The threat of dark forces being unleashed by a vile vixen was a constant on Japan’s social media this morning after a renowned volcanic rock believed to cause death to anyone who comes into touch with it broke into two. 
Based on the mythology of the Sessho-Seki (also known as the killing stone), the rock contains Tamamo-no Mae’s transformed body. This attractive woman was involved in a plot that the feudal warlord hatched to take down Emperor Toba, who ruled from 1107 to 1123.
Legend says that her real identity was a frightened nine-tailed fox. His spirit is buried within the lava hunk situated in an area in the Tochigi prefecture in the vicinity of Tokyo, well-known for its hot sulfurous springs.
The fragmentation in two nearly equal pieces is thought to have occurred in the last few days has scared online users. The stone continuously releases poisonous gas, hence the name, according to legend.
The stone was believed to have been destroyed, and its spirit was sucked out by the Buddhist monk, who scattered the fragments throughout Japan. There are many Japanese who like to think its home is located on the slopes of Nasu.
People who visit the region, a well-known tourist location, were horrified over the weekend when witnesses shared photos of the stone that had been broken and a rope tied around its length and laid on the surface.
“I think I’ve witnessed something that shouldn’t be there,” one Twitter user wrote in a tweet that has racked up nearly 170,000 people to like it.
九尾の狐の伝説が残る、殺生石にひとりでやってきました。
— Lillian (@Lily0727K) March 5, 2022
縄でぐるっと巻かれた真ん中の大きな岩がそれ…
のはずなのですが、なんと岩は真っ二つに割れて、縄も外れていました。
漫画だったらまさに封印が解かれて九尾の狐に取り憑かれるパターンで、見てはいけないものを見てしまった気がします。 pic.twitter.com/wwkb0lGOM9
Some believed that the spirit of Tamamo no-Mae was brought back after more than 1,000 years; local news claimed that cracks were appearing in the rock a few years ago, which could have allowed rainwater to enter and weaken the structure.
The stone, designated as a local historic site in 1957 and featured in Matsuo Basho’s classic work The Narrow Road to the Deep North, has created a Noh play, novel, and anime film.
【江戸妖怪大図鑑／第３部「妖術使い」開催中】『NARUTO』といえば、九尾のクラマにも元ネタが。有名でしょうが、白面金毛九尾の狐という化け物で、美女に化けて人間をたぶらかしました。こちらは国芳が描く九尾の狐。 pic.twitter.com/M994BtJeOi
— 太田記念美術館 Ota Memorial Museum of Art (@ukiyoeota) September 2, 2014
Masaharu Sugawara, the head of a local guide volunteer group, told Yomiuri Shimbun that it was a “shame” that the rock was split, as it represented the region. Still, he agreed that nature was following its course.
Officials from the national and local government are scheduled to meet to discuss the fate of the stone, as reported by The Shimotsuke Shimbun. The newspaper reported a Nasu tourism official who said he would like Sessho-Seki restored to its original form. Sessho-Seki restored in its original state and possibly with its demon inside.
Source: The Guardian
Also read about History and Beauty Of The Japanese Garden