Princess Uriko and the Feet of the Guardians: The Two Faces of the Amanojaku

The amanojaku has two well-known faces. One is the villain of the folktale "Uriko-hime" (Princess Uriko), who tricks a girl left home alone into letting it inside. The other is the little demon you can find at temples, squashed flat beneath the feet of Buddhist statues and grimacing about it. Cunning enough to slip through the cracks in a person's heart, and yet stuck wriggling under a guardian's foot: both faces show exactly what makes the amanojaku what it is.

A girl born from a melon, and a day home alone

"Uriko-hime" is a folktale told in many parts of Japan. An old man and an old woman cut open a melon (uri), and out comes a lovely little girl. They name her Uriko-hime, raise her with great care, and she grows into a young woman with a gift for weaving at the loom. That's how the story begins.

One day the old couple go out, leaving the girl alone in the house. "Don't open the door, no matter who comes," they tell her. And that is when the amanojaku arrives.

A door that opens "just a little"

The amanojaku doesn't use force. "Open it just a crack," it says in a gentle voice. "Only wide enough for a finger." Once she opens it a little, it asks for enough room for a hand, then enough for a head. Bit by bit the gap grows, and the story goes that the imp simply slips inside.

Reading her feelings, and piling up small requests that are hard to refuse: this may be the scene that best captures the amanojaku's nature, seeing into a heart and steering it where it likes.

Once inside, the amanojaku disguises itself as the girl and sits at the loom as if nothing had happened. But sooner or later the truth comes out. In a well-known version of the tale, it's a bird that cries out and gives the secret away.

An ending that changes from place to place

"Uriko-hime" is also known for endings that differ widely depending on where it's told. In some, the girl loses her life to the amanojaku, a sad ending indeed. In others, she's found tied to a tree, rescued, and happily married. As for the amanojaku, it is most often unmasked and punished.

The same folktale can end gently or grimly depending on the teller and the place. It's a good reminder that these stories were passed from mouth to mouth, changing a little each time.

The little demon underfoot

You can meet the amanojaku's other face at a temple. Look closely at statues of the Shitenno (the Four Heavenly Kings) and other guardian deities who protect the Buddhist teachings, and you may find a small demon pinned beneath their feet. Art historians call it a "jaki," but it's also widely known as an amanojaku.

The creature being trampled is understood to stand for whatever opposes the Buddha's teachings, and for the wicked impulses hiding in the human heart. Some grit their teeth, some goggle their eyes, and some put up with it all wearing a strangely comical look. Since every statue's little demon has its own expression, it's hard not to glance down at the feet whenever you visit.

A sly imp that talks its way into a house, and a little demon squirming underfoot. A villain, yes, but such a very human one that it's hard to hate. Read about the origin of its name and its heart-reading ways on the amanojaku's Yokaipedia page, and try comparing it with the big, horned oni.