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It was 230 years after the foundation of the temple that a woman killed
a pilgrim monk in Dojoji. The accident was recorded in a literature in
11th century and revised into a couple of picture scrolls “Dojoji Engi”
in 15th century. Since then, the preachers in Dojoji have repeated ‘etoki’
or picture sermon with an aid of long picturesque scrolls.
The accident became one of
the most well-known folklore in Japan. Let’s see the story accordhing to the picture
scrolls called “Dojoji Engi”.
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In 929, a pilgrim monk was traveling to the Kumano Hongu, a famous sanctuary
100 kilometers south of Dojoji. His name was Anchin. He was young and handsome.
He stayed in a small village between Dojoji and Kumano. The village mayor
invited Anchin and his daughter, Kiyohime, took care of Anchin. She fell
in love with him and asked him to stay in her house for a while. Anchin
refused her request to continue his pilgrimage. As she asked him eagerly,
he promised her to stay in her home again on his way back from Kumano.
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Anchin, however, didn’t come
back from Kumano. Kiyohime asked the trekkers and found he had passed though
her village already. Kiyohime started to chase Anchin.
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When she caught up with him,
Anchin said she had got wrong person. She got angry. Anchin prayed to the god
of Kumano and Kiyohime fainted away.
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Before long, she founde she
was cheated again. Her anger changed her faice into that of a sarpant.
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Anchin across the Hidaka
river by boat. He asked the boatman not to across Kiyohime over the river. When
she jumped into the river, she became a huge sarpant. In 1759, a famous puppet
play “Hidakagawa Iriaizakura” was composed after this scene.
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Anchin came to Dojoji and
asked them for his refuge. No one take Anchin’s request serious. They hide him
inside their gong and waiting for a woman.
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It is said a sarpant came
and burned the gong. Maybe, Kiyohime burned the house of the gong. With her wet
cloth trailing along the ground, she circled around the burning gong house. It
looked just like a sapant with fire. Anchin was burned inside the
gong. Kiyohime committed suicide.
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When the monks in Dojoji performed rituals, the master monk had a miraculous
dream. A couple of angels appreciated him and told him that they were re-boned
Anchin and Kiyohime. They disappeared into different directions, which
meant they have no affection anymore.
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