Dear Lhokseumawe...: Oni

Oni Profile

Horns: Usually two, one on each side of the head
Mouth: Large fangs
Skin: Either red- or blue-skinned
Face: Very scary-looking
Body: Wears tiger-skin loincloths
Strength: Very powerful
Possessions: Holds a large iron club

About oni

In Japan, the northeasterly direction has traditionally been called kimon, literally "the gate through which the oni passes," and so it was feared as the dwelling place of demonic spirits. Before modern times, the term for the northeast was ushitora, ushi meaning ox and tora meaning tiger. It was partly for this reason that oni have come to be depicted with horns on their foreheads, just like an ox, and wearing loincloths made of tiger skin.

Gentle on the inside

Oni are thought to be very powerful and fearsome ogres that can snatch people away from their families. But they sometimes use their strength to help people in need. They may look tough and mean, but they can also have a gentle heart. In a way, this makes them very human. Their terrifying appearance is actually used to protect people from evil.

Invisible power

Long, long ago, when most people in Japan lived in mountain or seaside villages, nature was a very powerful presence. Storms or other natural disasters could be very deadly. People lived in fear of these powerful forces of nature and other harmful events that could not be seen, which they regarded as being oni. There is a mention of oni in one of Japan's oldest history books, Nihon Shoki, which was written more than 1,200 years ago.

Visiting the "Oni Castle" (Kinojo)

In the town of Soja in Kibi Province (present-day Okayama Prefecture) stands a castle called Kinojo that was first built more than 1,000 years ago. It was believed to have been inhabited by oni, and the castle, which has largely been rebuilt, still stands there today.

It stands atop a 400-meter-high hill. Climbing up a steep mountain path takes you to a 2.8-kilometer stone wall surrounding the castle. There are four gates, one each in the east, west, south, and north, and the remains of buildings that are believed to have been storehouses for food and weapons also stand there.

The view from the top of the hill is breathtaking. You can see not only the Seto Inland Sea down below but also across the sea to the island of Shikoku.

This part of the country is famous as the setting for the popular folktale about how Momotaro, or the Peach Boy, slays oni who were causing people much hardship:

Once upon a time there lived an old man and woman. When the old woman went to the stream to wash clothes, she noticed a large peach floating downstream. From inside the peach a baby boy was born. The boy was named Momotaro and was raised with loving care by the old man and woman.

Momotaro grew into a strong, courageous boy, and he set out to Onigashima (Oni Island) to slay the demons that lived there. The old woman made millet dumplings for him to eat on the way. Before he reached Onigashima, he befriended a monkey, a pheasant, and a dog, who agreed to help him if Momotaro shared the dumplings with them.

This story of Momotaro defeating the ogres on Onigashima is a popular tale that everyone in Japan learns in childhood. This story is also believed to have originated in Okayama Prefecture, and local kids take pride in the fact that Momotaro hails from their region. Okayama is famous as a peach-growing area, and the Japanese word for millet, kibi, has the same pronunciation as the prefecture's old name (Kibi Province).

Millet dumplings are a popular souvenir item in Okayama. They are made by mixing millet powder with rice, sugar, and syrup. These bite-sized, soft sweets are so good that you can't stop eating them!

There is a museum in the city of Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, that features mechanical Momotaro dolls reenacting various episodes from the famous folktale.

The Oni Sword Dance

Courtesy of Oni Museum

Onikenbai (oni sword dance) is a dance that has been performed in the city of Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan for around 1,000 years.

Courtesy of Oni Museum

It originally began as a way of offering comfort to ancestral spirits, but it was later performed by soldiers either before their departure for battle or upon their return. The onikenbai is a powerful, masculine dance. Today it is performed in and around Kitakami by dancers wearing samurai costumes, often during the Bon Festival in midsummer or at various community celebrations.

Depending on the piece being performed, there are anywhere from one to eight dancers. Dancers usually wear a long-haired wig and an oni mask that is believed to bring good fortune. Masks come in five colors - red, blue, yellow, black, and white - with the dance being centered on the one wearing the yellow mask.

The dancers hold a fan in their right hand and wear a sword around their waist, stomping their feet and jumping up and down to the rhythm of drums, flute, and hand bells. The word kenbai is thought to derive from henbai, which means stepping firmly on the ground. The dancers stomp on the dancing area to drive out evil spirits that threaten to enter from the northeast.

Most children in Kitakami rehearse this dance from an early age and are proud of this local tradition. In this city, oni are not fearsome ogres but powerful beings that help protect local residents.