Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Tamazusa, 玉梓, Gyokumen
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Tamazusa is a beautiful but treacherous woman in Kyokutei Bakin’s epic novel Nansō Satomi Hakkenden. She becomes a central figure in the events that bring ruin upon the rulers of Awa Province and sets in motion the curse that drives the story of the eight dog warriors. Tamazusa is a favored concubine of Jin’yo Mitsuhiro, lord of Takita Castle, who indulges in drinking and women and allows her to influence his government. Retainers who bribe or flatter her receive rewards, while loyal and capable servants are neglected or dismissed. Among those who benefit from this corruption is Yamashita Sadakane, a powerful retainer who secretly maintains an affair with Tamazusa. Together, they contribute to the collapse of Mitsuhiro’s rule. Sadakane eventually tricks his enemies into killing Mitsuhiro, seizes Takita Castle, and takes Tamazusa as his wife.
Sadakane’s tyranny provokes resistance, and an army led by Satomi Yoshizane eventually captures Takita Castle. Sadakane is killed by his own defecting retainers, and Tamazusa is brought before the victors to answer for her role in the corruption of the former lord’s government and her relationship with the traitor. She defends herself by arguing that, as a woman, she had little control over her circumstances and that she became Sadakane’s wife only after Mitsuhiro’s death left her without a home. Her arguments fail to persuade Kanawan Hachiro, who condemns her as a deceptive woman whose outward beauty conceals an evil heart. Yoshizane briefly considers sparing her, moved by her beauty and pleas for mercy, but Hachiro insists that her crimes demand punishment. Yoshizane ultimately orders her execution. Enraged, Tamazusa curses Yoshizane and Hachiro, declaring that they will suffer ruin and that she will lead their descendants toward the path of beasts and worldly desires. She is beheaded, but her hatred survives her death and becomes the source of a lasting supernatural curse.
Tamazusa’s vengeance continues to affect the Satomi family long after her execution. When Hachiro later commits seppuku, the shadow of a woman believed to be Tamazusa’s vengeful spirit clings to his son, Kanawan Daisuke, although only Yoshizane can see it. In time, Tamazusa’s spirit takes the form of a female tanuki named Gyokumen. The transformed spirit raises an orphaned puppy while bathing it in her resentment, and the dog is eventually taken into the Satomi household. Named Yatsufusa, it grows into a powerful animal and becomes the beloved companion of Yoshizane’s daughter, Fusehime. Through this deception, Tamazusa’s curse enters the Satomi family itself. Her vengeance ultimately sets the stage for the adventures of the eight dog warriors, each associated with a jewel representing one of the eight virtues of benevolence and righteousness. Thus, Tamazusa’s death marks not the end of her influence but the beginning of the supernatural trials that shape the epic’s central story.
Sources
“Tamazusa.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1071886536.html