”Kami” is a Japanese word referring to gods, spirits, and sacred presences in Japanese belief. The unit used to count Kami is “Hashira.”
The Peach Has the Power to Ward Off Evil!
Driving Back the Pursuers with the Ten-Span Sword
The Thunder Kami and their 1,500 warriors continued to chase after Izanaki.
Swinging his sword behind him as he fled, Izanaki struck down his pursuers.
In Japan, the act of swinging something behind one’s back is traditionally believed to be a way of placing a curse upon one’s enemies.
Driving Them Away with Peaches
As Izanaki made his way back to the entrance of Yomotsu Hirasaka—the slope that connects the Land of Yomi and the world of the living—his eyes fell upon a peach tree.
Izanaki picked three peaches and threw them, driving away the evil spirits.
From this story, peaches came to be believed to possess the power to ward off evil.
At the Makimuku Archaeological Site in Nara Prefecture, approximately 2,000 peach pits have been excavated. They are believed to have been used in ritual practices around the 3rd century.
In ancient China, peaches were long believed to possess spiritual power and the ability to ward off evil. There was a ritual called Tsuina, performed to drive away demons, in which a peach-wood bow and arrows made of reeds were used.
In Japan, there is also a custom called Setsubun, held in early February, during which people drive away demons. This practice became widespread among the general population around the Edo period, making it relatively recent when compared to ancient traditions.
Instead of peaches, roasted soybeans are used and thrown into places where people wish to expel demons or evil spirits.
It is likely that ancient beliefs and rituals gradually changed over time, eventually taking the forms we see today.
↓ Izanami Episodes
↓ Izanaki Episodes
