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All Japan Hirosaki Demon Oak Tree of Onizawa
AO Edited

Demon Oak Tree of Onizawa

A mountain demon once helped a local villager construct a canal, after which he sat on this oak tree to rest.

Hirosaki, Japan

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
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The Demon Oak Tree.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The Demon Oak Tree.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The emperor oak tree on which the demon once sat.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A shrinelet dedicated to the friendly demon.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The Onizawa area is home to folk tales concerning demons.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The story.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Located north of central Hirosaki, the former village of Onizawa has an evocative name. Oni, of course, refers to Japanese demons resembling two-horned ogres, powerful and strong. Naturally, there is a story behind such name.

According to local folklore, a rice farmer named Yajuro once befriended an Oni from Mount Iwaki, and the two would often meet for lunch, sitting together on the branch of a great daimyo oak tree. When Yajuro mentioned that water kept leaking from his rice paddy, the Oni helped him build a steadfast canal. But when Yajuro introduced the Oni to his wife, breaking his promise to keep their relationship a secret, the Oni left the village to never return again.

The daimyo oak tree survives today, believed to be over 700 years old, and known as Kishin-koshikake-gashiwa or the Demon-sitting Daimyo Oak Tree. There is a tiny shrine beside the tree, and the Oni is considered a kind of deity in Onizawa. Even during the Setsubun festival, the villagers of Onizawa are known to refuse to throw soybeans—unlike people from other parts of Japan—out of respect for the friendly demons.

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Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

March 12, 2025

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Demon Oak Tree of Onizawa
Hirosaki, 036-1205
Japan
40.684926, 140.407179
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Nearby Places

Iwakiyama Shrine

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Photo of Hirosaki

Hirosaki

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