Anybody familiar with the Japanese legend Sessho-seki or the “killing stone,” should be alarmed following reports earlier this week the volcanic rock has recently split in two. The rock is believed to contain the spirit of Tamamoo-noMae, an immortal nine-tailed fox who was responsible for the fall of many dynasties in Asia and the death of thousands of people.
The volcanic rock is located in Nasu, a town known for its sulphuric hot springs, located in the Tochigi prefecture about a two-hour train ride away from Tokyo. Tourists love this area and it is a popular spot for sightseeing.
Visitors to the site in recent years were however less thrilled by the fractured stone.
“I feel like I’ve seen something I shouldn’t see,”A Japanese tweet was read along with a photo showing the sulphuric rocks split in half. “I’m getting really scared.”
According to an ancient Japanese mythology, Tamamo-no-Mae was first seen in China in 1000 B.C. Beautiful woman. She was the queen to the Shang Dynasty’s emperor. Through seduction, she led the Emperor into misruling his subjects. Her tricks ultimately led to the demise of the Shang Dynasty.
Magadha, an old kingdom that is now a part India, was her second appearance. There she was the first wife of a prince, and tricked him to behead thousands.
Tamamo no-Mae finally made her way to Japan. She served in ancient Kyoto’s Imperial Court, and the emperor eventually fell in love with her. Due to her influence, the Emperor grew increasingly sicker and more decrepit until a mystic recognized her and expelled her from Kyoto.
After rumors circulated that a nine-tailed, fox had abducted young girls from the Nasu district of the country, the Imperial Court sent an army numbering 80,000 to the city to defeat the creature.
Kazusa Hirotsune was the samurai who defeated her. Her body then became toxic and killed all those who came in contact with it.
Hundreds of years later, around 1300, a monk approached the rock after purifying his body and soul in the nearby hot springs, chanted a powerful sutra, and divided the rock, weakening its deadly powers.
Although many stones in Japan have been called the Sessho-seki (or Sessho-seki), the one found in Nasu was the most important. It was even registered as a historical site in 1957, along with a shrine dedicated to the nine-tailed Fox.
Future of the fractured “killing stone”Japanese officials are discussing this issue, although locals hope the stone will be preserved and kept in Nasu. Guardian reported.