はじめに
私は作家でお面も制作します。張り子では細かいところが再現できず、そこがまた面白いのですが、同時に不満でもありました。ゆがみがうまく直せないなど、技術の限界も感じていました。
そんな時、しんぽうなおこ先生の「恐怖心の具現化講座」を受講。このとき先生が教えてくださったのが、「かさね（累）」です。
夫に殺された累は、後妻を次々に祟り殺し、ついに夫の娘に憑依、「私を供養してほしい」と求めます。一応の供養を受けたものの、成仏に至らず、さらに激しい霊障を繰り返す累。一方、親の死後を村人に尋ねられ、「お前の親兄弟はこれこれの悪事によって地獄で苦しんでいる」と複数の村人の悪事を暴いていきます。「これでは村がなくなってしまう」と、人々は村をあげ本気で累の供養を行うのです。そしてこれが、累の異父兄の供養・成仏へと続くのでした。
私たちは、累が「やりきった」ことに心を惹かれました。今回のお面制作は、「容赦ない指弾」がテーマです。過去はお面の左に、損傷として表現されました。張り子でできなかった修正の仕方も、仕上げ方法も、美しい彩色のやりかたも、たいへん丁寧に教わりました。
2か月はあっという間でした。素晴らしい講座でした。
しんぽうなおこ先生 イヒス妖面通信塾 仮面粘土造形講座 ：
www.street-academy.com/myclass/154378?sessiondetailid=17552753&trigger=browse-history_myclass
これは、約40年に及ぶ、ある女性の救済物語です。実話に基づき、著者が再構成しています。個人の特定ができないよう、地域と年代を明らかにせず、また、文中全て仮名としました。
登場人物
累子・・・・・・主人公
倫雄・・・・・・累子の夫
康太・・・・・・累子の息子
美幸・・・・・・累子の娘
多渕・・・・・・元暴走族の裏番
奈緒・・・・・・多渕の妻
参考：
◆累ヶ淵 –
Wikipedia から抜粋◆
下総国岡田郡羽生村（現在の茨城県常総市羽生町）に、百姓・与右衛門（よえもん）と、その後妻・お杉の夫婦があった。お杉の連れ子である娘・助（すけ）は生まれつき顔が醜く、足が不自由であったため、与右衛門は助を嫌っていた。そして助が邪魔になった与右衛門は、助を川に投げ捨てて殺してしまう。あくる年に与右衛門とお杉は女児をもうけ、累（るい）と名づけるが、累は助に生き写しであったことから助の祟りと村人は噂し、
「助がかさねて生まれてきたのだ」と「るい」ではなく「かさね」と呼ばれた。両親が相次いで亡くなり独りになった累は、病気で苦しんでいた流れ者の谷五郎（やごろう）を看病し、二代目与右衛門として婿に迎える。しかし谷五郎は容姿の醜い累を疎ましく思うようになり、累を殺して別の女と一緒になる計画を立てる。正保4年8月11日（1647年）、谷五郎は家路を急ぐ累の背後に忍び寄ると、川に突き落とし残忍な方法で殺害した。その後、谷五郎は幾人もの後妻を娶ったが、尽く死んでしまう。6人目の後妻・きよとの間にようやく菊（きく）という名の娘が生まれた。寛文12年1月（1672年）、菊に累の怨霊がとり憑き、菊の口を借りて谷五郎の非道を語り、供養を求めて菊の体を苦しめた。近隣の飯沼にある弘経寺（ぐぎょうじ）遊獄庵に所化として滞在していた祐天上人はこのことを聞きつけ、累の解脱に成功するが、再び菊に何者かがとり憑いた。祐天上人が問いただしたところ、助という子供の霊であった。古老の話から累と助の経緯が明らかになり、祐天上人は助にも十念を授け戒名を与えて解脱させた。
人怖前編
累が渕の怨霊、かさね（累）。
夫・谷五郎に殺され、後妻6人を祟り殺し、谷五郎の娘に憑依して、供養を求める。村人が求めるままに、亡き人々のその後を語るが、それはまさに、村に秘められた数々の罪を、暴くこととなった。村の消滅を恐れた人々は、本気で供養を行うことを決め、６０年に及ぶ事件は、人々の関心を集めることとなった。
息子が母の首を絞める。
しかし、父はその苦悩を知らない。
家庭の悩みを、母は夫に語らない。
信頼はすでに崩れ去っていたから。
息子は康太。娘は美幸。
年子のふたりを、ワンオペで育てる、母、累子。
「家族を養うために、僕は働いている。 きみにはそう理解してほしい」
父、倫雄の帰宅は、２５時。年子と寝てしまった妻を、帰宅後、正座して毎晩起こす。起きない時は、枕元で、起きるまで説教する。あたたかい食事の提供と、自分の世間話を聞くことを、妻に求める。
２６時。倫雄の就寝後も、累子は明け方まで眠れない。
憂さ晴らしに、夫は妻の人格を否定するから。
疲労が蓄積し、累子が年子にキレる。
「眠らなくちゃ。子どもたちを守りたいの」
康太の不登校をきっかけに、母子三人は児童精神科を受診。累子への抗うつ剤等内服と、カウンセリング開始。
主治医「お父さんが問題だねぇ」
副作用があり、倫雄への投薬は中止になる。倫雄へのカウンセリングは、主治医と言い合いになり、倫雄が拒否。
主治医自身の闘病のため、児童精神科閉鎖。主治医交代ののちも、累子は、投薬のみ継続。
アダルト・チルドレン・ミーティングに出会い、自身の生き方を変えはじめる、累子。行動することを学び、累子は、再構築を目標に、別居。
「子どもたちは、僕と暮らしたいと言っている」
（後日、康太はその言葉を否定する）
倫雄の勝手な思い込みが、妻を追いつめ、累子は、手元の薬を大量に飲んで意識不明に陥った。肝臓の数値異常で、精神科に緊急入院。やがて社会的廃人となり、父兄の間で、累子に話しかける人もいなくなる。
妻を廃人に追いやっても、倫雄にその自覚はない。
「この人、自分が悪いと思っていないよ。 あなたは、離婚してやり直したらいい」
相談を受けた警察官が言った。
「話が大げさだと思っていたが、 旦那に会って、こいつはダメだと思った。 離婚させてやらないと」
元暴走族の裏番、多渕が言った。
働き者の倫雄は外面が良く、この二人以外、悪く言う者は現れなかった。
薬漬けで廃人となった累子は、もう、家事も満足にできない。
「僕が変わらなくちゃいけない？ いや、僕には理解できない。 むしろ、きみに変わってほしい」
ワンオペで家庭を回すことになった、倫雄。
子どもの前で「もう、死んでほしい」とも言った。
まじめで、家族のためによく働く男。妻の両親を引き取り、３人の通院・入退院の面倒をみるなど、たいへん温厚で、自他ともに認める人格者だ。
深夜の、妻への過酷な仕打ちも、倫雄はひたすら
「きみに理解してほしい」と求めただけのこと。
生きていけなくなるほど追いつめてしまい、妻が社会的な廃人になるなど、倫雄は考えていなかった。一方、洗脳され、奴隷のように仕える累子も、証拠と味方を集め離婚するという情報に疎かった。
退院後、累子は家庭内別居を始めた。
人格を否定され続け、自分をぼろぞうきんとしか思えない。ゆがんだ自己認識が修復できないまま、さらなる自殺未遂、夜間閉鎖病棟への再入院。
苦悩は累子自身だけではなく、息子にも、娘にも及んでいた。
康太に、嗤いながら首を絞められ、累子は、倫雄との再構築を捨て、離婚を決意する。
（私が健康にならないと。康太が過ちを犯す前に、守ってあげないと・・・）
ごく軽度ではあるが、学習障害がある、康太。
父は、康太が起きている間、帰宅せず、休みは一日寝ている。
薬漬けの母はどんどん病んでいき、副作用で歩行もおかしい。
誰にも相談できないまま、康太は荒れるしかなかった。母の首を絞めるのは、無力な康太にとって、苦悩の表れ、苦境を嘆く、悲しい叫びであった。
医療も問題解決に届かず、「祈りましょう」というだけの宗教も、本当の助けにならない。
「あなたがもっと頑張らなくちゃ」
たまたま窓口にあたった、素人にすぎない行政。
「旦那さんがかわいそうです」
家庭裁判所で、累子が雇った弁護人。
離婚を目指して借りた、新築のアパートで、累子の老父が溺死する。
２５時に、倫雄を電話でたたき起こす、累子。
「勘弁してくれ。明日も仕事なんだ」
「あなた、私を夜中に起こして寝かせなかったわよね。１５年も。睡眠を奪ったのよ。離婚してよ」
次の深夜。
「・・・わかった。離婚するよ」
葬儀の準備中、行政の無料弁護士相談で、倫雄は、離婚届に署名押印。
累子は、こうして解放された。
祟り
かさねを殺した夫・谷五郎は、流れ者で人殺しだった。
行き倒れを介抱したかさねは、村人の反対を押し切って、婿に迎える。百姓・与右衛門の家屋、土地、名まえを継いだ谷五郎。
かさねの殺害後、後妻が６人死んでゆく。
１４歳で新妻となった、谷五郎の実娘 菊 に、激しい憑依現象が起こる。
おざなりの供養で成仏なぞできるものか・・・
罪が暴かれ、恐れをなした村人は、祐天和尚を迎えるのだった。
「なんで俺が、あんたのために、泣がなんねんだ」
自殺未遂をした累子を訪れ、元裏番の多渕は、その分厚い手で、累子の頬を打った。洟をたらし、涙を落としながら、繰り返し、打った。社会的な廃人、それこそ幽鬼であった累子が、血の通った人間に立ち返った、瞬間であった。
医療も、信仰も、行政も、この家族の問題を解決できない。
荒れる康太を、どうにか守りたいと願った、うつ病の累子。
（もう、悠長に変化を求める時間的な余裕はないわ。どんな手段を使っても、決定的な変化を起こさなくては）
救いを求め、３人の男性に手紙を出した。
１人は、驚いて、関りをすぐに断った。
もう1人は、時間をおいて来てくれた。せっかくの申し出だが、累子から断った。考え抜いて来てくれたけれど、この男性には、きっと重荷になるだろうから。
真っ先に駆けつけ、援助を引き受けたのは、元暴走族の裏番であった、多渕。覚せい剤の後遺症を自力で脱した経緯がある。彼は、累子の回復を、数年かけて成し遂げる。
多渕の支援姿勢
・累子の主体性・意思を尊重する。
社会資源の提案など、倫雄と離婚したいという累子を支援する。
・体から薬を抜く。
服用した年月と同じ時間をかけ、薬の影響を抜いていく。
回復時は自殺衝動が起こるので、そばにいて見守る。
・立場を与え、責任ある仕事を行わせる。
「名刺は人を造る」会社の看板であると自覚させる。
資格を修得させ、独りで生きることを可能にする。
累子の自助努力
・見捨てられ不安の処理
症状が発動する要因を発見、インナーチャイルドに取り組む。
見捨てられることのない関係を得て、症状は収束していった。
・ワンダーチャイルドとの会話
インナーチャイルドは、癒され、成長すると、ワンダーチャイルドに変化する。
不安な時に支えてくれる存在となる。
・誇りの回復
「私はボロぞうきん」とのセルフイメージを、チャンネルを変えるイメージを使い、「歓喜・叡智・慈愛」へと変化させる。魂は奇跡的な存在である。
元暴走族の裏番、多渕。
人生が変わってしまうほどの深いかかわりを、個人で請け負った男。
みずからの経験と、その後の、荒れる者たちへの助力。
それは人助けであって不倫ではないと、多渕の妻、奈緒も知っていた。
まるで親戚か姉妹であるかのように、多渕の家族と、累子は関わっていた。
多渕の子どもの送迎も、頼まれれば累子は行った。
親の友人として、その子は、累子の存在を受け入れた。
多渕は事業を起こしたが、
「私は手伝わないわよ」
家計を支える奈緒は、協力を断った。
パートナーとして事業に関わった累子は、8年間、大金を投入する。
奈緒は、多渕も累子もどうにもできない時に、何度でも、助けに動いてくれた。
多渕は、奈緒と、離婚しなかった。
後述のように、後年、美幸が多渕を訴えたとき、
「俺は、もう、逮捕されるかもしれない」
多渕は、奈緒に預けたままの離婚届提出を、指示する。
（・・・苦しめてやる）
累子がその言葉を心に聞いたとき、多渕と、たまたま遊びに来ていた康太が、累子とともにいた。男たちはふたりとも、霊感があった。出現した霊は、いまは人の姿を保つことができず、蛇が巻き付くように、累子を睨みつけている。
「・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・」
累子がそっと、お経を唱える。
康太「お母さん、霊が苦しんでいるよ」
累子は、そこで、お経を唱えるのをやめた。
「倫雄の数代前の、自殺した女性かしら？」
累子の言葉に、康太が、幻を見る。
康太「山奥の景色が見える。この人、そこで暮らしたみたい」
累子「お父さんには聞きづらいね。調べてみるかな」
累子（私はもうこの家と離れているけれど、康太と美幸は、今後も、影響を受けるかもしれない。いますぐ、供養をしておかないと・・・・）
累子が、倫雄の祖父が眠る墓地を突き止め、多渕が、康太と美幸、累子を連れ、県をふたつ超えて、供養に向かう。多渕は、ある仏教系の在家信者であった。
多渕による供養ののち、倫雄、康太と美幸、累子は、元家族４人で、日を改めて、墓参に向かう。
倫雄が、ある場所を訪れる。
「ここ、叔母ちゃんちなんだ」
突然の訪問に驚いた、叔母。
「・・・私、足止めされていたのね。今日は、出かける用事があったの。でも、電話があったり、人が来たり。・・・こういうことだったのね」
叔母の案内で、先日の墓地と、ほかの墓地もまわる。
叔母と別れたのち、倫雄の運転で、車は、山方面に向かう。
「ねえ、いったい、どこに行くの」
累子の言葉に、はっと、倫雄が我に返る。
「昔住んでいたあたりだよ。今はもう、だれもいないけど」
Ｕターンして、街へ引き返す、一行。
倫雄が高校生の時以来、墓参をしないまま、２０数年が経っていた。
（あのまま向かっていたら、何が起こっていたのだろう・・・）
（苦しめてやる）と伝えてきた霊は、祟りのすべてだったのだろうか。
倫雄が購入した一軒家は、裁判を経て処分された物件であった。
むかしその地所に安置されていた祠が、なんの処置も受けずに撤去され、祀られていた鬼だけが、今も残っているという。その経過を知らない者がそこに住めば、相応の影響があるという、そんな家なのであった。
（筆者注：日本では、神々を祀る大小の祠が多い。工事などの事情で祠を撤去する場合は、神職による祈祷を受け、御霊を抜く処置が不可欠である。これをしない場合は、祟りが起きるとされている。井戸の撤去や大木を伐採する際も、同様の処置が必要とされている）
離婚後、飼い猫に毎晩八つ当たりする、倫雄。
もう、次の猫は飼えない、そう、康太が嘆く。
「お母さんはまともだよ。おかしいのは、お父さんだ。（当時、母の頸動脈を絞めたのは）おかしくなっていたんだ・・・お母さん、お父さんから八つ当たりされてたんでしょ？ あの頃、お母さんを護ってやれなくて、ごめん」
父子は、今もそこに住んでいる。
霊感のある康太は、この環境に、すっかり馴染んでいるそうだ。
人怖後編
５～６歳であったという男児、すけ（助）。
かさねの異父兄（女児という資料もある）。
すけを連れ子に、百姓・与右衛門と再婚した お杉 だが、生まれつき障害のあった 助 を疎んじる与右衛門に責められる。お杉 は子に詫びながら、のちの累が渕に、助 を沈めてしまう（与右衛門が沈めたという資料もある）。
母に殺された 助 は、６０年もの間、川底で、水だけを飲んでいたと語る。かさねが成仏したのを見てうらやましくなり、若妻 菊 に憑依し、祐天上人の供養を求める。純粋なその姿に、祐天上人は、熱い涙を流すのだった。
「娘さんには、昔の遊女が憑りついてるね」
旅先で、ご神霊を取り次ぐ能力者から、そう聞かされた累子は、遊女の霊に、語りかける。
「そう・・・気づいてあげられなくてごめんね。辛かったのね」
同時刻、遠く離れた自宅で、
（あ、自分が悪かったんだ）
美幸は、はじめてそう思えたという。
数日前のこと。
高校生になった美幸は、ゲーセンで顔見知りとなったアルバイトの男に誘われ、そのアパートで身をまかせてしまう。そのことの、何が悪いのか理解できない、美幸。反発し、話し合いにならない。
累子「・・・これ、霊障？」
多渕「かもなあ」
美幸「うっわ、ざっけんな。 憑りつかれてるってｗｗｗ。そんな、絶対、ないって」
たまに幽霊を見ることがあったが、美幸は、自身への憑依現象を否定する。
ふと、累子がお経を口にすると、美幸はとたんに倒れ、深く眠ってしまい、そのまま朝まで目覚めなかった。
見つめる多渕が、
「お経で寝たのは、憑依霊のしわざだぞ。あんた、行って霊能者に聞いてこい」
と、累子を旅に送り出した。その答えが、遊女霊の存在であった。
帰宅後、累子は、美幸、康太と、多渕の4人で、お祓いを受けている。
倫雄の帰宅は深夜。休みの日は寝ている。
スマホをいじる美幸のわきに正座し、倫雄が美幸に説教する。もっと小さい頃は、美幸をひざに抱え込み、叱りつけていたと、ある日、康太が打ち明けた。
「おやじのかかわりが薄いと、女の子は、男の愛情を求めて、体を差し出すようになる。そうならないよう、俺が、美幸に関わってやろう」
多渕は、累子にそう告げた。
「いえいえ！ 美幸は、問題が何か、まだ理解できないの。だから、変わる必要があるとも、変わりたいとも思っていない。年も若すぎるでしょ。ダメ。関わらないで」
「あんた、自分は救われても、娘を救うのは止めるのか。それでも母親か」
多渕は、累子の言葉を聞き入れない。だが、多渕のその驕りは、同じ重さで、多渕に降りかかるのだ。その時はまだ、多渕も、美幸も、累子も、それを知らなかった。
累子は、美幸を遠くに逃がせばよかったのか。
美幸と一緒に、逃げればよかったのか。
累子の迷いが、後年、母娘の関係を、引き裂くことになる。
（私が応じなければ、お母さんを守れない）
したくないという思いを封じたまま、美幸は、男の求めに応じる。
その後、多渕は、美幸を妻にすると言い放った。
数年後、周囲の援助を得た美幸は、多渕を、ストーカーで訴えた。
このことによって、前述のように、多渕は、妻に離婚を許した。
「娘を連れてこい！ 閉じ込めて、 薬漬けにしてやる！ どうでも連れてこい！」
多渕の狂乱を抑えるため、累子は、多渕に入籍を提案する。
（美幸を忘れてくれるなら・・・それで美幸を守れるなら・・・）
いっとき、話を呑んだ多渕は、だが、再び狂乱状態に陥る。家具を叩き、娘を連れてこいと、怒鳴り散らす。
ボロボロだったとき、多渕は側にいて、自立できるよう、累子を助けてくれた。その恩があった。多渕を、かばいたかった。
（・・・私がいたら、この人は、ずっと、美幸を忘れることができないでしょう）
大切な関係を、自ら、切り離す。いままでも繰り返してきた、選択。それに慣れることは、累子には、できなかった。
「もう、戻って来てはだめだよ」
地元の警察に相談し、警察官の見守りのもと、累子は、事件を起こすことなく、
多渕と決別した。家庭を壊され、事業のパートナーも失った。多渕は、自ら、おのれの顔を焼いて、再出発したという。
求めに応じることで、母を、多渕の暴力から守ってきた。
もう、母を守る必要がなくなったとはいえ、もはや、性交でしか、自分の存在理由を見いだせない。数年が過ぎ、美幸は、セックス依存症になっていた。
この苦悩は、母にも責任がある。美幸は、ことあるたびに、そう累子を責める。
「お母さんは、不倫して家庭を捨てた」
自分こそ被害者だと思い込んでいる、倫雄。自分がこうなったのは、累子と結婚したから。ほかの女性を娶っていたら、こうはならなかった・・・。
「お父さんから聞いたことと、違うじゃない」
経過を語ろうとする累子の話を、聞こうとしない。美幸の結婚が決まり、段取りについての行き違いから、美幸と口論になった、累子。
「美幸が怒るのも理解できるし、責められることも 当然だと思う。けれども、美幸から激しい言葉で人格を否定されると、倫雄に苦しめられていた当時のように、自傷衝動に陥るの」
累子は、美幸との絶縁を決意する。
美幸の結婚式を欠席したことから、康太とも交流がなくなった。
「・・・寂しいわ。でも、自業自得ね。仕方ないの」
母親が離婚すると、娘も離婚するようになる。
母が帝王切開だと、娘もそうなる。
まるで、 助 と 累 がそうであったように、母と娘も、人生の大きな局面を、かさねていくことがある。
苦悩の中で人生の選択を迫られ、過ちを選んでしまった。
そのため、生涯、美幸から責められることになった、累子。
「うまくいかなかったけれど、ただ、ふたりを守りたかったの。その後私自身は再婚して、穏やかな夫と、とても幸せ。子どもは親の人生を再現することがあるから、ひたすら真摯に、日々を幸せに生きる事。それだけが、康太と美幸、ふたりに遺す、相続財産ね」
そう、累子は信じている。
あとがき
かさねと助を解脱させた祐天上人は、当時、たいへん著名な人物であったようです。実力だけではなく、怨霊との対話の中で、激しい感情も示したお人柄も、大変魅力的です。怨霊に真剣に向き合うその姿は、そのまま、社会的廃人であった累子を救おうとした、元暴走族裏番、多渕に重なります。
村人の供養でもできなかった、かさねと助の解脱。
医療も、行政も、宗教も、成し遂げることができなかった、累子の回復。
生きていても、死んだのちも同じように、救済者の真剣に向き合う姿勢が、相手の心を動かします。でも、結果を出す決定打は、「解脱したい、変わりたい、救われたい」という、当の本人の本気度なのでした。
かさね、助、菊の御霊に、平安がありますように。関係する皆さんの幸せと、読んでくださった方々のお幸せを祈りつつ、あとがきといたします。
もりたかこ
参考：「資料解脱物語聞書」小二田誠二解題・解説 白澤社
「江戸の悪霊祓い師」高田衛著 筑摩書房
「インナーチャイルド」ジョン・ブラッドショー著 NHK出版
Introduction
I am an artist and I also make
masks. With paper mache, it is difficult to reproduce the fine details, which
is what makes it interesting, but at the same time, it was also frustrating. I
felt that there were limitations to my technique, such as not being able to
easily correct distortions. At that time, I took a course called "Making
Fear a Reality" taught by Professor Shinpo Naoko. It was during this
course that the professor taught me the technique of "Kasane."
After being murdered by her husband, Rui curses
and kills each of her second wives one by one, and finally possesses her
husband's daughter, asking her to hold a memorial service for her. Although she
receives a memorial service, she is unable to attain nirvana, and the spiritual
afflictions become even more severe. Meanwhile, when the villagers ask her what
happened after her parents' death, she uncovers the evil deeds of several
villagers, saying, "Your parents and siblings are suffering in hell because
of their evil deeds." Feeling that "the village will be destroyed if
this continues," the entire village decides to hold a memorial service for
Rui in earnest. This leads to the memorial service and nirvana of Rui's
half-brother.
We were
fascinated by how Rui "finished it all." The theme of this mask
production was "merciless finger strikes." The past was expressed as
damage on the left side of the mask. We were taught in great detail how to make
corrections that weren't possible with paper mache, how to finish the mask, and
how to paint it beautifully.
The two months went by in a
flash. It was a wonderful course.
by Professor Shinpo Naoko イヒス妖面通信塾 仮面粘土造形講座 ：
www.street-academy.com/myclass/154378?sessiondetailid=17552753&trigger=browse-history_myclass
This is the story of one
woman's rescue, spanning approximately 40 years. It is based on a true story
and has been reconstructed by the author. To prevent the individual from being
identified, the location and time period have not been disclosed, and all names
in the text have been pseudonyms.
Characters
Ruiko: The protagonist
Michio: Ryuko's husband
Kota: Ryuko's son
Miyuki: Ryuko's
daughter
Tabuchi: Former biker
gang member
Nao: Tabuchi's wife
Reference:
◆Tsurugi-fuchi – Excerpt from Wikipedia◆
In the village of
Hanyu, Okada County, Shimousa Province (present-day Hanyu Town, Joso City,
Ibaraki Prefecture), lived a farmer named Yoemon and his second wife, Osugi.
Yoemon hated Osugi's stepdaughter, Suke, because she was born ugly and lame.
Finding Suke to be a nuisance, Yoemon threw her into the river and killed her.
The following year, Yoemon and Osugi had a daughter named Rui. However, because
Rui was the spitting image of Suke, the villagers began to speculate that Suke
had cursed them, and instead of calling her "Kasane," they assumed
she was "a duplicate of Suke" and called her "Kasane"
(Author's Note: In Japanese, the kanji characters for RUI and Kasane are the
same). Left alone after the deaths of both parents, Kasane nursed the sick
drifter Yagorou and eventually married him into the family, becoming the second
Yoemon. However, Yagorou began to dislike Kasane because of her ugly
appearance, and he planned to kill her and marry another woman. On August 11,
1647 (the 4th year of the Shoho era), Yagorou sneaked up behind Kasane as she
hurried home, threw her into the river, and brutally murdered her. Yagorou
subsequently married several second wives, but they all died. Finally, he gave
birth to a daughter named Kiku with his sixth wife, Kiyo. In January 1672 (the
12th year of the Kanbun era), Kasane's vengeful spirit possessed Kiku, using
Kiku to speak of Yagorou's atrocities and tormenting Kiku's body, demanding
that he offer offerings for her soul. Yuten Syouni, who was staying as a shoka
at Gugyouji in nearby Iinuma, heard about this and succeeded in liberating
Kasane, but someone possessed Kiku again. When Yuten Syouniin inquired, he
discovered that it was the spirit of a child named Suke. From the elders'
stories, the story of Kasane and Suke became clear, and Yuten Syouniin also
bestowed the Ten Recitations on Suke, giving him a Buddhist name and achieving
enlightenment.
Part 1: People are scary
Kasane, the
vengeful spirit of Kasanegabuchi.
Murdered by her
husband Yagorou, she cursed and killed his six second wives, then possessed
Yagorou's daughter Kiku and asked for a memorial service. As the villagers
requested, she told them about the fate of those who had died, but in doing so,
she ended up exposing the many sins hidden within the village. Fearing the
village's annihilation, the people decided to hold a memorial service in
earnest. This incident, which spanned 60 years, has attracted public attention.
The son strangles his mother.
But the father is unaware of their
suffering.
The mother does not tell her husband
about her family troubles.
Because their trust has already been
shattered.
They have a son, Kota, and a daughter, Miyuki.
Ruiko, a mother, is raising two children, without
any help from her husband.
"I work to support my family. I want you
to understand that."
The children's father, Michio, gets home at
1:00 a.m.
Every night after returning home, Michio sits
on his knees to wake his wife, who has fallen asleep from exhaustion from
child-rearing. If she doesn't wake up, he lectures her at her bedside until she
does. He expects his wife to provide him with hot meals and listen to his small
talk.
26:00. Even after Michio has gone to bed,
Ruiko can't fall asleep until the early hours of the morning.
To vent his frustration, the husband denies
his wife's personality.
Fatigue builds up, and Ruiko snaps at her
children.
"I need
to sleep. I want to protect my children."
But Michio
forbids Ruiko from taking sleeping pills. When the children were toddlers,
Michio was indifferent to his wife and children's hospital visits. Ruiko never
consulted him in advance, nor did she contact him unexpectedly. Ruiko had
become accustomed to not getting cooperation from Michio.
When Kota started skipping school, the
mother and her child all three visited a child psychiatrist. Ruiko was
prescribed antidepressants and counseling began.
Doctor: "The father is the
problem."
Due to side effects, Michio's medication
was discontinued. An argument soon erupted between the doctor and Michio about
counseling, and Michio refused.
Due to the doctor's own illness, the
child psychiatry clinic was closed. Even after the doctor was replaced, Ruiko
continued to receive medication.
Ruiko encounters adult children's meetings and
begins to change her lifestyle. Learning to take action, Ruiko separates from
Michio with the goal of rebuilding her marriage.
Michio:"My kids want to live with
me,"
(Kota later denies this statement.)
Michio's selfish assumptions drive his wife to
the brink, and Ruiko overdoses on medication she has on hand, falling
unconscious. Her liver function deteriorates, and she is rushed to a
psychiatric hospital. She eventually becomes a social outcast, and no one among
her parents dares to talk to her.
Michio has no idea that he has driven his wife
into a cripple.
"Michio doesn't think he's in the wrong.
Ruiko, you should get a divorce and start over,"
said the police officer who consulted him.
"I thought Ruiko's story was exaggerated,
but after meeting Michio, I realized he was a bad husband. I have to help Ruiko
get a divorce," said Tabuchi, a former undercover member of a motorcycle
gang.
Michio was a hard worker and had a good public
image, so no one except them had a bad word to say about him.
Ruiko had become addicted to drugs and was an
invalid, so she couldn't even do housework properly.
"Do I have to change? No, I don't
understand that. I want you to change."
Michio was left to work and take care of the
children alone.
He even said in front of his children, "I
wish Ruiko would just die."
He's a hard-working, earnest man who works
hard for his family. He's taken in his wife's parents and takes care of all
three of them, attending to and from the hospital. He's a very gentle man, and
is recognized by both himself and others as a man of great character.
Even when he treats his wife cruelly late at
night, Michio is simply asking her to understand.
He never expected that he would push her to
the point where she could no longer live, and that she would become a social
outcast. Meanwhile, Ruiko, who has been brainwashed and serves him like a
slave, is unaware of the information that she is gathering evidence and allies
and is seeking a divorce.
After being released from hospital, Ruiko
began living separately within her family.
Her personality continued to be denied, and
she could only see herself as a rag. Unable to repair her distorted
self-perception, she attempted suicide again and was readmitted to the closed
ward at night.
The suffering did not only affect Ruiko
herself, but also her son and daughter.
After Kota strangled her while laughing,
Ruiko gave up on her hopes of rebuilding her relationship with Michio and
decided to divorce.
(I have to get healthy. I have to
protect Kota before he makes a mistake.)
Kota has a very mild learning
disability.
His father doesn't come home while Kota
is awake, and he sleeps all day on his days off.
His mother is addicted to medication and
is getting sicker and sicker, and the side effects cause her to walk strangely.
With no one to talk to, Kota could only
become more and more agitated. To a helpless Kota, strangling his mother was an
expression of his anguish, a sad cry of lament over his predicament.
Medical care isn't enough to solve the
problem, and religion, which only teaches prayer, offers no real help.
"You have to try harder,"
The amateur government official who happened
to be at the front desk said.
"I feel sorry for your husband,"
The lawyer Ruiko hired at family court said.
Ruiko's elderly father drowns in the newly
built apartment they rented in preparation for their divorce.
At 1:00 a.m., Ruiko wakes Michio up with a
phone call.
"Please stop. I have to work
tomorrow."
"You kept me up in the middle of the
night and didn't let me sleep. For 15 years. You've robbed me of sleep. Get a
divorce."
The next night,
"Okay. I'll get a divorce."
While preparing for the funeral, Michio signs
and seals the divorce papers at a free legal consultation service provided by
the government.
And thus, Ruiko was free.
Part 2: Curse
Kasane's
murderer, Yagorou, was a drifter and murderer.
After caring for
a man who collapsed on the street, Kasane, overcoming the villagers'
objections, welcomed him as her son-in-law. Yagorou inherited the farmer
Yoemon's house, land, and name. After Kasane's murder, six of his second wives
died.
Yagorou's
daughter, Kiku, who became his new wife at the age of 14, began to suffer from
intense possession. Kasane (Can a person truly rest in peace with a perfunctory
memorial service?)
With his crime
exposed, the frightened villagers welcomed Yuten Syounin into their home.
"Why should I cry for you?"
Visiting Ruiko, who had attempted suicide,
Tabuchi, a former undercover officer, struck her on the cheek with his thick
hand. With a runny nose and tears streaming down his face, he repeatedly struck
Ruiko. It was the moment when Ruiko, a social outcast and a ghost, returned to
being a living, breathing human being.
Neither medicine, faith, nor the government can solve this family's
problems.
Ruiko, who is suffering from depression, wishes to somehow protect the
troubled Kota.
(We can no longer afford to wait for long-term change. We must make
decisive changes, no matter what the means.)
She wrote to three men seeking help.
One was shocked and immediately cut ties with
them.
The other man returned after some time had
passed. Although the offer was gracious, Ruiko declined. He had thought it
through carefully, but she felt it would be too much of a burden for the man.
The first to arrive and offer to help was
Tabuchi, a former member of a motorcycle gang who had previously worked behind
the scenes. He had overcome the aftereffects of methamphetamine use on his own.
He would help Ruiko recover over the course of several years.
Tabuchi's Supportive Stance
- Respect Ruiko's initiative and will.
Support Ruiko's desire to divorce
Michio, including suggesting social resources.
- Remove the drugs from her body.
The effects of the drugs will be removed
over a period equal to the number of years she has been taking them.
Suicidal thoughts may arise during
recovery, so Tabuchi will be there to watch over her.
- Give her a position and task with
responsibility.
"Business cards make the
person," she says. She will be made aware that she is the company's
representative.
She will acquire qualifications,
enabling her to live independently.
Ruiko's Self-Help Efforts
- Dealing with Abandonment Anxiety
I discovered the triggers of her
symptoms and addressed her inner child.
By finding a relationship where she
would not be abandoned, her symptoms subsided.
- Conversations with her Wonder Child
As her inner child heals and grows, it
transforms into a Wonder Child.
It becomes a presence that supports her
in times of anxiety.
- Restoring Pride
Using the image of "I am a
rag" to "joy, wisdom, and compassion," she transformed her
self-image using the image of changing channels. The soul is a miraculous
being.
Tabuchi was a former undercover officer for a
motorcycle gang.
He was a man who personally took on deep
involvement that changed his life.
His own experiences and his subsequent help to
troublemakers.
Tabuchi's wife, Nao, knew that this was
helping others, not infidelity.
Ruiko interacted with Tabuchi's family as if
they were relatives or sisters.
Ruiko would even drive Tabuchi's children to
and from school when asked.
As a friend of his parents, the child accepted
Ruiko's presence.
Tabuchi started a business, but Nao, who
supported the family finances, refused to cooperate, saying,
"I won't help."
Ruiko became a partner in the business and
invested large sums of money over the course of eight years.
Nao stepped in to help, time and again, when
neither Tabuchi nor Ruiko could do anything.
Tabuchi and Nao never divorced.
Years later, as will be discussed later, when
Miyuki sued Tabuchi,
Tabuchi said, "I might be arrested
now,"
and instructed Nao to file for divorce.
(...I'll make you suffer.)
As Ruiko heard these words in her mind,
Tabuchi and Kota, who happened to be visiting, were with her. Both men were
sensitive to spirits. The spirit that appeared was no longer able to maintain
its human form and glared at Ruiko like a snake coiling around itself.
"..."
As Ruiko quietly chanted a sutra,
Kota told her, "Mom, a spirit is
suffering." Ruiko stopped chanting.
"Could it be the woman who committed
suicide several generations before Michio?"
Kota had a vision as Ruiko spoke.
"I can see the scenery deep in the
mountains. It looks like they lived there."
Ruiko: "That's a bit of a difficult
question to ask Michio. I'll have to look into it."
Though Ruiko herself was able to leave
Michio's family line through the divorce,
(Kota and Miyuki may continue to be affected
in the future. I have to hold a memorial service now... I want to protect
them...)
That's what Ruiko thought.
Ruiko finds out the cemetery where
Michio's grandfather is buried, and Tabuchi takes Kota, Miyuki, and Ruiko
across two prefectures to the cemetery to hold a memorial service. Tabuchi is a
lay believer of a certain Buddhist sect.
After Tabuchi's memorial service,
Michio, Kota, Miyuki, and Ruiko set aside another day to visit the family
grave.
Michio visits a certain place.
"This place is related to my
aunt."
His aunt is surprised by his sudden
visit.
"I was stuck here. I had plans to
go out today. But then I got a phone call and someone came by... So that's what
happened."
With his aunt's guidance, they visit the
cemetery they visited the other day, as well as other cemeteries.
After parting ways with his aunt, Michio
drives the car and heads toward the mountains.
"Hey, where exactly are we
going?"
Ruiko's words bring Michio back to his
senses.
"It's around where I used to live.
There's no one there anymore, though."
The group makes a U-turn and heads back
toward town.
It's been over 20 years since Michio was
in high school, without visiting a family grave.
(I wonder what would have happened if I
had continued on my way...)
Was the spirit that told me it would
torment me the whole story of the curse?
The house Michio purchased was a
dispossessed property following a court case.
The shrine that had once been placed on
the property was removed without any formalities, and only the demon that had
been enshrined there remains. It was a house of that kind, and anyone living
there without knowing the history would be affected.
(Author's note: In Japan, there are many
large and small shrines dedicated to gods. When a shrine is removed for
construction or other reasons, it is essential to have a Shinto priest perform
a prayer and remove the spirit. Failure to do so is said to bring about a
curse. Similar measures are required when removing a well or cutting down a
large tree.)
Since her divorce, Michio has been
taking out her anger on the family cat every night.
Kota laments that she can't afford to
keep another cat.
"Mom's normal. Dad's the crazy one.
He was going crazy (when he strangled my mother's carotid artery)... I think
Dad was taking out his anger on her. I'm sorry I couldn't protect her back
then."
Father and son still live there.
Kota, who has psychic abilities, seems
to have completely adapted to this environment.
Part 3: People are scary
SUKE was a boy,
said to have been around 5 or 6 years old.He was Kasane's half-brother (some
sources say SUKE was a girl).
Osugi remarried a
farmer named Yoemon, taking SUKE with her as her stepchild, but Yoemon disliked
SUKE, who was born with a disability, and blamed him. Osugi (some sources say
Yoemon) apologized to his son, but later drowned SUKE in the depths of what would
become known as the Rui Pond.
SUKE, who was
killed by his mother, says that for 60 years he lay at the bottom of the river,
drinking only water. Filled with envy after seeing Kasane pass away, he
possesses her young wife, Kiku, and asks for a memorial service for Yuten
Syounin. Yuten Syounin's pure appearance brought hot tears to his eyes.
"Your daughter is possessed by an old
prostitute."
After hearing this from a spirit channeler
while traveling, Ruiko speaks to the spirit of the prostitute.
"I see... I'm sorry I didn't realize it
for you. It must have been painful for you."
At the same time, far away from home,
(Oh, it was my fault.)
Miyuki says this was the first time she'd ever
thought this.
A few days ago.
Miyuki, now a high school student, was invited
by a part-time worker she'd met at an arcade and ended up staying with him at
his apartment. She couldn't understand what was wrong with that. She resisted,
and the conversation didn't go smoothly.
Ruiko: "Is this a spiritual
disturbance?"
Tabuchi: "Maybe."
Miyuki: "Wow, you're kidding me.
Possessed? LOL. No way, that's not true."
Although she occasionally sees ghosts, Miyuki
denies that she is possessed. Suddenly, Ruiko began chanting a sutra, and
Miyuki suddenly collapsed and fell into a deep sleep, not waking up until
morning.
Tabuchi watched her and said,
"If you fell asleep while chanting the
sutra, it must be the work of a possessed spirit. Go and ask a psychic."
He sent Ruiko off on a journey. The answer was
that it was the spirit of a prostitute.
After returning home, Ruiko received an
exorcism with Miyuki, Kota, and Tabuchi.
Michio gets home late at night. On his
days off, he sleeps.
Sitting cross-legged next to Miyuki,
who's fiddling with her smartphone, Michio lectures her. Kota once told him
that when he was younger, he'd hold Miyuki on his lap and scold her.
"When fathers aren't involved
enough, girls end up offering their bodies in search of a man's affection. I'll
get involved with Miyuki to stop that from happening," Tabuchi told Ruiko.
"No, no! Miyuki doesn't understand
the problem yet. That's why she doesn't need to change, nor does she want to.
She's too young. No. Stay out of my way."
"Even if you save yourself, will
you stop saving your daughter? Are you still a mother?"
Tabuchi doesn't listen to Ruiko. But
Tabuchi's arrogance would later come back to haunt her with equal force. At the
time, neither Tabuchi, Miyuki, nor Ruiko knew this.
Should Ruiko have sent Miyuki far away?
Should she have run away with Miyuki?
Ruiko's indecision would later tear the
mother-daughter relationship apart.
(If I don't comply, I can't protect my
mother.)
Suppressing her reluctance, Miyuki
complied with the man's advances.
Tabuchi then declared that he would make
Miyuki his wife.
A few years later, with the support of
those around her, Miyuki accused Tabuchi of stalking. As mentioned above, this
led Tabuchi to grant his wife a divorce.
"Bring me my daughter! I'll lock
her up and drug her! Bring her no matter what!"
To calm Tabuchi's frenzy, Ruiko proposed
that they register their marriage.
(If only he'd forget about Miyuki... If
only it would protect her...)
Tabuchi briefly accepted the offer, but
then she went into a frenzy again. She banged on the furniture and yelled at
Ruiko to bring her daughter.
When Ruiko was in a terrible state,
Tabuchi was by her side, helping her become independent. She owed him that. She
wanted to protect him.
(...If I were there, he'd never be able
to forget Miyuki.)
Separating herself from an important
relationship. It was a choice she'd made repeatedly. Ruiko could never get used
to it.
"You can't come back."
After consulting with local police, and
under their supervision, Ruiko broke off her relationship with Tabuchi without
causing any trouble. Her family was destroyed, and she lost her business
partner. Tabuchi reportedly burned her own face and started anew.
By complying with his demands, he protected
his mother from Tabuchi's violence.
Even though he no longer felt the need to
protect his mother, sexual intercourse was his only reason for existence. Years
passed, and Miyuki became addicted to sex.
His mother also shared his responsibility for
this anguish. Miyuki blames Ruiko for this at every opportunity.
"Your mother had an affair and abandoned
her family."
Michio believes he is the victim. He ended up
like this because he married Ruiko. If he had married another woman, things
wouldn't have turned out this way...
"That's not what I heard from your
father."
Miyuki refuses to listen to Ruiko as she tries
to explain what had happened. After Miyuki's marriage was decided, they got
into an argument over a misunderstanding about the arrangements.
"I understand Miyuki's anger, and I think
it's only natural that she blames me. But when Miyuki harshly denies my
identity, I feel the urge to self-harm, just like when Michio was tormenting
me."
Ruiko decided to cut ties with Miyuki.
After missing Miyuki's wedding, she also
stopped interacting with Kota.
"I feel lonely, but it's what I brought
on. There's nothing I can do about it."
When a mother divorces, her daughter tends to
divorce as well.
If the mother has a C-section, so does the
daughter.
Just like Suke and Rui, mothers and daughters
can go through major life challenges one after the other.
Forced to make a life choice in the midst of
anguish, Ruiko made the wrong choice. As a result, Miyuki will blame her for
the rest of her life.
"Things didn't work out, but I just
wanted to protect them. I've since remarried and am very happy with my gentle
husband. Children often replicate their parents' lives, so it's important to
live each day with sincerity and happiness. That's the legacy I want to leave
to Kota and Miyuki."
That's what Ruiko believes.
Afterword
Yuten Shonin, who liberated Kasane and
Suke, was apparently a very famous figure at the time. Not only was he highly
skilled, but his personality, showing intense emotions in his dialogue with the
vengeful spirits, was also very appealing. His earnest approach to the vengeful
spirits is reminiscent of Tabuchi, a former undercover member of a motorcycle
gang, who tried to save the socially invalid Kasane and Suke.
Even the villagers' memorial services
failed to liberate Kasane and Suke.
Neither medical care, government, nor
religion could achieve Kasane and Suke's recovery.Whether alive or dead, the
savior's earnest approach moves the heart of the person they are trying to
save. But above all, the person themselves must have a sincere desire to
liberate, change, and be saved.
May the souls of Kasane, Suke, and Kiku
rest in peace. I conclude this postscript by praying for the happiness of
everyone involved and for all readers.
Mori Takako
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