Tradition / Region: Japanse Mythology
Alternate Names: Toramishi, Tiger Stone
Category: Tiger, Stone
The Myth
Torakoishi is a legendary stone associated with Tiger Gozen, a courtesan of Oiso-juku known from Soga Monogatari as the lover of Soga Juro Sukenari. A stone kept at Entaiji Temple in Oiso is said to have been given through the power of Benzaiten, and is believed to possess protective and miraculous qualities. It became known as a local curiosity and was publicly shown at certain times.
According to tradition, the stone was connected to a girl born on the Day of the Tiger who grew as she aged through Benzaiten’s power. When assassins sent by Kudo Suketsune attacked, the stone took the form of Soga Juro, blocking the arrows and saving them. The stone at Entaiji Temple is said to ward off evil, grant children, and fulfill wishes when touched, and it was displayed to the public each May. During the Edo period it was known as a roadside attraction and was said that only handsome men could lift it. An 1859 print by Utagawa Yoshikazu depicts the stone with tiger legs and a tail startling passersby, in the style of local monster caricatures.
Gallery
Sources
TYZ Yokai Blog. (2022). 虎子石 (Torakoishi). From https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1080024030.html
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive