鵺大明神

Was it a bird? Was it a beast? The people of Kyoto in the summer of 1153 whispered in fear. Every night, a harrowing cry, “hyoo, hyoo”, echoed through the darkened palace walls. This was no ordinary creature. This was the Nue, a fearsome chimera with the head of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, the limbs of a tiger, and a serpent’s tail. Emperor Konoe, tormented by nightmares and falling ill, suspected an evil presence. He called upon the legendary samurai, Minamoto no Yorimasa. Yorimasa, blessed with both courage and an ancestral arrow, prepared to face the Nue. As the black clouds gathered over the palace, and the “hyoo, hyoo” chilled the hearts of onlookers, Yorimasa took aim. His arrow found its mark, sending the Nue plummeting from the sky. The emperor’s health began to recover immediately. But what became of the creature’s body? Fear gripped the city. To prevent a curse, it was placed upon a boat, sent down the Kamo River, and eventually out to sea. Even today, tucked away in Nijo Park, north of Nijo Castle, you can find a small shrine dedicated to this legendary event. It stands as a silent reminder of the night a samurai fought a monster to save an emperor.