What secrets does the Nuezuka Stele hold? The Nuezuka Stele, an unassuming monument, whispers tales of a bizarre creature and a powerful warrior. We stand before it now, ready to uncover its story. The Nuezuka Stele commemorates the demise of a mythical beast called the “Nue”. This creature, a terror in Japanese folklore, plagued the Imperial Palace in Kyoto in 1153.
Emperor Konoe, disturbed by the Nue’s unsettling cries, tasked Minamoto no Yorimasa with eliminating the threat. Yorimasa, a renowned archer, shot the beast from the sky. The Nue, a grotesque chimera with the head of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, tiger limbs, and a snake’s tail, fell to earth. Its carcass, loaded onto a boat, was sent down the Yodo River. The gruesome cargo eventually drifted ashore near the present location of the Nuezuka Stele.
The villagers, terrified by the creature’s remains, buried them and erected a mound. They named it “Nuezuka”, or “Nue Mound”. The original mound no longer exists. The current stele was erected much later. In 1870, the Osaka Prefectural Government renovated the site and placed the stele at its current location. The stele was further modified in 1957 by local residents, who built a small shrine around it. The shrine, adorned with offerings and cleaning tools, demonstrates the locals’ continued reverence for the site.
Interestingly, the Nue’s design appears on the Osaka Port flag. Its image, chosen as the flag’s supporter, formally recognizes this mythical beast’s connection to Osaka. So, while the Nue terrorized Kyoto, its final resting place here at the Nuezuka Stele links it inextricably to Osaka’s history. The Nuezuka Stele serves as a reminder of ancient legends, a warrior’s bravery, and a community’s enduring respect for the stories of their past.