Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: 猪石, Boar Stone, Inoshishi Ishi
Category: Pig
The Myth
Shishi Ishi, meaning “Boar Stone,” is a pair of legendary stones described in the Izumo no Kuni Fudoki, an ancient record of Izumo Province in Japan. According to the account, Ōkuninushi, the great deity who shaped the land, once went hunting and pursued a pair of wild boars. During the chase, both boars and the dog pursuing them were transformed into stone. Their stone forms remained so similar to the original animals that they could still be recognized as boars and a dog.
The legend explains the origin of the place name Shishiji, later known as Shinji. The two boar stones were said to have measured approximately two jō and seven shaku in length and one jō in height, and two jō and five shaku in length and eight shaku in height, respectively. Their considerable dimensions distinguished them as remarkable landmarks in the landscape.
The stones identified as the Boar Stones and Dog Stone are preserved and venerated within the grounds of Ishimiya Shrine in Shinji-chō, Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. The legend connects these unusual stone formations with the hunting activities of Ōkuninushi and preserves a mythological explanation for the name of the surrounding area.
Sources
“Shishi-ishi.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1073414815.html