An ancient legend of Japanese culture is suddenly buzzing about because of a boulder. Sessho-seki, who was said to be the killing stone that imprisoned demon spirits, had been split in two.
Sessho-seki is a large volcanic rock that is believed to kill anyone who touches it. In Japanese mythology, this stone is related to the story of Tamamo-no-Mae.
It is said that Tamamo-no-Mae is a beautiful woman whose spirit is possessed by a nine-tailed fox, or kitsune, a demon spirit known for her skill in disguise. Once upon a time, Tamamo-no-Mae was used to seduce and kill Emperor Toba.
Long story short, the fox spirit was caught and hunted by two knights. The spirit then plunged itself into the Sessho-seki stone. As a last resort, he releases a poisonous gas that kills anyone who touches it.
Local people believe, the spirit resides in the rock for more than 1,000 years. From a historical perspective, the Sessho-seki stone was registered as a local historical site in 1957, until a Buddhist priest performed a ritual believed to give the spirit a rest.
This stone suddenly became a hot topic because it was split in two recently. Many local residents attribute the splitting of the stone to the legend of the spirit of Sessho-seki.
In fact, scientifically, the splitting of the rock is likely due to natural erosion. Quoted from IFL Science, the volcanic rock has been observed to have a number of cracks since several years ago. The possibility of water entering and accelerating erosion from the inside.
However, this explanation did not stop the various superstitions from growing wild. Tourists flocked to see the demon stone. According to the people's confession, they felt like they had seen something they shouldn't have seen. Turns out, a lot of people are superstitious.