Kurozuka

Little knownBarely documented in English. This is the kind of place the site exists for.

Researched and written by Hinato

KurozukaAdachigaharaKanzejifolkloreNihonmatsu

Fukushima · Nihonmatsu

37.5947°N, 140.4655°E

Fukushima has no shortage of temples and shrines, but Kurozuka is the one worth setting aside real time for.

Adachigahara is the setting of one of the oldest and darkest stories in Japanese folklore: an old woman living alone in a cave on the moor who took in travellers, killed them and ate them. The tale runs through classical poetry, a noh play and a kabuki piece, all called Kurozuka, and it is set on this bank of the Abukuma river.

Kanzeji temple stands at the site, keeping the cave the demon woman is said to have lived in along with objects attributed to her, and in the grounds under an old cedar is Kurozuka itself, the mound said to be her grave, with a stone bearing a classical poem. Admission is ¥400 and the temple is open from nine to half past four. It is a strange, quiet place a few minutes from central Nihonmatsu.

Before you go

Opening hours

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Closed: Confirm rest days locally before travelling

Admission

¥400 adults for Kanzeji

Best time to visit

Year-round

Time to allow

45 minutes

Access route

Access notes

Adachigahara, Nihonmatsu, on the right bank of the Abukuma river. By car from JR Nihonmatsu Station. The Kurozuka mound stands in the grounds beneath an old cedar. The neighbouring Adachigahara Furusato-mura park has its own facilities and hours.

Beyond the guidebook

**The story is in the classical repertoire.** Noh and kabuki both have a Kurozuka, and the tale appears in poetry from the Heian period. Reading a synopsis before you come turns a small temple into something considerably stranger. **The cave is the site, not a display.** It is the rock shelter the legend places the woman in, kept as part of the temple. The objects shown alongside it are attributed rather than dated. **¥400 and half an hour.** Compact, quiet and rarely crowded. It is not a large temple and does not pretend to be. **Combine with Kasumigajo.** The castle park is ten minutes away and makes Nihonmatsu a half day rather than a stop.

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