【Yokai & Mystery】 Numagozen Shrine is dedicated to a female yokai (supernatural creature) named Numagozen. (Fukushima pref.)
I was driving along National Route 252 when I stumbled upon Numagozen Shrine.
That's where I first learned about the legend of Numagozen, but to my surprise, when I looked it up in my "Complete Guide to Japanese Yokai" at home,
I found a description that said, "When the great Shigeru Mizuki was traveling in the Aizu region, he happened to visit Numagozen Shrine and was astonished!" It's kind of nice that I, too, "accidentally discovered" the same place as the great Mizuki! (Nihedon @ KesaranPasaran Lab)
The guardian of Lake Numasawa is said to be a Female Serpent.
In the past, it would occasionally come ashore and harm people. However, at the beginning of the Kamakura period, a samurai named Sahara Juro Yoshitsuna, the lord of Aizu-Wakamatsu, slayed the serpent.
At that time, he buried the serpent's head on the lakeshore, prayed for its soul, and enshrined its spirit as a deity. This is the origin of Numagozen Shrine.
A legend arose that the spirit of this serpent took the form of a princess and wove cloth during the day. Therefore, this shrine became a place of worship for women who weave cloth.
"The Complete Guide to Japanese Yokai," the most comprehensive encyclopedia of yokai in our country. I'm sure my colleagues in the field all own it, lol.
There is also a legend that Numagozen was shot while simply blackening her teeth in the lake.
The Numazawa Lake Festival is held every year in early August. On the first day, there is a fireworks display featuring a giant snake, and on the second day, a reenactment of the battle between Sahara Juro Yoshitsura and the giant snake takes place.
For more information, please visit the Kanayama Town website.
Lake Numazawa itself has a legend associated with it: "Due to an earthquake that occurred on June 19th (or possibly the old calendar?) of the second year of Tenpyo-Shoho (750 AD?), a small pond became a large lake overnight."
ACCESS : Please check the website.
Kanayama Town is also known as the "Town of Fairies," and it is home to the "Fairy Museum," supervised by Professor Kimie Imura, a leading expert on Japanese fairies. This is also a must-see!