The land of ogres
Hōki is home to an ogre-slaying legend said to be the oldest in Japan — older than the famous tale of Momotarō. The stage is Mt. Kizumi in the former Mizokuchi area. Long ago, two ogre brothers are said to have lived here and troubled the villages.
What makes the legend charming is that the emperor of the tale didn’t win by force, but with dango (rice dumplings) and bamboo leaves: luring one ogre out with three dumplings, and using wind-blown bamboo leaves against the other. That’s why, all over this site, you’ll see a rabbit offering dumplings to an ogre.
And the ogre wasn’t simply destroyed. In the legend he begs for his life, is forgiven, and becomes a guardian ogre watching over the north. This is why the town celebrates ogres rather than fearing them — at Onikko Land, on the “ogre-guardian bridge,” even on ogre-themed signs around town.
The land of master swords
The Heian-period swordsmith Yasutsuna of Ōhara is tied to this area. He forged the national-treasure blade Dōjigiri Yasutsuna — one of the “Five Greatest Swords under Heaven,” said to have slain the ogre Shuten-dōji — and is regarded as a father of the curved Japanese sword. Why here? Because the Hino River basin produced fine iron sand, and ironmaking (tatara) flourished. The ogre-slaying sword and the ogre legend share the same ground.
An ancient temple and a sacred mountain
Around the 7th century, a great temple stood at the foot of Mt. Daisen; its stone shibi roof ornament is one of only three surviving in Japan. And Mt. Daisen itself was worshipped long before it was climbed — a center of mountain faith, with a market of cattle and horses that was once among the largest in the country.
Read the full stories
The “History” series tells these tales one by one, with a rabbit as your guide. We are translating them into English; some articles are still being added.
→ History series / See the places on the map
Legends are noted as “said to be.” Full sources are cited in each article. The complete set of content is on the Japanese site.