Occult Japan | Ep 115

Only 10 days late, SORRY! Welcome to Cryptic Chronicles, where we delve into the enigmatic and the obscure, exploring the hidden truths behind the world's most fascinating mysteries. In today's episode, we're journeying to the Land of the Rising Sun, unraveling the intricate tapestry of occult practices in Japan. From ancient Shinto rituals to the esoteric teachings of Divinopaths and the modern allure of Japanese magic, we'll explore how the supernatural and the mystical have shaped Japanese culture through the ages. Join us as we uncover the secrets, the stories, and the spirits that dwell within the shadows of Japan's spiritual landscape. BUY MERCH! https://httpscrypticchroniclescom.creator-spring.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/crypticchronicles Magic Mind: https://magicmind.com/products/magic-mind?selling_plan=445022342 SOURCES: -Occult Japan: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2782134-occult-japan -The Dark Side of Japan: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36160783-the-dark-side-of-japan?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=nWVdMARa6o&rank=2 -Summoning Japanese Monsters: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119313187-summoning-japanese-monsters?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=mgNZ4o4WuW&rank=1 -Demonology Encyclopedia: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77074456-demonology-encyclopedia-gakken-m-bunko-2003-isbn?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=abGnjmFy1S&rank=8 -Japanese Mythology: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39674006-japanese-mythology?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=8xia3kS1IJ&rank=1

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Welcome dear listeners to another intriguing episode of Cryptic Chronicles,
where we dive deep into the mysteries, the esoteric, and
the unexplained. I'm your host, Tim Hacker, and today we
embark on a journey to the Land of the Rising Sun,
the country rich in history, culture and supernatural lore. Japan

(00:37):
is often celebrated for its advanced technology, serene temples, and
vibrant pop culture. But beneath the surface lies a fascinating
world of occult traditions and practices that have intrigued and
mystified both locals and outsiders for centuries. From ancient Shinto

(00:58):
rituals and Buddhists esoteric teachings to modern day urban legends
and supernatural encounters, the Japanese occult is a tapestry woven
with tales of spirits, demons, and hidden knowledge. In this episode,
we will explore the enigmatic world of Anyodo, the Way

(01:20):
of Yin and Yang, delve into the eerie realm of
the Yuri Japanese ventral spirits, and uncover the secrets of
sacred rituals that have been passed down through generations. Will
also take a look at the influence of Western occultism
on Japanese practices and how these mystical traditions continue to

(01:41):
evolve in contemporary society. So light your instance, dim the lights,
and prepare to enter a realm where the ordinary meets
the extraordinary. This is Crypto Chronicles, and you're about to
discover a cult Japan.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
H this is this is the way, this is the way.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
You're welcome. These is that sea.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
See these these entities they would conquer with agreement.

Speaker 4 (02:26):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
Primary there's literally countless reasons why the West is fascinated

(02:55):
with Japan. Well, not necessarily a weeve. I myself have
always been and very interested in basically everything Japanese, not
only because when I was younger, I liked manga and
I liked a lot of Japanese anime, Like when I
was a little kid, I was watching Sailor Moon I
was like five or something. But that gradually evolved into

(03:17):
liking Dragon Ball Z and just all kinds of other
Japanese anime. It was how I got my foot in
the door. It is pronounced you insect. But even just
beyond all that, there is so much about Japan that
is just incredibly fascinating. There are people of deep mysteries,

(03:38):
immense drive, and sometimes contradicting relationships with modern times. The
Japanese culture is so intricate and unique that there's really
only one way of actually truly comprehending it, and that's
if you're from Japan, if it is your homeland. And

(03:59):
when it comes to esoteric and spiritual practices of the island,
the Land of the Rising Sun is Buddhist by belief
and Shinto by nature of being, which seems contradictory, but
it's really not. But when it comes down to the
original native beliefs of Japan, that's Shinto. Shinto is the

(04:27):
oldest belief system of the Japanese and it's very deeply
esoteric complex tradition. Like any spiritual tradition, you're going to
have your exoteric form of the belief system, which is
for the masses, and then you're gonna have the esoteric
belief system, which is for the few. Shinto is no different.

(04:53):
It is based on cosmic interpretations, ancestor of veneration, and
nature worship. In some ways, Shinto can be seen as animistic,
with every aspect of nature represented by avatars called comedy,
and like many of these ancient esoteric traditions, spiritual traditions,

(05:14):
the belief system naturally cultivated wisdom and ethics. Moreover, duty
became very important to families because they could upset their
ancestors with their behavior, which could lead to outcomes in
daily life. In the West, we see things and like

(05:36):
good and evil, true darkness. Right, these concepts are not
They would be alien to Shinto concepts. The Japanese see
things in a different way. They see things as purity
and corruption instead of light and darkness, et cetera. It's

(05:57):
a view that separated purity and crost and turned them
into a duality that transcended cosmology. They respected their parents
and ancestors so much that the cosmos itself had a
parent like way of influencing people's lives. Shinto was just
reality itself. Oddly though, it actually didn't even have that

(06:21):
name until the island adopted Buddhism. It was only after
Buddhism became a big cultural influence that the Japanese needed
a name for their ancestral spirituality. The two traditions did
not achieve supremacy over the other, but, in a unique
aspect throughout human history, actually joined one another In harmony
even even now in modern times, Japan is massively influenced

(06:46):
by both Buddhism and Shinto, and they have a fascinating
creation myth as well. It's up there as one of
my faves, along with the Aztec one. The Shinto creation myth,
central to Japanese mythology and Shinto belief, is detailed in
the kojiki Aka records of ancient matters and the nihon

(07:10):
shoki Aka Chronicles of Japan. I'm going to pronounce a
lot of these wrong, so just warning ahead of time.

Speaker 5 (07:19):
I'll do my best, though.

Speaker 1 (07:21):
I was an akito practitioner for a while, so I
know like tiny, tiny, tiny little bit of Japanese. But
that's just like counting and saying will you train with me?
Or thank you or yes, and that kind of stuff.
Just basic, basic stuff. So I'm going to pronounce a
lot of this stuff wrong. But the myth begins with

(07:43):
the primordial chaos, from which the first three deities Mana Kanoshi,
dot Kami Mosubi, and Kami Mosubi emerged. These abstract primordial
beings were followed by a series of other gods, including
the divine siblings is Zanagi and is Anami. Tasked with

(08:07):
creating the first land. Is Anagi and Isnami stood on
the floating bridge of heaven and stirred the chaotic waters
below with the jeweled spear. Drops of salty water falling
from the spear formed at the island of a Nogoro,
where they descended to continue their work to create more land.

(08:33):
Isanagi and Izanami built the pillar Meheshira and the hall
yeshodn No. They circled the pillar in opposite directions and
mets on the other side, with Iszanami speaking first. This
was considered improper, so they repeated the ceremony with Isanagi

(08:57):
speaking first, deemed correct. Their union resulted in the birth
of the Japanese islands and numerous deities, including Awaji, Shikoku, Oki, Kyushu,
and Hanshu, along with the various nature gods of the sea,

(09:20):
mountains and rivers. Tragedy struck when Isanami died after giving
birth to the fire god Kagudutsuchi. Devastated, Isanagi ventured into Yomi,
the island of the Dead, to retrieve her. Horrified by

(09:41):
her decayed state, he fled, prompting Ianami to send evil
spirits after him. After escaping Isnagi performed a purification ritual
during which more deities were born from the impurities and water. Notably,

(10:03):
a Matsaratsu, the sun goddess, emerged from his left eye, Sukuyomi,
the moon god, from his right eye, and Susanu, the
storm god, from his nose. A Matsuratsu becoming the ruler
of the heavens, is believed to be the ancestor of
the Japanese Imperial family and one of the most revered

(10:26):
deities in Shinto. Susanu, known for his rebellious nature, caused
chaos in heaven, leading to a confrontation with a Matsaratsu.
After being banished, he redeemed himself by defeating the eight
headed serpent Yamata no Orochi and rescuing the goddess Kushin

(10:49):
and Daimi. These myths are deeply embedded in Japanese culture
and religious practice, explaining the origins of the world, the gods,
and the divine lineage of the Japanese Emperor, thereby reinforcing
the sacredness of the land and its people. But easily

(11:10):
the most fascinating aspect of Shinto is how it weaves
life and death together. Seamlessly, which brings me to the
Japanese death tradition so embedded in Shinto beliefs, all things
in the universe are made of three elements body, mind

(11:32):
or spirit, and soul. I guess many things do not
have a soul, including some humans in their civilization. Gods
are made of soul and spirit. Their ultimate god entity,
Naka Nashi no Mikoto, was the embodiment of all souls,

(11:58):
which is similar to some aspects of gnosticism and hermeticism
in a Western idea. But according to Shinto, when a
person dies, their spirit always lives on through endless circulation
by returning to the two great reservoirs of spirit, and

(12:20):
it just keeps flowing. It's like a a soul river.
If the spirit became a kami, it could stick around
for a long time. Shrines or temporary structures were created
or recently departed as dwellings in which to live. The

(12:40):
dead could be empowered to have a lot of influence
over living people. An ancient custom for higher classes was
the hitagaki, which involved the living sacrifice of people. Obviously
we're looking at really old Japan though with this human
sacrifice stuff. But they'd be buried up to their heads

(13:03):
in a circle around the grave, then left to die
by the elements starvation or thirst, and of course wild
animals attacking their unprotected heads, to which the wailing of
the doomed cultivated lamentation. In spirits were messed up, but

(13:26):
no different than other human sacrifices throughout all kinds of
other cultures throughout history. Throughout Japan's history, various emperors had
to ban self harm as a form of sacrifice at
the graves of the recently deceased. Another tradition was that
the eldest daughter be buried alive to feed the beasts.

(13:50):
This allegedly would bless the family with good hunting.

Speaker 5 (13:55):
Twisted.

Speaker 1 (13:58):
The Japanese also had a fascinating tradition that was similar
to the coins placed on the eyes of the recently
dead in ancient Greece, and that allowed the soul to
cross the river sticks into the underworld, you know, paying
the fairy man. A purse of coins would be tied
around the dead's neck before burial to page across the

(14:19):
River of three Roads into the beyond death tablets reminiscent
of tombstones is another tradition to the dead they are
placed vertically out of the ground and can nourish the
ghost slush kami of their ancestor that remained loyal to

(14:39):
the family to protect them from the spirit realm and
assist the land of the living. The spirit of the
dead did not go away in many cases and could
become powerful enough to influence human affairs and nature itself.
The spirit could also go on alone. However, the Supreme

(15:02):
God chooses how the spirit represents its former personality to
any extent. Sometimes the personality is fully intact and can
even become gods themselves. Spirit is not associated with good
or evil, but can be every shade of gray in

(15:23):
contrast between the darkness and the light. Well, I guess
to the Japanese it would be more so purity and corruption,
but you get naiman. The countless gods of Shinto are
scattered throughout all things of the cosmos and to nature,
with varying degrees of purity and corruption. How quote unquote

(15:45):
great a person was in life, you know, affects how
the Supreme God influences their spirit when they die. Being
pure and godly is a fantastic way to have a
more brownie point essentially, and that can manifest more profound
states of being after death.

Speaker 5 (16:07):
Moment.

Speaker 1 (16:07):
It comes down to like esoteric I guess what we
would call in the West magic when it comes to
that stuff over there in occult Japan, it would be
called the god arts. But keep in mind that the
way that the West looks at gods is not necessarily

(16:28):
the way that the Japanese looked at gods, because gods
could be literally anything, even in the entire mountain could
be a single kami. So stuff gets pretty psychedelic and weird.
But just know that when I'm talking about gods, it's
not necessarily the way that we in the West would

(16:49):
think of them. It's their own holy, unique view of gods.
Humans could become gods because I mean in esoteric Shintoism,
it dictates that the spirit, which is alive and moving
beyond life. The spirit can even travel while an individual
is still alive, So you could actually be a ghost

(17:10):
while still living. It's similar to astral projection. I guess
in Western esotericism, one can project their spirit to achieve
various actions. Just like the spirit of gods possesses the
aspect of the cosmos and nature, a person's spirit could
possess things as well, including people, either subjugating or dismissing

(17:36):
that individual's spirit. So through the Japanese version of astral projection,
you could be a ghost that actually possesses other people.
There's God possession of things as well as humans. One
gives rise to incarnations, and the other manifests miracles which

(17:59):
can occur. Pure people can pray to the god possession
and cause quote unquote the gods to come down. From
a Western standpoint, this would be called the divine or
you know, something analogous to it, and this invocation by

(18:20):
the pure is incredibly powerful. The god possession had a
plethora of different degrees of potency. It could even displace
the local spirit, but it could also quote unquote share
the head of the spirits already there. The level of
possession could be total, medium, minimal, or make a home

(18:42):
in the abdomen and be pretty much nonexistent and let
whatever body it's possessing or a thing it's possessing go
on about its business as normal. The level of power
in the invocations had nothing to do with the initiates
adeptnists in manipulating the occult, all about the grades of

(19:03):
the individual the character of the god symbolizes unique effects
that result from the grades. Possession of things like inanimate
objects has these same cascading polarities of purity and corruption.
And as I said, this is Japanese occult tradition is
called the God Arts. Only the gods and only the

(19:26):
godly can manifest these effects, hence the name. Practitioners are
initiated in entering upon the miracles. However, it is only
actively practiced by two Shinto sex and modern times. So
this is very much the soteric version of the tradition.

(19:48):
That's very secret, you know what I mean, and limited
to specifically chosen individuals. People can't just go sign up
for it. They have to be chosen in all a
lot of ways, or just display an incredible adeptness at
their spirituality. In all cases, though, the supernatural and things

(20:10):
with supernatural influence go hand in hand in Japanese tradition.
For example, certain animals aren't magical and can morph into
different shapes hiding in plain sight in the Japanese day
to day life. These magic entities has their own form

(20:31):
or possession that could change a person's life for better
or worse. Some actions concerning the magic animals could cause
immense bad luck, such as killing a cat. Japanese very
much revere cats, and if somebody did kill a cat,
it would cause bad luck for many generations. You know,

(20:51):
people try and say that Japanese anime is the Japanese
basing their art on Caucasions. This is incorrect if you
look at it, and this is been explained by many
manga artists as well as Japanese animation artists. They actually
how they do their art style is based on the
profile of a cat. I'm not kidding, go look it up.

(21:15):
So Japanese art isn't trying to depict Caucasians, it's depicting
people mixed with cat because to the Japanese, the cats
are the height of cuteness and they're revered. That's why
all of the Japanese anime people have like cat eyes,
and when you look at their profile, it looks like
the profile of a cat. I bet that's some weird

(21:37):
Japanese knowledge that you guys didn't know, or maybe a
lot of you didn't know. But yeah, that's how much
they love cats. It's their entire art form of Japanese
animes based on it. There's all kinds of different magical animals,
and all these different entities come with different strategies for
handling them, or rituals to fall back on if the

(22:01):
situation becomes dire enough. These different types of spirits can
cause all kinds of interesting effects, but they are nothing
in comparison to Japan's many, many, many malignant entities that
are a misfortune one would not wish upon their worst enemy.

(22:21):
The beast chery of monsters in Japan is probably the
most interesting in the world and also the most dangerous.
Japan has the weirdest and most bizarre catalog of monsters
out of any culture in the world. Not kidding, there's
even one monster in specifically that is just a person

(22:42):
bending over and there's an eyeball as his butthole. Gets
really out there but fascinating. Yokai is probably the most
well known overarching term to describe dark entities. However, there
are many more that are not traditionally labeled as yokai

(23:02):
but have their own unique lore, such as the but kimono,
which is actually a label for many creatures, but what
ties them all together is that they are some sort
of changeling. There are shape shifters, but Japanese culture is
so diverse and intricate that folklore of dark entities changes
from place to place. It is only relatively recently in

(23:23):
historical ways that Japan was unified as a single culture.
So there's many isolated regions that have unique lore in Japan.
It's awesome. But Japan also has ghosts. There's lots of
ghost lore in Japan, and it's really freaky and dark.
Japanese ghost stories are the best. And there's two types

(23:45):
of Japanese ghosts, the sheet rio and the iki rio.
The she rio is the ghost of a dead person,
remember what I said about spirit earlier, And they haunt
the nia and are pretty malicious. These are stereotypical spooky ghosts,

(24:05):
but in Japanese tradition they could be very deadly. The
most famous shirio is probably Lady Rokucho from the epic
of Ganji Manigatari, who gets so pissed her ghost kills
tons of innocent people. The other type of ghost, the
iki riyo, is the ghost of a living person. This

(24:28):
is that astral projection stuff I was talking about that
Japanese believe that if someone is pissed off enough, their
spirits could act on its own without the person's knowledge,
so they could ask, project and lash out without even
the person being aware of it. That's crazy, right. This
type of ghost could also cause harm, and there are

(24:51):
even more ways to categorize Japanese ghosts. Bakamono signals the material,
monster signals an ethic entity. Tama aka timashi are ghost orbs.
This orb represents the spirit of the recently dead. But yeah,

(25:12):
there's many different types of Japanese ghosts. One of the
most legendary and well known monsters from Japan is the Kappa.
Kappa are child sized turtle like humanoids. Its cranium is
a bowl that holds sacred water, and of course they
eat humans. They are also butthole vampires who suck the

(25:35):
victim's essence out through their anus. This is considered where
the soul was two ancient Japanese like up in there
and in esoteric traditions of the East. You know, it's
a very important chakra. So they weren't literally sucking blood
out of the butt of people. They sucked their essence out,

(25:58):
so not necessarily but whole vampire, but kinda. They also
just drown people for fun. You could avoid them pretty
easily though, because kapa are actually known for only hanging
out near water exclusively. But they're pretty messing up monsters.

(26:19):
A unique thing about the kapa, though, is that they
can be reasoned with or even bribed with a cucumber.
They're also incredibly traditional and will actually not be rude
if proper etiquette is displayed, such as bowing to it
in respect, the kapa can't help it bow back to
be polite, and in doing so will spill the sacred

(26:39):
water in its head bowl, rendering it temporarily harmless. And
if somebody ever tries to physically fight a kappa, it's
pretty stupid because even though they are child sized, they
are superhumanly strong and really good at suma wrestling. It's
better just to bribe them with cucumbers or just day

(27:00):
away from their territory in general, because this is one
vampire that would be super awkward to get bit by,
as well as a horrifying death on top of all that.
So just remember, if you go to Japan, you go
anywhere near water, take a cucumber with you. Next is
the tengu Aka heavenly dogs. Tengu are kind of analogous

(27:26):
to the Goblin from Western folklore or even like demi
demons from Christian superstition, and there is also a subcategory
of a half human half cow monster called the kirasu tengu.
Like fairies or other magical creatures from Europe, the tengu
is a mischievous, troublemaker and even sometimes blatantly evil. These

(27:50):
entities broke the laws of Buddha and so we're banished
from heaven and hell. They were incredibly formidable, especially as swordsmen.
Legendary sword master Miyamoto Musashi slew at tengu, which is
kind of a big deal because they are the epitome
of a sword master and not unbeatable by any mere mortal,

(28:13):
so it really showed that Miyamoto Musashi was a sword saint,
somebody far above the skill of even a master swordsman.
But tengu also like to play games with humans. Sometimes
similar to fairy folklore. They will abduct people and take
them somewhere bizarre and then return them in an demented state.

(28:36):
This is called tengu kakushi, which means hidden by the tengu.
Next is the oni or a kuma. Only your horrible
entities similar to demons in Western tradition. In fact, you
could easily just switch out the Oni name and put

(28:57):
in demon good to go, same thing. They have a
malevolent nature, and so do the a kuma, which are
basically devils, demons and devils.

Speaker 5 (29:09):
Yet, even though.

Speaker 1 (29:10):
These are the basic idea about these two creatures, there
are still lots of exceptions and nuance like all Japanese
culture and mythology and esotericism, such as horned one being
more like an ogre from Western mythology than a demon. Obviously,

(29:30):
these things perform evil, but oddly enough, they weren't beyond redemption.
If and only cuts its horns off, it can even
become human and obtain atonement by becoming a monk and
obtaining enlightenment. This is the Buddhist influence on Shintoism, so

(29:52):
keep that in mind. But Oni are basically demons. I mean,
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I gotta go get some coffee. Don't go anywhere you're
listening to crypto chronicles. Next, concerning Japanese esoteric entities is

(33:37):
the show Joe. These entities mostly make their homes along
coastlines that are pretty like monkey like in appearance. They
love to party hard and get wasted constantly. It's actually
they like to party so hard it's rare that anyone
ever finds them not in a drunken state or some
level of drunkenness. They are not super duper dangerous. Other

(34:00):
esoteric entities in Japan, such as like the Kappa Yuri,
and they're even actually hunted because their bright red hair
makes an excellent and rare dye that fishermen can sell
for small fortune. And then we have the Goryo. Goryo

(34:21):
are malevolent spirits that were once human. They were killed
in political intrigue in one way or another. They are
known to be responsible for all kinds of unfortunate things
that affect humans in unfortunate ways, such as epidemics and disasters,
and they even start costly wars that cause devastation. They

(34:44):
produced such fear that the Japanese Epra himself once conducted
regular ceremonies to appease them for all Japan and the
first time that this ritual took place is actually super ancient,
taking place back in eight hundred and sixty three AD,
and it was performed many times by different Japanese emperors.

(35:08):
As the lore around Goryo expanded, it turned out even
low born commoners could become gorrio. All it took was
that upon their deathbed they had to have a strong
enough will to will themselves to transform into a god
upon death, and if they had what it took poof
a new Gooria was born. Some people took this to

(35:32):
extreme lengths, and they'd flayed the skin on their palms
or cut off their own fingers as a test of
willpower while they still lived, to ensure they had what
it took to become a Goryo when they died. However,
other tests of willpower and practices to enhance willpower were
less harmful and just as effective. These people were the extremists.

(35:55):
Anyone who flays their own skin on purpose should probably
be locked the ways somewhere, just saying. But a notable
golorio is Yuki Ona, or the Lady of the Snow,
a beautiful vampiric female who has pure white skin, raven
black hair, and blood red lips. She's kind of like

(36:19):
a kami in a way, because she's thought of as
like a snowstorm incarnate, like the embodiment of a snowstorm,
and is noted for her evil doings, trapping travelers in
the snow, blowing down doors, tricking parents to their deaths
as they search for their lost children, and killing with
her icy breath. In one tale, she falls in love

(36:44):
and Mary's although with sad outcomes. Lots of Japanese stories
and in tragedy, the majority of them actually maybe not
the majority, but definitely no, I don't know, yeah, the
majority a lot of them. But this is still just
a small example of the Japanese beast cherry concerning esoteric

(37:07):
entities and the like. I assure you there are many,
many more worthy of study as well, and I love
to study these things and read about them and read
the Japanese ghost stories and mythical folklore tales.

Speaker 5 (37:19):
They're great.

Speaker 1 (37:21):
Some people have even created grim wars to summon, like
ritually summon these monsters, these entities, such as the book
Summoning Japanese Monsters, which I will link in the details
of this episode. But sadly, that book is actually Western.
It's made by like some I think it's a left

(37:42):
hand path dude.

Speaker 4 (37:44):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (37:45):
I bought the book for research for this episode, and
almost right away I was bummed out because I was like, dang,
I should have done more research. This is just some
Western occultist who's kind of ripping off this stuff. Like
I'm pretty sure to Japanese who would see this book
would probably cringe super hard at it. But if you're curious,

(38:07):
I will still link it in the details of this episode.
Just know that it's a letdown and actually has nothing
to do with Japanese monsters like from Japan or any
Japanese grimoire, you know what I'm saying. It's a phony bologni,
but it's still interesting. I basically had to throw it
away as any source of information for this episode. Anyway,

(38:32):
just keep in mind that these are just a handful
of occult Japanese entities, and it's barely scraping the surface
of the esocaric nature consuming this mysterious island nation. However,
the Japanese everyday normal people never really interacted with this
you know, quote unquote mystical world, according to their ancient

(38:54):
mythical traditions in folklore, depending on the era, interacting with
the occult yes of Japan was reserved for shamanic type
holy men, monks, and other characters, similar to I guess
in Western lore.

Speaker 5 (39:11):
It would be like the cunning folk.

Speaker 1 (39:15):
Ordinary people have gone to these monks for centuries to
free them from unwonted presences in their homes and other
more mystic concerns, such as believing that they were on
the receiving end of a curse or something. Normal everyday
people did occasionally have these mystical interactions with these entities,
but let's just say it is very rare compared to

(39:36):
the more professional spiritual people. And I don't even think
that the shaman or like the shaman title would even
be a good term for the mystics of Japan. And
if you tried to call them one, they probably think
you were ridiculous, And when the didn't even understand the
meaning of the word and how it applies to them,
like if you try to attempt to explain it to

(40:00):
one of these wandering shamans of Japan. Despite this, though,
I would say that the shaman is a good broad
definition of categorizing these esoteric practitioners of Japan, just not
in a literal sense. I think that mystic would actually

(40:21):
be better, but still the shaman term kind of defines
all aspects of these mystics, because they would definitely to
me seem more shamanic than mystics. Definition wise, though, let's
just go with mystics. Communities of normal people would call
upon these Japanese mystics for many reasons their mediums, diviners, healers, exorcists,

(40:46):
and of course like wise ones people would go for
them for advice because they had amazing wisdom, as most
professional long term spiritual practitioners have. But who knows, there
could be a million ba jillion different reasons why somebody
would come to one of these mystics, and one can
spot them by the irataka no juzu they carry, which

(41:10):
is like a rosary in the West. They carry black
bags over their backs, and another common thing that they
have on them in their appearance is like a polished
animal skull. They could be carrying it anywhere on their body,
but probably hanging off the black backpack sack thing. These
mystics would also be called by people to help in

(41:31):
their loved ones passing on by performing the ritual of
opening the mouth of the dead, which helps them on
their way to their next destination. The mystics were most
useful in teaching every day people how to protect their
homes from evil and keep malicious energies from crossing through
the threshold. Their tips could also help keep the dead

(41:54):
from entering the house, because, as I already stated, the
essence of a deceased person has the potential to become
a very real threat to the living. Moreover, the Japanese
mystic kama waza aka the god arts, had the potential
to perform many beyond spectacular miracles. Others were more pragmatically useful,

(42:21):
and sometimes they could even call down the thunder god
from heaven itself. In any case, Shinto miracles were basically magic,
being performed by wizards like as An analogous view to
the west to Western lore and these miracles, Yeah, they're

(42:43):
just magic. And here's one I definitely don't know how
to pronounce correctly, but it's one of the main as
things associated with the miracles is they go hey, go hi,
and they are zi exact strips of paper which are
outward symbols of the gods.

Speaker 5 (42:59):
You've probably I've.

Speaker 1 (43:00):
Seen them many times in uh if you watch anime
or any old Japanese movies or anything like that, nature
ever seen a Shinto shrine any of that kind of stuff,
You've actually seen these papers. They're like litanies, purity seals,
and are used in potent rites in the god arts,

(43:20):
having profound spiritual significance and power. Like if you've ever
seen a Shinto shrine and wondered what those strips of
paper were there, you go. They are somewhat similar to
sigils from the Western esoteric tradition. Through miracles, the presence
of the gods is brought down to inhabit a physical

(43:43):
object or places. These spiritual avatars can inhabit stone, statues, archways,
or entire forests. The possibilities are literally endless. No Shinto
practitioner doubts the miracle and how it brings the presence
of the gods all around them. Many of the feats

(44:06):
that create miracles in the way of the gods are
through physical hardship, but this is not about testing the
practitioner's ability to endure pain, but their ability to be
so pure that they can perform these acts with pleasure.
Many of these mystics can teach themselves to walk across
hot coals, but few can learn to walk across hot

(44:30):
coals with a smile on their face. Beyond the miracles
or possessions of things comes out even more fascinating esoteric practices.
This is the practice of incarnations, aka the possession of people, places,

(44:50):
or things. Incarnations are practical mediums of exchange between the
human spirit and the divine that the miracles also test
the purity of the person performing the god arts. However,
god possession is in no way limited to Shinto priests,
but open to literally anyone who has enough purity, so

(45:14):
there is no hierarchy which the kami or gods can
interact with humanity. In this manner. Anyone with enough purity
can use their body as a home to a God.
In fact, it is the host's house body, not just
the host ego that the god comes to visit and stay.

(45:39):
In fact, some of the most humble people of Japan
are the ones that the divine prefers to come down
and dwell within, such as low class fishermen, barbers, any
common farmer. I guess too could be a good example,
but you get my points.

Speaker 5 (45:56):
But it's also.

Speaker 1 (46:00):
Security, this humility, or piety, this is not what necessarily
leads to supernatural encounters in Japan. It is actually wholly
random people who encounter this essentially when a bizarre lottery.

Speaker 5 (46:16):
God.

Speaker 1 (46:16):
Possession often happens by pure accident, and it can even
be pretty unfortunate to the individual. For example, if someone
is possessed by a devil, it is not necessarily the
person's fault, but the act and cunning of the devil itself.
In this the victim is without blame, which is in

(46:40):
quite contrast to Western traditions and even other Eastern traditions
on possession by dark entities. A lot of the times
the person is blamed themselves, either by their sin or
their own impurity, etc. Their own darkness invited it, and

(47:01):
even then there's tons of different types of devils and demons.
There's a myriad of different grades of gods, good gods,
evil gods, neutral gods, great gods, weak gods, anything and
everything you could think of, black to white, and all
shades of gray in between. However, going against what I

(47:26):
said earlier, the Shinto priest keeps the most desirable gods
behind lock and key. Such entities are only for the
chosen or the proven worthy, etc. And this practice would
lead to a national school of divinopaths, mostly sought out
for healing, but still able to perform lots of esoteric acts,

(47:50):
and a divenipath's earthly trade could be anything that could
be a clerk, woodsman, anything. These divinopaths engage the material
world as well as the other world. According to the
divinopathy has tons of advantages over all the other forms

(48:14):
of medicine out there, because the healer actually helps to
heal and cultivate the health within themselves as well as
any patient. So a practitioner of divinopathy usually has long,
healthy lives with little to no health problems over the
course of their lives. It greatly reduces aspects of daily

(48:36):
struggle and hardship. Sounds good to me, sign me up.
I mean, with such benefits, it seems like something like
that would attract the whole plethora of people to come
practice divinopathy in Japan, but this is not the case
because of the strict requirements. To be effective at it.
The God art requires the utmost daily practice to remain pure.

(49:00):
They have to remain pure enough for the God to
descend into them to perform the miracle to ensure the
divine possession. The greatest purity of the person is always required,
but if they have it, then the God will descend
literally every single time to make a home within them
without fail and to them the most pure is to

(49:22):
become basically blank, and by blank, I mean empty in
the philosophical spiritual way, not in a literal sense like
they're stupid or something they don't think or you know
what I'm saying.

Speaker 5 (49:38):
To shinto.

Speaker 1 (49:39):
Some are actually considered to be born blanker than others.
But regardless, no one is blank enough to become a
host for divine possession without tons and tons of practice
and a lifestyle of high discipline. There are also different
degrees of blankness required to host the God, depending what

(50:00):
entity it is. So many different levels of emptiness than
others to descend into a person fully. The stake of
this blankness is called gayo or geo, and the path
to geo or gio is self sacrifice and self martyrdom.
The daily practice of this purification is similar to Western

(50:22):
religions how they purify themselves, as well as similar to
purification practices and esoteric traditions of the West, such as
like sacred bathing. However, cleanliness in all aspects of a
person's life is also required, which basically means they are
clean freaks, not only to themselves but also to their environment.

(50:45):
So don't ever wear shoes when walking into a Japanese
person's house, especially not one of these holy mystical Japanese
Shinto practitioners. Not that you're going to walk into the
house of a Shinto priest anytime soon, right, But one
must also partake in the most limited meals possible, which

(51:06):
are always healthy and never in excess, So no pizza
for you. Only the purest water is drunk, and they
don't ever drink any alcoholic drinks or like other drinks
that have any bad stuff in them. No soda, things
of that nature. Fasting is also a consistent form of
this purification practice. However, the part spent in ritually bathing,

(51:30):
like the bath bathing purification part is probably the most
important out of all of them. And I like baths.
Baths are awesome, so relaxing. This isn't those type of baths.
This is not bathing for relaxation. So yeah, never going
to catch one of these Shinto priests, one of these
mystics chilling in a hot bath relaxing. The water that

(51:52):
they require for their purification must actually be in sync
with nature as possible, which translates too, it's usually really cold.
This isn't necessarily required. It just has to be like
as as natural as possible, so we're talking about fresh
spring water even in the chill of winter. This bathing

(52:19):
in cold water as part of a ritual purification process
is called kangio and is practiced by all Shinto priests
who focus on incarnations, as they're like specialty in their
occult practices. They take it super seriously. There's even different
grades of this holy bathing, with bathing under a waterfall

(52:39):
like out in nature considered to be tier one, like
the best form of this purification act. They go out
into nature and literally just bathe under a running waterfall
no matter how cold it is outside, which sounds pretty sweet,
but I mean, come on, one can't always have access
to a waterfall, now, Camlon. So there's going to be

(53:00):
a lot of opoultists that have to stay in like
man made urban areas and they don't have access to
waterfalls or streams or rivers, and these mystics just got
to kind of deal with what they have. There's also
other alternatives to the like nature aspect of this ritual
purification bathing. They're just considered not as potent or desirable.

(53:24):
That's why the proper place for an aspiring Shinto practitioner
is out in nature, out in the hills the mountains,
away from the cities and whatnot. And as they continue
their purification ritual practice after the proper time of like
complying with all this, the practitioner can call themselves a

(53:46):
class of esotericists going by the name Eyosha Iyosha. I
don't know, we're just going to go with Giosia. The
key to its haining this class or level grade state
of being is purity of mind, body, soul, and environment.

(54:10):
And the purity of environment doesn't necessarily mean well, it
does mean your immediate space obviously they keep everything clean,
but it also means your environments around where you live.
The mountains are considered the perfect environment to enter other worlds,
so it's basically the perfect spot for these esotericists to

(54:31):
set up shop and live. Mountains are difficult to traverse,
so it's very unlikely socializing is going to occur in
any consistent way because most normal, everyday people are not
really inclined to hang out in mountains. This isolation allows
the Shinto practitioner to perform the most important act of
purification unhindered, and that is meditation. Not only that, but

(55:00):
existing in such an isolated way also makes entering naturally
into trance states, or at least semi trance states as
like a state of persons default state, naturally without any effort.
As somebody who's backpacked in the wilderness, I can definitely

(55:21):
assure you this is a legit thing for me, at
least before I started to be in this common like
zen state. When I want it to be, it takes
like five days to a week to get into it,
backpacking for like two weeks. But yeah, meditation is the
key aspect of all this obviously, you probably already knew that,

(55:41):
and they take this like really really seriously. It's not
abnormal for practitioners to go out into the mountains for
three years or more at a time. In modern times,
it's not easy for neophytes to do this, but they
still attempt at least attempt this, so adjourn as much
as possible. They try to do that over in the West. Yeah, right,

(56:02):
people can last like five seconds without the Internet. But
many practitioners of the past actually spent their entire lives
on the mountains, only rarely interacting with the rest of humanity.
And that is definitely some serious self sacrificing going on
in the name of purification, if I do say so myself.
The mountain is the first and foremost holy sites where

(56:25):
the Shinto priests can practice their esoteric rituals. All other
places must they themselves purify it, just like the practitioner
purifies themselves. But mountains are considered to be naturally purified. However,
it's not just all mountains, because I mean it's shintoh.
So Shinto is extremely well known for these fantastically artistically

(56:46):
beautiful temples, right, Yeah, So there's also the purification of
temples and the temple practices that they conduct either public
or private, as well as like family shrines and whatnot.
These family shrines are also known as God shelves, and
all these places of Shinto worship are just as important

(57:06):
as all the others when it comes to purification and holiness.
There's also just like regular rooms that are purified for
specific occasions. You know, if like there's no templar mountain available,
they can if they have to. A Shinto priest can
purify just any room to become a place of ritual
or worship or practice, but obviously that's not going to

(57:30):
be nearly as desirable the.

Speaker 6 (58:22):
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Speaker 1 (58:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (58:43):
Yeah.

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Speaker 1 (01:03:37):
However, concerning a cult Japan, there's always a shrine. If
there is no permanent one, then a temporary one is made.
The object on the shrine is a gohet that thing
I mentioned earlier that's like a litany then parchment. They're
set upon a wand standing upright on a pedestal. To

(01:03:59):
this side of the goh are lighted candles. Beside the
candles are a sakaki spriggs, which are a sacred tree
in Shinto. In front of the gohe is the offering
to the god. The offering can be different depending on circumstances,
but it is usually sake, wine, a bowl of salt,

(01:04:23):
or just delicious food in general. At the back is
placed a scroll of the gods of Antaki around the
sacred space or bowls of instance. That very emplacement depending
on circumstances, and also vary in the scent coming from
them themselves depending on circumstances. But before anything goes down,

(01:04:47):
the room has to have a quick exorcism. They kind
of cast out and banish all the impurity in the room.
This can also vary, but usually the gohe wand is
used as like a like an air broom to cleanse
the area. Think about people going around in Western esotericism
that use a sage and they like you know, move

(01:05:12):
all around in the air. Same kind of thing, sparks
of flint and steel throughout the room are also used
sometimes as well as the sprinkling of salt. Evil spirits
are driven out by prayer and finger charms. Then the
Shinto mystics must also be purified before basically doing anything

(01:05:33):
at the shrine. They all go to whoever liquid is
to bathe themselves in ritual purification. When done, they come
back fully dressed in their ceremonial attire. The Antaki gods
traditional pilgrim robes with the signs of their Shinto club
as well as the name of the mountain on their dress,
like the Kami for the mountain or whatever, or just

(01:05:55):
the name of the mountain itself. Traditionally, a full group
four ritual is eight people at least. For these Shinto rituals.
The main person that the ritual focuses around is the
one that is intended to receive divine possession, called the Nakaza.
The next important role is the exorcist and a person

(01:06:17):
intended to talk to the god called the Mesa. The
next four are the wardens of the four corners east, west, south,
and north, who ward off evil spirits from those directions,
and the last two are the Deputy Mesa and the
clerk of court. Once ready, the ceremony begins. They clap

(01:06:43):
their hands enthusiastically.

Speaker 5 (01:06:45):
Over and over again.

Speaker 1 (01:06:47):
Then purification prayers and incantations, the minds dull and empty,
chanting and pilgrim bells toll in rhythm. The pyre is
lit and flames spring into the air. The practitioners then
become seated and wait for the divine possession to descend.

(01:07:08):
The man intended to house the God may be motionless
for some time. There are many signs that the man
may make with his body that shows that the God
is entering, but it always ends with the man becoming
a god. The chosen speaker can then interact with the
entity in a myriad of ways, depending on the intention

(01:07:30):
of the ceremony. In the end, the God leaves and
the emptied man returns like his ego returns. The official
form of this ceremony requires eight practitioners, but it can
be done with fewer or even just a single person,
as long as they are pure enough and know what

(01:07:50):
they're doing. The most interesting aspect of these Japanese occult
rituals to me, at least, is the finger charms. Like
the Shinto priests have all these.

Speaker 5 (01:08:02):
Cool. What's the word to describe it?

Speaker 1 (01:08:08):
Like they shove their fingers into designs that appear like
you know how some celebrities do like the New World
Order sign or whatever.

Speaker 5 (01:08:19):
Not like that. I'm just giving you a visual example.

Speaker 1 (01:08:22):
They don't do that, but it reminds me of also
have like like Ninja anime or something like that. Like
have you ever seen Naruto where they do all like
the finger signs that switch around and they do like
their shinobi magic. To those who have never seen anime,
I don't. I can't really think of a better way
to describe it right now. But they're called in nusubi

(01:08:45):
in English, meaning seal bindings. The motions describe the intent
of the charm, and they're all different. They can do
all kinds of different stuff, including telling a metaphorical story
to even like warding off evil and stuff like that.
The seal bindings themselves are sealed with the kouji or
nine characters to borrow a term used in the Western

(01:09:08):
esoteric tradition, The motions draw astrally a gate that is
then manifested into the other world and words off unwanted
spiritual activity. And an interesting aspect of this warding and
banishing is that it is done in all directions, but
one one direction is always left open. This is because

(01:09:30):
the Japanese believe that it is always necessary to leave
opponents and opening of escape. It is cultural. If an
enemy can't escape, then they're on quote unquote death ground
and become twice as dangerous and heavily more ferocious. This
actually comes from the art of war, which is kind

(01:09:52):
of awesome because I love that book, you know, I
love that book Listener, longtime listeners, and they look at
the spirit world.

Speaker 5 (01:09:59):
In the same way way.

Speaker 1 (01:10:01):
It is necessary to leave an opening for the unwonted
energies to escape, or they will become dangerous to the
Shinto priests. As the old Japanese saying goes, the cornered
rat will bite the cat. Some try to say that
finger charms originate in Buddhism, but this is just wrong

(01:10:22):
because no Buddhist practitioner are life today practices them, and
they are not documented in any Buddhist histories. The finger
charms are so important they are synced with what is
considered the most powerful purification prayers. However, there is a
little overlap between Shinto and Buddhist practices in Japan concerning

(01:10:44):
possession cult got to remember that the Japanese are mostly
Buddhist publicly and Shinto privately, so that's just bound to
be some overlap obviously, and as with any spiritual truth,
there's going to be different forms of the same thing
in many variations. And this brings me to the Pilgrims

(01:11:05):
and the Pilgrim Clubs. In time, travelers throughout Japan will
find the strange site of inns with fishing poles stuck
into the eaves, which are dangling towels. To those unaware,
this might just seem like someone in an inn like
is drying their clothes, but in truth, it is a

(01:11:28):
permanent decoration of the structure. These hanging towels and whatnot
are actually called hoh no tend to be or gift
towels of the Pilgrim Clubs, and they were originally just
towels of Pilgrims that were given out as a token
of favor, you know, saying I like this place, here

(01:11:50):
you go. They were pleased essentially these inns. After being
gifted by the Pilgrims, the towels themselves become a form
of advertisement upon the towels or the name and location
of the pilgrim club addresses. So you want to go

(01:12:11):
join in a cult club, just check out one of
these towels. So like in the context that we'd understand them,
these pilgrim clubs are cult lodges, and it is in
these clubs that a Shinto priest can seek groups to
perform rituals with and like seek God possession or to

(01:12:34):
join in all these rituals that I have mentioned and
you know, just talked about with many Shinto priests wandering
from one shrine to another and one club to another
on an internal pilgrimage. However, these pilgrims may be very
different than the Shinto priests found elsewhere throughout Japan, and

(01:12:56):
sometimes they're known for like a pretty profane nature and
like a unreligious persona. Even they seem to be like
everyone else. So they're not as traditional as the other
Shinto priests that I mentioned earlier, But the pilgrims and
the pilgrim clubs are still important enough not to be
left out when discussing a cult Japan. And of course

(01:13:17):
there's also the more traditional Shinto priests, these mystics that
go on pilgrimages throughout Japan as well, and on top
of that also Buddhists who go on pilgrimages throughout the island.
So this is a consistent theme in the spirituality there,
and a lot of these traveling pilgrims and Shinto priests.

(01:13:37):
What they're looking for are specific shrines. You might have
heard of the term shrine maidens from video games like
Fatal Frame, but they're real thing in Japanese occultism. This
theme is also represented in the Dark Souls series by
the fire Keepers. They assist the player in using the
souls that they've collected to spiritually st and are where

(01:14:01):
they get the Estes flask. But shrine maidens known as
miko and Japanese, play a vital role in the Shinto tradition,
and their origins date back to ancient Japan, where they
were believed to possess the ability to communicate with the kami. Remember,
these are deities, spirits gods through rituals and divination. During

(01:14:25):
the Hayan period seven ninety four through eleven eighty five,
a d Miko served the Imperial court performing sacred dances
and rituals to appease the gods. Today, miko are still
involved in performing traditional Shinto rituals and dances, such as
the kaigura dance, which is meant to entertain and honor

(01:14:48):
the kami. They assist Shinto priests kenushi in conducting ceremonies
and maintaining the shrine, and are historically known for acts
of divination and exorcism, though these practices are less common now.
Miko's key responsibility is maintaining the shrine's cleanliness and purity,

(01:15:10):
which reflect Shinto's emphasis on these qualities that have gone
over They also help organize and conduct various festivals, matsuri,
and ceremonies throughout the year. In contemporary Japan, many shrine
maidens are volunteers or part timers. They're just young women

(01:15:31):
who serve during special events or like times of the
year when specific festivals are happening. While their role is
more symbolic, today, shrine maidens continue to be in a
central part of Shinto shrines, embodying tradition and cultural heritage.
There are still very serious Shinto sects that have more

(01:15:57):
full time shrine maidens, but they are to a lesser degree.

Speaker 5 (01:16:01):
In modern times.

Speaker 1 (01:16:03):
They typically wear a white kimono which symbolizes purity with
a red hakama a skirt and white tabi socks, presenting
a simple yet elegant appearance that reflects their sacred duties.
The shrine maidens represent a living connection to Japan's ancient
spiritual and cultural traditions, with their role traditionally reserved for women,

(01:16:28):
highlighting the unique place of women in Shinto practices. In summary,
shrine maidens are key figures in Shinto, performing various religious, cultural,
and ceremonial duties that help maintain the spiritual and cultural
life of Shinto shrines all throughout Japan, including in those
like out there mountain wilderness shrines I told you about.

Speaker 5 (01:16:51):
Those are going to be the.

Speaker 1 (01:16:52):
More hardcore shrine maidens and Shinto sects. But basically my
point is that shrines are essential to Shinto traditions and
to the bilgrims set traverse Japan. Despite all these traditions

(01:17:12):
being so ancient, an interesting aspect of all this stuff
is that a lot of these shrines or temples aren't
as old as they may seem, because there's an interesting
Japanese tradition that goes back basically beyond recorded memory. And
what they do is they tear down the more sacred
temples once every twenty years and then rebuild them the
exact same way it was prior. So there were actually

(01:17:35):
few of these ancient temples and shrines the ones of
note that are older than twenty years, but technically they're
far older. And the way that these shrines are set
up is actually incredibly essential to like in an esoteric sense.
Because they set them up in accordance with the directions

(01:17:56):
such as the north, south, east, and west, they're all
thought to have their own magical properties distinctly suited to them.
Not only is the direction of how things are built important,
but so is the surrounding scenery. Depending on the structure's purpose,
this set up can also contribute to keeping unwonted spirits

(01:18:19):
out of the building. In Shinto tradition, a spell is
used to keep unwonted elemental influences and spirits out of
the structure. The spell is kind of weird. It does vary,
but essentially it is as follows. Quote. Take female underwear

(01:18:40):
and tear off a rag section of it, Twist it
in a left direction, possibly tied with a knot or
tied with string. The twisted rag is rubbed between the
female legs to infuse it with female energy, scorched the
charm at one end, stand with your back to a

(01:19:04):
crossroads or facing the entrance to a house. Then finish
the spell by saying the following out loud. Ghosts of
the dead, ghosts of animals, make no entry into this house,
but help yourself to these rags and the ritual by
leaving the rag next to the doorway, and unwanted spirits

(01:19:27):
and elemental influences will not be able to enter. End quote. So, yeah,
that's kind of a weird Pervies.

Speaker 5 (01:19:40):
Spell, right.

Speaker 1 (01:19:41):
I don't even know if I wanted to include that
at first, but I guess that's a thing that they did.
More interesting information is along these lines, such as the
following quote. In Japan, you cannot walk into a house
with shoes on. Part of this tradition is down to

(01:20:03):
the fact that it is bad to walk out of
a house with shoes on. It is not certain why
this is so, but one theory is that samurai would
prepare for war and armour themselves inside a house, they
would walk out with their shoes on and go to
battle and perhaps death.

Speaker 5 (01:20:25):
End quote. The dark side of Japan, and this whole weird.

Speaker 1 (01:20:34):
Directional kind of occult view of creating hinto shrines and
buildings and whatnot. This also goes for castle fortifications and
architecture in general. Castles and houses were even constructed in
accordance with these magical principles. The whole way they went
about this is incredibly complex, but a good summary is

(01:20:57):
it's similar to feng shui in China. Energy can flow
in a positive way, or a neutral way, or a
negative way, and depending on how you organize things, that's
how you interact with these energies. To the north, there
must be mountains. To the east, there must be water.

(01:21:18):
To the south, it must be open land. To the west,
there must be a great road. Each of the directions
is associated with a unique color as well, and that
was taught through the following poem. A black tortoise to
the north, a blue dragon to the east, a red

(01:21:39):
sparrow to the south, a white tiger to the west.
And even the old capital of Japan, Kyoto, was fully
constructed in accordance with these Shinto principles. So directions and
color played a huge role in a colt's currents to
the northeast called kim is considered to be the realm

(01:22:03):
of demons. The direction was a magical demon gate or
portal to which malevolent forces come and go to our
mortal plane.

Speaker 5 (01:22:14):
Quote.

Speaker 1 (01:22:16):
In Tokyo today, the Canada Neosian Shrine in a Chanomizu
and the Keneiji Temple in Ueno are both northeast of
the Imperial Palace, which was once Edo Castle, the home
of the ruling Tokugawa family. This was deliberately arranged so

(01:22:38):
that the two holy places would protect the castle from
the demonic influences of that direction. A double northeast barrier
if you like end quote the Dark Side of Japan, paintings, statues,
or just any way to depict the image of a
monkey placed in this direction is another way to ward

(01:23:01):
off the entities that come through this demonic gate into
the human world. And to the opposite the southwest is
the Irakman, which means reared demon gate. In Japanese Nido Castle,
similar protections were created to ward off this direction as well.

(01:23:23):
On this smaller scale of personal dwellings, a sprig of
holly and roasted sardine heads could be tied to the
outside of the home, which helps keep entities from the
demon gates at Bay as well. Not as good, but
better than nothing kind of a deal. Bridges, pillars, and
platforms needed protection as well, not only from magic, but

(01:23:47):
sometimes even from human sacrifice, such as the legend of
Matsuo Kotiai and the Dragon platform quote. Legend have it
that when attempts were made to build a fake island
platform near Kobe, the stone foundations kept washing away with
the tide. A necromancer named Abi nah Yusuji said that

(01:24:13):
they were trying to build on the site of a
dragon's lair, and that thirty people would need to be
sacrificed and buried beneath the pillars of the platform. He
proposed to use local travelers for this sacrifice, but there
was an uproar at the very idea, so a young

(01:24:34):
man named Matsuo Kotiai gave himself up in sacrifice so
that the dragon could be playgated end quote and also
the bridge at Niko tail quote. Shoto Shonin was the
founder of the first Buddhist temple in Niko, now a
national park. One day, he saw clouds of four different

(01:24:59):
colors in the distance. Trying to reach them, he came
to a river which was raging before him. Unable to cross,
he prayed for help. On the opposite bank of the river,
a gigantic apparition appeared, roped in blue and black and
wearing a huge necklace of human skulls. The figure threw

(01:25:23):
a green snake and a blue snake over the river,
so that they stretched from one bank to the other,
and a bridge was formed. After shone in crossed the
bridge of snakes, the figure disappeared end quote and last
but not least, the pillar of ears or noses in

(01:25:44):
some tails. Mimidzuka is a monument at a temple in
Kyoto which is said to have below it the severed
ears of over thirty thousand Koreans taken during the invasion
of Korea in the sixteenth century. Other research shows that
it was not ears but noses that were taken, which

(01:26:08):
is probably correct. Noses used to be taken if heads
were too numerous, and the norm in Japan was to
take the top lip and the nose at the same
time to show the stubble or mustache to prove that
the nose was from a man. However, Hideoshi, the lord

(01:26:32):
in charge of Japan during the invasion of Korea is
said to have given this order. Mowed down everyone universally,
without discriminating between young and old, men and women, clergy
and the lady, high ranking soldiers on the battlefield, and
that goes without saying. But also the hill folk down

(01:26:54):
to the poorest and meanest and send the heads to Japan.
So back came the noses, and into the pile they went,
a tribute to the slaughter of tens of thousands of Koreans.
This is not a monument that the Japanese promote, yet

(01:27:14):
it still stands and remains a sensitive issue.

Speaker 5 (01:27:18):
End quote.

Speaker 1 (01:27:20):
That's pretty messed up. But I guess if you are
supposed to take people's heads and send them back somewhere,
and there's like tens of thousands of people you got
to kill, eventually it's just too many heads to send back.

Speaker 5 (01:27:36):
Makes sense. And the ancient world was brutal anyway.

Speaker 1 (01:27:44):
Unfortunately, that's all. For the free show, go to patreon
dot com slash Crypto Chronicles and for just a dollar
you can get the full show. We're going to go
into Japanese self protection magic, ancient magical Japanese charms, and
Talisman's Samurai and like the occult stuff surrounding their weapons,

(01:28:06):
as well as the l omens and the cheese. The
cheese currents are like magical currents that psychics can see.

Speaker 5 (01:28:15):
So I hope to see you there.

Speaker 4 (01:28:18):
If not, think and think not about.

Speaker 1 (01:30:36):
That's all for today's episode. I hope you enjoyed this
fascinating episode on a cult japan Cryptic Chronicles is available
on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Spreaker, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and
basically all podcast hubs. You look for us and we're
there if you can listener. Please share this with everybody

(01:31:01):
you know, I mean literally everybody. If you do, I
promise you know you're you're going to haunt you. None
of these are cult Japanese ghosts are gonna track you down.
But that's the deal, all right. I'm glad we both
understand that. Anyway. As always, i'd like to thank some
of my current supporters Old Men, Legit, Dave Baxter, Alex Glidwell,

(01:31:28):
Daddy is Murrat, Chip, Medean Gomez not a Vampire are now,
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blank Erellium, Darby Holcomb, Spencer Lambdon Bantam, Chad Summer, Ryan Brandy, Carter, Osma, Young,

(01:31:54):
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(01:32:18):
Kayla thank you so much for supporting crypto, chronicles but
most of, all thanks for listening and as a really
weird shaman guy once, said my home will be a
home with no loud, anger no explosive, rage no slamming
doors or breaking, glass no name, calling shaming or. Blackmail

(01:32:43):
my home will be, gentle it will be. Warm it
will keep my loved ones, safe no, fear no, hurts
and no. WORRIES i may come from a broken and
twisted place THAT i will build something whole and. Safe
i'll sing in the shower, again cook with a, smile
and dance in all the. ROOMS i will heal