Anchin to Kiyohime (1960) dir. Koji Shima

It was 230 years after the foundation of the temple that a woman killed a pilgrim monk in Dojoji. The accident was recorded in a literature in 11th century and revised into a couple of picture scrolls “Dojoji Engi” in 15th century. Since then, the preachers in Dojoji have repeated ‘etoki’ or picture sermon with an aid of long picturesque scrolls. The accident became one of the most well-known folklore in Japan. Let’s see the story accordhing to the picture scrolls called “Dojoji Engi”. In 929, a pilgrim monk was traveling to the Kumano Hongu, a famous sanctuary 100 kilometers south of Dojoji. His name was Anchin. He was young and handsome. He stayed in a small village between Dojoji and Kumano. The village mayor invited Anchin and his daughter, Kiyohime, took care of Anchin. She fell in love with him and asked him to stay in her house for a while. Anchin refused her request to continue his pilgrimage. As she asked him eagerly, he promised her to stay in her home again on his way back from Kumano. Anchin, however, didn’t come back from Kumano. Kiyohime asked the trekkers and found he had passed though her village already. Kiyohime started to chase Anchin. When she caught up with him, Anchin said she had got wrong person. She got angry. Anchin prayed to the god of Kumano and Kiyohime fainted away. Before long, she founde she was cheated again. Her anger changed her faice into that of a sarpant. Anchin across the Hidaka river by boat. He asked the boatman not to across Kiyohime over the river. When she jumped into the river, she became a huge sarpant. In 1759, a famous puppet play “Hidakagawa Iriaizakura” was composed after this scene. Anchin came to Dojoji and asked them for his refuge. No one take Anchin’s request serious. They hide him inside their gong and waiting for a woman. It is said a sarpant came and burned the gong. Maybe, Kiyohime burned the house of the gong. With her wet cloth trailing along the ground, she circled around the burning gong house. It looked just like a sapant with fire. Anchin was burned inside the gong. Kiyohime committed suicide. When the monks in Dojoji performed rituals, the master monk had a miraculous dream. A couple of angels appreciated him and told him that they were re-boned Anchin and Kiyohime. They disappeared into different directions, which meant they have no affection anymore.