【公式】長崎観光/旅行ポータルサイト ながさき旅ネット
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【公式】長崎観光/旅行ポータルサイト ながさき旅ネット

The Legend of Ogre Island ( Onigashima ) （おにがしまでんせつ）

Area
Iki
Category
History＆Culture
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On Iki, many myths have been handed down about oni, which are Japanese ogres. 
One begins like this: A long, long time ago, many oni lived on Iki Island and plagued the islanders with the havoc they caused. A warrior called Yuriwaka Daijin decided that he could no longer overlook their misdeeds and came to Iki to fight them. One by one, the warrior defeated the ogres, until he finally struck off the head of their leader, Akudokuou. The oni’s head flew up high into the sky and then vanished out of sight, for it had gone to heaven to get medicine that would attach it to its body once again. Yuriwaka Daijin hid the oni’s body behind a boulder and waited for the head to return. 
Before long, the ogre’s head came back down from heaven but could not find its body. So it used the last of its strength to bite Yuriwaka Daijin’s helmet, and then it gave out. This is how all the oni on the island were eradicated and peace came to Iki. 
The Ondako kite is a signature traditional craft of Iki, made with a picture of an oni’s head on the top half and a warrior’s face on the bottom half. Families on the island display these kites in their homes as charms against evil. Ondako can be purchased as souvenirs as well.

Learn more via audio guide

Information

Address 811-5135　長崎県壱岐市郷ノ浦町郷ノ浦
Access 2 minutes by car from Gonoura Port

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