Hitobashira(human pillar) is a form of human sacrifice formerly practiced in Japan.Human sacrifice are buried alive under or inside large scale buildings like dams,bridges,and castles,or placed in the foundation as a prayer to the gods so that the buildings will not destroyed by natural distasters such as floods or enemy attacks.It is believed that the spirits of the hitobashira became guardians of the buildings,fending off any evil spirits.
"The most famous case of hitobashira relatesbto the Matsue castle in Shimane prefecture.The castle was built during the 17th century,but its construction proved tricky,with several walls falling down.As a result,a human sacrifice was sought to steady the structure.At the time,a local festival called the Bone festival was taking place.The castle's guards descended into town,capturing the prettiest dancer,and returned to the castle.They killed their captive and embedded her corpse in the walls.The building work continued without a hitch.But,of course, there's more.Once the castle was built,whenever a young girl would dance in the streets of Matsue,the entire castle would shake.As a result dancing was banned outfights in the streets of Matsue."
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Japanese Urban Legends
HorrorThis is a book about Japanese Urban Legends. This book is horror theme and I will try to find urban legends that aren't that popular.
