For many centuries this rock has been said to harbor an evil spirit. It is known as the Killing Stone, and some believe bad luck befalls anyone who even comes near it. Then in 2022, the rock cracked open, causing many to believe the spirit has been let loose in the world.
The Killing Stone, Explained
Nine Tailed Foxes
High in the mountains of central Japan is Nasu, a small town with a dark secret. When I say secret, I mean it’s a globally famous attraction – but when writing a video like this, it really does help to exaddurate. Many who visit the town do so only to visit the attraction, and given it appears to be just another standard volcanic rock, an explenation is required. That explenation begins with the legend of Tamamo-no-Mae.
Nine tailed foxes have long been a key element of Japanese mythology. According to the story, any fox who lives to the age of 100 will grow an extra tail. At 200 they grow another – and on the rare occasion they live live centuries, they are spiritually transformed. A nine tailed fox can see and hear anything in the world. They can take on the form of a human, and generate fire from thin air. When disguised as a human, only dogs can see through their magic, making it easy for them to trick unsuspecting victims.
Tamamo-no-Mae
In medieval Japan, there was an especially powerful nine tailed fox, who while in human form was known as Tamamo-no-Mae. She was said to be the most beautiful woman on earth – and wise beyond her youthful appearance. And so, she became the favorite courtesan of the Japanese emperor. Secretly though, she was under the employment of a powerful lord – and here true goal was to assassinate the emperor. But just in time, her true identity was uncovered by a royal astrologist. And when the emperor was informed, it’s fair to say he wasn’t happy.
Guards were ordered to find and kill Tamamo-no-Mae. When it became clear she’d fled to the mountains, an army of 80 thousand soldiers was raised to hunt her down. Powerful as she was, that’s a lot of Japanese people with swords. It was only a matter of time before she was mortally wounded. Again she fled, deeping into the mountains, like a cat seeking solitude to die. And when she did die, her corpse transformed into a large rock. The true moral of this story is to stay away from beautiful women. They’re all foxes. But to the people of Nasu, it has a more esoteric meaning.
The Killing Stone
For generations it has been said that this rock, just close enough to cast an eerie shadow over their town, is what remains of Tamamo-no-Mae. Already by the early 17th century, the stone was known across Japan, with travelers coming from all over to see it with their own eyes. Then and now it was known as Sessho-seki – the killing stone – and for good reason. The most important thing is to never touch it, as according to legend, anyone who does will soon die. Signposts have been erected warning visitors of this danger – and some say even looking upon it brings bad luck.
Over time, the eerieness of the Killing Stone began to fade, as it became more a tourist attraction than anything else. And that’s where a lot of people expected the story to end. That it was just one of many locations connected to Japanese mythology. But one morning in March of 2022, Nasu locals awoke to find the killing stone broken – quite literally split in two.
Most likely this is due to natural causes – centuries of being weathered by wind and rain. Yet some say Tamamo-no-Mae has finally broken free from her spiritual prison, and somewhere in the wilderness she plots revenge on humanity. In fact, a ceremony was soon held to cleanse the area of evil. If it was successful, I don’t know – what I do know is, this entire story is the most Japanese thing ever.