S P O T ／ SPOT-022

Kubizuka Daimyōjin (Shuten-dōji's Head Mound)

首塚大明神くびづかだいみょうじん

On the Old Nishikyō Road at the summit of Oinosaka Pass, tucked at the end of a narrow lane dark even at noon, a small shrine marks the spot where Japan's most feared oni — Shuten-dōji, the leader of a demonic mountain cult — is said to have been buried after his decapitation by the warrior Minamoto no Yorimitsu in the 10th century. The story goes that even after its owner was killed, Shuten-dōji's severed head flew through the air and bit one final time before finally going still, which suggests the head was buried here as much to contain it as to honor it. The site carries an additional layer of historical resonance: it is traditionally identified as the spot where Akechi Mitsuhide paused in 1582 before marching on Honnō-ji to assassinate Oda Nobunaga, as if the buried demon's energy provided some final reinforcement of his resolve. A convenience store and a shuttered love hotel currently flank the approach — a juxtaposition that feels almost designed.