil that spilled out during the attempt became Izu Oshima. One of the amanojaku's best known appearances is in the fairytale Uriko-hime (瓜子姫; "melon princess"), in which a girl miraculously born from a melon is doted upon by an elderly couple. They shelter her from the outside world, and she naively lets the amanojaku inside one day, where it kidnaps or devours her, and sometimes impersonates her by wearing her flayed skin.

Did You Know?

• The name Amanojaku is also written using the kanji (河伯) ("River Earl") or (海若) ("Sea Spirit").
• The Wakan Sansai Zue, an encyclopedia from the Edo period, states that the ferocious spirit vomited from within the body of Susanoo became the goddess Amanozako, considered the ancestor of the Amanojaku and the Tengu.
• In some regions, the Amanojaku is said to be inside the ash of the hearth, or refers to a chrysalis or booklouse.
• In the fairytale Uriko-hime, the amanojaku sometimes impersonates the melon princess by wearing her flayed skin.
• In the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, there is a Trap Card called "Amanojaku's Curse" (known as Reverse Trap in international markets) that swaps ATK/DEF gains on monsters.