While northern Japanese folklore depicts the Amazake-babaa as an ominous sweet-sake hag who brings misfortune, Tokyo's Bunkyo ward holds a remarkably tender version of the legend. Local tradition claims she was once a beloved neighborhood amazake vendor whose spirit was deified at Nichirin-ji after she tragically died of a severe cold. Today, visitors seeking curious off-the-beaten-path lore can visit this quiet temple to view her rare stone effigy, worshipped as a guardian deity shielding children from coughs and sickness.
- Folklore
- Statues
- Temples & Shrines
- Oddities
- Mythology
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