The Killing Stone
A nine-tailed fox spirit was said to be trapped in a volcanic boulder that killed anyone who touched it. In 2022, the stone split in two.
What was reported
Japanese legend tells of Tamamo-no-Mae, the most beautiful woman at the emperor's court, who was really a nine-tailed fox spirit draining his life. Unmasked, she fled to the plain of Nasu, where she was killed by warriors, and her spirit turned into a boulder that killed anyone who came near: the Sessho-seki, or Killing Stone.
The boulder sits on a volcanic hillside at Nasu, roped off with a sacred rope. In March 2022, visitors found it had cracked clean in two, and photos of the 'released' fox spirit's stone went around the world.
Explanations offered
The ground around the stone gives off volcanic gases such as hydrogen sulphide, which can kill birds, insects and small animals, which explains its reputation. Experts said the crack had probably been widening for years as water froze and thawed in it. A priest later held a ceremony at the site.
- When
- Legend from the 12th century; the stone split in 2022
- Where
- Nasu, Tochigi, Japan
- Witnesses
- Japanese tradition, and visitors in 2022
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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