Ep. 105: Japan's Night Weeping Stone
Or one of them, anyway...
This story is based on experiences I had on Sunday, September 23, 2001, as I walked down the Old Tokaido Highway from Tokyo (Edo) to Kyoto, on my way to the 88 Temple Pilgrimage on Shikoku Island.
The yonaki-ishi, or "Stone That Cries at Night,” is a major deal in the area between Kanaya and Nissaka, Stations 24 and 25 on the Old Tokaido in Shizuoka Prefecture, not far from tiny Kyuenji Temple.
The stone has a legend to go with it.
Well, actually, there are two stones and two legends. At least. For the moment, though, let's pretend there's one of each until we sort this out. (I should note here that there are other "stones that cry at night" in other parts of Japan. It must have been something of a fad at some point.)
Here's the essence of the first legend: Long ago, a pregnant woman was robbed and killed on Sayo-no-Nakayama Pass, near Kyuenji Temple. A stone nearby began to cry loudly, and someone found the woman's now-delivered baby and ensured that it would grow up safely.
Now, some say that a priest found the baby; others say villagers. Some say the priest raised the child, others that he gave the child to the villagers to raise, and still others vice-versa. It's all a bit muddled, as any good oral tradition would be.