Japanese Horror Stories
Shuten-doji

Shuten-doji ( ⁇ , “Little drunk”) is one of the three strongest monsters along with the ghost of emperor Sutoku and the Nine-tailed Kitsune, Tamamo-no-Mae.[1][2] Shuten-doji was not originally an oni, but was a boy who had been born thousands of years ago in an area now called Shiga or Toyama.[3] His mother was a human, and his father was a Yamata-no-Orochi.[4]

Legend

Painting by Toriyama Sekie, titled Shuten-doji from the book Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki.

Rumors are growing that he was once a human, but changed his form into an oni.[1] How it came to be is still a matter of debate, but one of the most popular stories about the shuten-doji way of life is: Once upon a time there was a boy who possessed supernatural powers and intelligence that surpassed the average child his age.[1] The people around him called him the son of the devil because of his great strength and dexterity, and slowly he became an antisocial child and hated his surroundings.[1] At the age of six, she was banished by her mother.[1] Then, he devoted himself as a hermit in Mount Hiei, Kyoto.[1] However, his original nature came back out, he felt as the brightest man and hated other monks who were not in line with his thoughts.[2] After that he became more often truant and became a violent boy who likes to fight and likes to drink alcohol.[2] His penchant for drinking alcohol was so strong that no one dared challenge him in a drinking battle.[2] Because of his love of liquor, he was called Shuten-doji.[3]

Together with his group he undertook a mission to rule Kyoto and its kingdom.[4] He also met with the children of the same-sex oni, Ibaraki-doji, the oni who became his right-hand man.[4] When they arrived in the center of Kyoto, they raped noble girls, ate their organs raw, and kidnapped other children and women, and returned to their headquarters.[2] Know that, though, there comes a hero Minamoto-no-Yorimitsu along with his small army and his right hand Sakata Kintoki besieging the castle of Shuten-doji and attacking the oni alone with a magic poison weapon that kills all gang members the oni.[2] Finally, he fought with Shuten-doji and cut off his head.[4] The head of Shuten-doji is buried in Oinosaka mountain, and the vial of poison used by Minamoto-no-Yorimitsu is kept in Nariai-ji temple, Kyoto.[1]

Popularities

Shuten-doji appears in Japanese popular culture such as anime, manga, films, and games.[5] In the Persona 4 game produced by Atlus, he appears as a companion character to the main character in the game to complete missions and as a weapon.[5]