The is the

northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...

corner of the wall of the

Kyoto Imperial Palace The is the former palace of the Emperor of Japan, located in Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. Since the Meiji Restoration in 1869, the Emperors have resided at the Tokyo Imperial Palace, while the preservation of the Kyoto Imperial Palace was ordered ...

Summary

Under the influence of the

Chinese cosmology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural tradit ...

imported by the Imperial Court in ancient times, the became an object of superstition. In any building, the exterior corner facing northeast, called a , was believed to provide a means by which evil spirits and bad

luck Luck is the phenomenon and belief that defines the experience of improbable events, especially improbably positive or negative ones. The Naturalism (philosophy), naturalistic interpretation is that positive and negative events may happen at a ...

could enter. In order to prevent such things from entering the palace grounds, the northeast corner was built in an unusual concave shape. By avoiding a convex vertex pointing in the direction of the ''kimon'', the wall, and indeed the entire palace, could be regarded as technically having no "northeast corner". This was long regarded as a reliable

apotropaic Apotropaic magic (From ) or protective magic is a type of magic intended to turn away harm or evil influences, as in deflecting misfortune or averting the evil eye. Apotropaic observances may also be practiced out of superstition or out of tr ...

technique for "sealing" the ''kimon''. A wooden sculpture of a monkey wearing an was placed under the eaves of the ''Sarugatsuji''. This is believed to have been done because the

shinshi are animals in Japanese mythology that are believed to be associated with a , a divine being. These animals are also known as or . In ancient texts such as and , there are tales of special animals that acted on behalf of the to transmit the d ...

of Hiei Shrine, located northeast of the palace, was said to have appeared in the shape of a monkey. The monkey of Hiei Shrine was called , which is a homophone of . In 1868, during the

Battle of Toba–Fushimi The occurred between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle started on 27 January 1868 (or fourth year of Keiō, first month, 3rd day, according to the lunar calendar), when the forces of the sho ...

, the

Nishi Hongan-ji is a Buddhist temple in the Shimogyō ward of Kyoto, Japan. It serves as the head temple of the sub-sect Honganji-ha. It is one of two temple complexes in Kyoto, the other being Higashi Hongan-ji, which is the head temple of the sub-sect � ...

sent 100 men led by the monk to protect the Sarugatsuji.

1863 murder of Anegakōji Kintomo

On the night of July 5, 1863, the senior official was assassinated near the ''Sarugatsuji'' in what became known as the . Tanaka Shinbei's sword was found at the scene of the murder, but he denied killing Anegakōji and performed

harakiri , also known as , is a form of Japanese ritualistic suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honor, but was also practiced by other Japanese people during the Shōwa era (particularly officers near t ...

during his interrogation. The real culprit was never identified. The Sakuheimon incident was dramatically depicted in the 1969 film ''Hitokiri''.

References

{{coord, 35.02726, 135.76361, format=dms, type:landmark_region:JP, display=title Buildings and structures in Kyoto Traditional Japanese architecture Superstitions of Japan Geomancy Luck

Summary

1863 murder of Anegakōji Kintomo

See also

References