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Oshikamejo
- Modification： 2024/01/10
- Area: anbou
“Oshikamejo” is written with four kanji: large, stone, turtle, woman; normally. This large stone was thought to bear a striking resemblance to a turtle—even a female turtle’s reproductive bits. Hence its name, which was originally read as “Ōishikamejo,” which, over time, changed to “Oshikamejo.”
“Oshikamejo” is also the name of a person—long ago, a daughter of a samurai family went into a penitent exile on Yakushima, where she spent her days weaving in a house nearby. In addition to its testudinal likeness, the shape of Yakushima is also visible on the side of this large stone. As such, it has long been thought of as sacred, a protective spirit for the people of the island.
