The Demon Corpse Bus Stop, 'Onishigai'

鬼死骸

There once was a village named Onishigai (meaning demon corpse) in Ichinoseki. The horrifying place name was renamed by the local government in the Meiji era, although traces of the name still exists in forms such as a telephone pole and a bus stop, which was in use until recently. Due to the intense popularity of the anime ‘Demon Slayer’, visitors from all over Japan travel to see this bus stop.

The origin of Onishigai

When Sakanoue no Tamuramaro invaded Mutsu in 801, Otakemaru, an Emishi general, boldly resisted. Otakemaru, who lost the fierce battle, was beheaded, and the corpse below the neck was buried under the Oniishi (demon stone) near Kashima Shrine.

The "hero of the land" who contested the imperial court's authority over the Tohoku region was viewed as a demon during the early Heian period.