It has been discovered that the “Killing Stone” in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, has been split in two, raising suspicions that the nine-tailed fox trapped inside has broken its seal and escaped.
Across the world, there are many different folklore stories. In Japan, there is a stone known as “Killing Stone”, which is said to be the seal of the nine-tailed fox (known as Kyūbi no Kitsune), a type of powerful supernatural being.
Due to the seal on the nine-tailed fox, the Killing Stone continuously emits toxic gas, which can be harmful to humans, and even insects passing by are affected. However, recently, some people discovered that the Killing Stone in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, had been broken in half, leading to suspicions that the nine-tailed fox trapped within had broken the seal and escaped.
The famous Killing Stone in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
Specifically, a Japanese netizen with the nickname @Lily0727K posted on Twitter that he visited the Killing Stone at a scenic spot in Tochigi Prefecture. However, he was surprised to find that the stone, known as the seal of the nine-tailed fox, was broken in half. In the photo attached by @Lily0727K, the Killing Stone is indeed split, and the straw rope used to ward off evil spirits is also cut. Due to the legend surrounding the Killing Stone, this information attracted a lot of attention and quickly sparked lively debates among netizens.
Some people attached photos as evidence, leaving messages that when they visited this site last December, the Killing Stone was still intact and the inscriptions on it were normal. Temple priests revealed that the last time the Killing Stone was broken was 637 years ago (during the Southern and Northern Dynasties). At that time, a high priest named Nanboku-cho used his powers to purify and exorcise evil spirits. After the purification, the Killing Stone shattered, and its fragments flew to various parts of Japan.
“Killing Stone” broken, causing confusion.
In Japanese folklore, the nine-tailed fox with a white face and golden fur often transforms into beautiful women to seduce kings. Beauties like Daji, Baozi, and the concubine of Prince Bintosara of India are considered to be incarnations of the nine-tailed fox. Later, the nine-tailed fox followed a Tang dynasty envoy to Japan, transforming into a stunning beauty named Tamamo-no-Mae to seduce Emperor Konoe.
However, the famous onmyoji Abe no Seimei saw through the identity of the nine-tailed fox and drove it out of the palace. Soon after, the emperor sent an army of 80,000 to the Nasu Highlands in Shimono (present-day Tochigi Prefecture) to conquer the nine-tailed fox and ultimately killed it.
Nevertheless, the resentment of the nine-tailed fox did not dissipate; it was sealed within the stone, which the local people named the Killing Stone. It was not until 200 years later that an enlightened high priest managed to purify this resentment, but in doing so, he caused the Killing Stone to break into many pieces, scattering throughout Japan.
Despite the well-known folklore surrounding the nine-tailed fox in Japan, after research and analysis, experts concluded that the Killing Stone is actually just a type of toxic volcanic rock. Its dangerous properties stem from its location near a volcanic vent, contaminated with hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, as well as high levels of arsenic, which is why organisms become ill or die upon contact with it.
Therefore, the fact that the Killing Stone has broken in two does not make it any more dangerous.
