The 'Demons' Who Were Pallbearers for Japan's Emperors

Yase Doji is the odd name given to the inhabitants of the village of Yase, which is a secluded semi-rural area located at the foot of Mount Hiei in northern Kyoto. For more than a thousand years they have maintained a unique form of village community. One of their several claims to fame is that they are the descendants of demons. 

As a matter of fact, there are several places in Japan where locals claim to be the descendants of demons. The most famous are the Yase Doji, who are unique because of their special connection to the imperial family. 

Imperial Ties

Doji is a term typically used to refer to individuals who performed miscellaneous tasks for temples they were affiliated with. In this case, the Yase Doji had a close connection with Enryakuji temple on the summit of Mount Hiei. In addition, although they were commoners, they developed deep ties with powerholders, including emperors, court officials, and shoguns. So much so that they were entrusted with the duty of carrying the palanquin at imperial funerals. 

At the beginning of the Heian period, Saicho (767-822), founder of the Tendai sect of Buddhism, established the Enryakuji. He was said to have enlisted the locals in the Yase area to do miscellaneous tasks for the temple. Yase Doji also were entrusted with carrying the palanquin of the zasu, the head of the Tendai sect. There was separate, although perhaps related tradition of the goho doji — guardian spirits in Buddhist folklore who protected the dharma as well as eminent priests at the Enryakuji. 

Meaning of 'Doji'

Yase is located on the Wakasa Kaido, which in the past was colloquially referred to as the Saba Kaido ("Mackerel Highway") since salted fish was transported to the capital from the port of Kobama on Wakasa Bay on the Japan Sea along this route. During the Heian period, many aristocrats would pay short visits to scenic Ohara, which is just north of Yase, and they would sometimes hire palanquin carriers or porters at the village. 

The basic meaning of the term doji refers to someone who has not yet become an adult or someone "different" from a normal person, such as demons. A good example is the famous Shuten Doji, whose name means "Drunkard Boy." 

In fact, in the olden days, the Yase Doji did not wear their hair in topknots as Japanese males usually did. Instead, they let it grow out wildly, with bangs cut in the front in the fashion of a child. I have not read any explanation as to whether this was meant to stress their self-identity or they had been forced to as a sign of discrimination. By some accounts, they had belonged to an indigenous group living in the mountains. 

Duties and Training

In 1336, the males of 13 households in Yase carried and defended with bows and arrows the palanquin of Emperor Go Daigo as he fled the capital. He was being hotly pursued by samurai forces led by Ashikaga Takauji. The emperor was seeking refuge on Mt. Hiei following the failure of the Kenmu Restoration. 

In recognition of their timely assistance in saving the emperor from capture, the inhabitants of Yase were exempted in perpetuity from land taxes. They continued to enjoy this privilege until 1945. 

In addition, specially selected Yase Doji were given the honor of carrying the palanquins of emperors and former emperors during imperial visits away from the palace as well as for imperial funerals. It has even been suggested that they acted as shadow bodyguards or ninja for the emperors. 

They are also said to have served as assistants when an emperor took a bath or went to the toilet. The Yase Doji assigned to the palace had to train to keep in good enough physical shape to carry the sovereign around. Some were even said to sleep with their straw sandals (waraji) next to their pillows in case the need suddenly arose to evacuate the emperor. Yase Doji continued to serve in the imperial palace in Tokyo after the transfer of the capital from Kyoto. They earned the reputation as the "commoners closest to the imperial family."

Imperial Funerals

But undoubtedly the most important duty of the Yase Doji was to carry the mammoth special palanquins. These were called the sokaren and transported the coffin of a deceased emperor to the burial site. They did so while reciting a mournful poem with its roots in the Kojiki. Although they ceased to perform that role during the Edo period, the tradition was revived after the Meiji Restoration. 

One hundred Yase Doji also were given the responsibility of carrying the emperor's palanquin when he first journeyed to Edo in 1868. It had been formally renamed Tokyo ("Eastern Capital") although Kyoto remained the official capital until the following year when the emperor permanently relocated to Tokyo. 

Then, after Emperor Meiji's death in 1912, the ever-bickering army and navy could not agree on which would have the honor of carrying the imperial bier. The compromise solution of bringing in the Yase Doji was adopted. They carried the sokaren for Emperor Taisho's funeral in 1927 as well. 

They fully intended to do the same for the funeral of the Showa emperor in 1989. However, most of them were elderly and out of shape by then and whereas previous imperial funerals had all taken place in Kyoto, this event took place in Tokyo. Moreover, the casket was transported mostly by automobile. That meant the historical role of the Yase Doji had finally come to an end. 

Nevertheless, seven Yase Doji were invited to the funeral as symbolic observers. They were allowed to help move the coffin from the hearse to the ritual palanquin, but members of the Imperial Palace Police served as the actual pallbearers. 

Ancient Sauna

The famous kamaburo steam bath was said to have been invented in Yase. In a small earthen hut that looks something like a pottery kiln, saltwater was poured over heated stones so the bather could warm up and cleanse the pores of his body. In other words, it was the ancient equivalent of the modern sauna. 

According to a legend, the origin of the device dates back to the Jinshin Civil War of 672. The prince who was to become Emperor Temmu was wounded in the back by an arrow. He supposedly had a kiln bath built here where he could recuperate from his wounds. 

The area therefore became known as Yase (meaning literally "Arrow-Back," although the Chinese characters used for Yase were later changed to those meaning "Eight Rapids.") Kamaburo apparently were regularly used up until 1907. I saw one sitting outside a house during a visit to the Yase area, although I assumed it was not currently in use.

Festivals and Dances

The Shomenchi Odori "festival of gratitude" traces its roots to a legal dispute that occurred during the Edo Period. Up until that time, inhabitants of Yase had been allowed to freely gather firewood or hunt and fish in the Hieizan area. That is how they supported themselves. 

However, in 1707 the authorities at the Enryakuji suddenly forbade them from trespassing on the mountain. Why the priests cut off their means of survival is not clear. The village elders filed an appeal with the shogunate. However, they could not get any relief until the aristocratic Konoe family and the shogun official Akimoto Takatomo interceded on their behalf. The grateful villagers established the Akimoto Jinja shrine to honor Akimoto which survives to this day. The festival held here during the second weekend of October centers around the Shomenchi Odori ("reprieve dance") to mark the event. 

Roots of Shomenchi Odori

This dance is rather curious. Local boys, 13 or 14 years old, heavily made up and dressed in goshozome (pale, astringent red) embroidered girls' costumes dance with decorated lanterns on their heads. Since these 70-millimeter-high lanterns are inherently unstable, older "guards" stand ready next to them to steady them. These kiriko lanterns are quite artistic, with cut-outs of samurai, various animals, scenery, or other motifs pasted on them. The participants walk around reciting poems with morals to them. Kimono-clad elementary school children also perform dances.

It has been suggested that the Shomenchi Odori was influenced by furyu dancing of the Muromachi period (1336-1573). The furyu, which might have been the forerunner of the summer bon odori, were lively, sometimes wild, folk dances performed in gaudy costumes. Think of today's Awa Odori or Carnival in which the status quo in everyday life is reversed or decorum thrown to the wind. That would explain why the boys dress the way they do.

Continuing Legacy

Some ties remain between Yase and the imperial family. For example, when an emperor visits Kyoto, Yase elders will be at the palace to greet him. Members of the imperial family have also visited Yase. And on the 28th of every month, a memorial service is held at Myodenji in Yase for 17 individuals who are especially revered by the community. These include Emperor Go Daigo, the Meiji and Showa emperors, and Akimoto.

Few tourists visit Yase although it is near the base station for the Hieizan cable car. When the cable car line first opened in 1925, plans were drawn up for a leisure park, including a garden restaurant, large swimming pool, tennis courts, fishing center, and fruit orchard in the area. But construction never got off the ground. Today, there are an estimated 110 households in the area. Nonetheless, the traditional thatched homes have been replaced by modern houses that look much like those in other Kyoto residential districts.

In 2010, materials related to the unique history of the Yase Doji were designated as Important Cultural Properties. Furthermore, the mid-May Aoi Matsuri, one of Kyoto's three big festivals, is associated with the imperial palace. Around one hundred participants from Yase take part. So, the Yase Doji tradition continues to be honored.

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Author: John Carroll

John Carroll is a Kyoto-based freelance writer and JAPAN Forward contributor. He is currently writing a book on the religious traditions and superstitions of Japan's ancient capital.