“I come from an Inugami-Posssesd Family. Any questions?”

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A 2 chan thread (2014)

Title: “I come from an Inugami-Posssesd Family. Any questions?”

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Inugami (Right)

Shikoku

Inugami (犬神, "dog god/spirit"), like kitsunetsuki, is a spiritual possession by the spirit of a dog, widely known about in western Japan.(….) it is also theorized that Shikoku, where no foxes (kitsune) could be found, is the main base of the inugami.

(From Wikipedia) 

⭐️Check out another post of mine about Inugami HERE. 

1: (OP)

We go through a kind of discrimination similar to what the Buraku communities face

(NOTE: The burakumin (部落民, 'hamlet/village people') are a social grouping of Japanese people descended from members of the feudal class associated with kegare (穢れ, 'impurity'), mainly those with occupations related to death such as executioners, gravediggers, slaughterhouse workers, butchers, and tanners. Burakumin are physically indistinguishable from other Japanese but have historically been regarded as a socially distinct group. When identified, they are often subject to discrimination and prejudice. As of 2000, there were an estimated 3 million burakumin living in the country, mostly in western Japan. (From Wikipedia)

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3:

For real?

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5:(OP)

>>3

For real, yes.

Inugami possession runs in the family.

People around us kind of avoid us, to be honest. 

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4:

Good job, Tokushima Prefecture.

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7:(OP)

>>4

Well, tbh, you’re not far off the mark.

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6:

Somewhere deep in the mountains of Awa, right?

There are place names like “Dog’s Neck,” “Dog Grave,” and “God-Hater” around there.

(NOTE: Dog’s neck - 犬首 Inu-kubi, or Inu-no-kubi? I failed to find the place on the internet😅

Dog Grave - 犬墓 Inu-no-Haka. It exists in Ichiba-chō, Awa City, Tokushima Prefecture – According to a legend, Kōbō Daishi (Kūkai) came to this area accompanied by his dog. While they were here, they were attacked by a wild boar. The master’s dog bravely fought off the boar but, in the struggle, accidentally fell into a waterfall basin and died. Saddened by the loss, the master built a grave for the dog and held a memorial for it. This is the origin of the place’s name. The Inunohaka Daishi Hall stands there today.

Inunohaka Daishi Hall

God-Hater 神嫌い Kamigirai. No place exists with this exact name,  but there is an area called Kamigirai (上喜来）in Awa City, pronounced the same but written with different kanji. 

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9: (OP)

>>6

Let’s say its somewhere around the area.

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8:

Kitsune-tsuki (狐憑き fox possession) is more like a mental illness thing—

In the olden times, people believed that those who had mental breakdowns were possessed by foxes.

Inugami-tsuki (犬神憑き dog-god possession), though, is more about curses or spellcasting—

It’s something that’s done with malicious intent.

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12:(OP)

>>8 Exactly. Inugami families mainly deal with malicious curses and things like that.

But the term Inugami-Suji (犬神筋 Inugami-Lineage) doesn’t just mean the family doing the cursing — it can also means the ones being cursed.

Either way, regular people tend to avoid both sides.

In our case, we’re the ones casting the curse, so of course we get all the blame.

But honestly, being on the receiving end? That has to be a nightmare.

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10:

What even is Inugami possession?

And why does everyone seem to know what it is?

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15:

>>10

It’s not super well-known even in Shikoku,

But you do hear about it from time to time.

Like, “That family’s an Inugami family,” kind of thing.

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17:(OP)

>>10

“Inugami-lineage” refers to families that worship or control Inugami (kind of like animal spirits) to gain supernatural powers,

Or, conversely, families that have been affected by such powers.

It’s a kind of folk belief, but it also carries a discriminatory nuance for that reason.

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11:

Is it the one where you bury a dog in the ground with only its head sticking out and starve it?

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22:(OP)

>>11

That method is mentioned in some legends, 

But in our case, it isn’t a dog—it’s actually a weasel.

I don’t think they buried it or cut off its head.

There’s a shrine at the main family house, and inside it, there’s what looks like a mummified weasel.

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13:

What kind of effects does it have?

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25:(OP)

>>13

Generally, it’s said to cause misfortunes or lead to the downfall of a family.

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16:

What breed of dog is an Inugami?

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28:(OP)

>>16

Even though it’s called Inugami, it’s not necessarily a dog.

In our case, it’s probably a weasel.

It’s more like a catch-all term for animal spirits.

But unlike fox possession, Inugami possession is more about curses —

Which I think is why it leads to more discrimination.

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18:

This thread is a goldmine for folklore fans like me.

Kenmi Shrine is supposed to be the only shrine that can cleanse Inugami curses, right?

I went there a long time ago.

⭐️Kenmi Shrine (賢見神社)

This shrine is Japan’s best shrine for getting rid a possession by an inugami (dog spirit). It is also known for answering prayers for recovery from illness and family well-being. It is notable for ritual prayers passed down for generations that use kinpei (a ritual wand with golden paper streamers) and for the vocalization methods used to recite them. The path to the main shrine building, which built as if it was linked with the mountain, offers some truly sublime views.

(Japan Travel)

⭐️More pictures of the Shrine

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29:

>>18 (OP)

True, Kenmi Shrine performs Inugami exorcisms even today.

But I don’t think anyone is still actually using Inugami to curse people.

At least everyone in my clan, including the main family, finds it a nuisance.

It’s a negative legacy.

We’re treated with discrimination in the area, and the main family has to deal with a lot of hassle, like maintaining the shrine.

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19:

How to create an Inugami:

• Bury a white dog in the ground, leaving only its head above the surface.

• Place food in front of the dog but never let it eat.

• When the dog becomes full of rage and hatred, behead it, and enshrine the head as a Go-Shintai (御神体 object of worship).

I’m skipping some details, but that’s basically how it’s created.

These days, I hear there’s a trend where people trap the dogs in cars under the blazing sun instead.

(Note: I think they’re being sarcastic here—probably referencing those incidents where kids and pets get left in cars on hot days.)

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31: (OP)

>>19

That’s the traditional method, yes. 

In our case, it’s a weasel? so I’m not sure.

But ours is more like a completely intact mummy — it still has the body, so I don’t think it was beheaded or anything like that.

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35:

>>19

What if the dog doesn’t get mad enough?

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21:

There are no gods, so it doesn’t matter.

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33:(OP)

>>21

I agree.

It’s probably just some low-level spirit or something.

Or maybe something like the collective unconscious, or a placebo effect.

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24:

Wasn’t it supposed to be done at a crossroads?

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34:(OP)

>>24

Honestly, I don’t even know how it was made.

The one we have is apparently about 300 years old.

It’s just something we’ve kept out of duty… something we’ve been burdened with.

I’m sick and tired of it.

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26:

Oh, is that like Ogedou-san from Ushio & Tora?

Sounds so cool ~!

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36:(OP)

>>26

Sumimasen.

I’m not familiar enough with Ushio & Tora to say for sure, but this is far from cool.

People around us avoid us, and even in the village, we’re kept isolated.

There’s discrimination too.

Basically, people say, “Don’t mix blood with an Inugami-lineage.”

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27:

What kind of work has your family done for generations?

Do you run a temple?

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38:(OP)

>>27

We’re farmers.

Definitely not a temple family.

In fact, I’d say it’s quite the opposite.

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30:

I’ve heard that Kudagitsune and Izuna are also weasels,

so maybe Inugami are weasels too?

(Kudagitsune:  Wikipedia , Yokai.com )

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39:(OP)

>>30

That makes sense.

Could very well be.

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37:

Have you ever seen anything strange?

If you did, how did you deal with it? Were you scared?

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41:(OP)

>>37

If I had to say something, when I was a kid and first saw the weasel? mummy,

I had a dream that I was playing with a weasel.

It wasn’t a scary dream— we were just playing together.

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40:

A weasel, huh…

Would’ve been cuter if it were an ermine.

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42:

Have you ever seen or participated in a curse ritual or something like that?

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49:(OP)

>>42 

I’ve participated in the opposite—something like a ritual to weaken a curse.

They say “when you curse someone, you’ll dig two holes (NOTE: meaning two graves),” and apparently, the curse cast about 300 years ago brought misfortune even to the caster.

As for the ritual—

In our family, when a child turns seven, they have to kill a live rabbit by themselves.

I hated it, and I vividly remember how terrifying my grandmother was.

We’d kill a weakened wild rabbit with a hatchet and offer it at the family shrine.

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43:

Awa District local here.

There definitely is discrimination against Inugami-line families.

People are told not to get involved with them.

Among young people, not so much,

but it’s still pretty noticeable among the older generation.

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50:(OP)

>>43

So you’re from the same area.

You’re right.

Because older people are much more superstitions, until I started school,

I never even played with kids outside of our clan.

They avoided me.

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54:

>>50

Well, part of that must be due to the area being depopulated, but

If you were being avoided, that must’ve been rough.

I don’t know much about the Inugami lineage stuff,

but I hope the discrimination disappears someday.

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45:

What did you do when you played with the weasel?

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51:(OP)

>>45

I just have this fuzzy memory of us playing together in the dream. We weren’t playing tag or anything specific like that.

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46:

A-MA-TE-RA-SU! Amaterasu!

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55:

That’s wild.

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57:

Do you have any kind of spiritual sensitivity or have you ever had any supernatural experiences?

Summer’s here, after all— please give us some stories!

⭐️Link:

Why do Japanese people like to tell ghost stories during the summer？

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>> 60:(OP)

57

Unfortunately, nothing more than just gut feelings.

Like, sometimes I get a vague sense something bad might happen.

But I think everyone gets that sometimes.

Sorry I can’t offer any spooky stories suitable for summer.

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58:

I live in Tokushima too.

Inari or fox beliefs are associated with money and fortune, so they are more positive (you see their altars inside company offices).

But Inugami is focused more on death curses and that kind of stuff, which makes it a sensitive issue.

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62:(OP)

>>58

Sure there was originally a good reason for the discrimination, 

but still, it’s hard when the descendants who had nothing to do with it have to suffer this way.

I think everyone in the clan wants to just destroy the shrines and restart life with a clean slate …

but deep down, we’re all afraid of it. 

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59:

When I read “ours is a weasel (NOTE: うちはイタチ in the original text, which is pronounced as “uchiWA itachi” meaning “ours is a weasel,”  but it can also be pronounced as “uchiHA itachi”.) I briefly thought of NARUTO and I hate myself for it.

Link: 

⭐️Itachi Uchiha

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63:(OP) 

>>59

Haha, sorry about that.

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61:

So, is your family wealthy? Like landowners or prosperous farmers?

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65:(OP)

>>61

We’re fairly well-off farmers.

But our location is a bit isolated,

so it’s a mixed blessing.

Just saying our surname makes people go “Ah… that family…”

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69:

>>65

You should read “Tsukimono-mochi Meishin” (NOTE: 憑き物持ち迷信, Superstition regarding Possession.) 

by Hayami Yasutaka (速水保孝).

He’s a folklorist who comes from a kitsune-tsuki (fox-possessed) family.

He writes that most of the families discriminated against for being “possessed” rose to wealth after the Edo period and became village landowners.

So the discrimination actually stemmed from jealousy toward the rich and got wrapped into old possession beliefs.

It’s a fascinating read.

(The book description:

“That family is possessed by a fox.” — In the San’in region, baseless prejudice and discrimination still linger today. The author, a member of the family in question, offers a detailed examination of the formation and reality of this discrimination from historical and folkloric perspectives. A masterful work that unravels the discriminatory mindset of modern Japan.)

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73:(OP)

>>69

That sounds interesting. I’ll check it out.

From what I’ve looked into,

that’s definitely true when it comes to fox-possession beliefs.

But with Inugami possession, it’s different—it doesn’t apply to the ones who cast the curses.

I don’t think we can be defended.

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80:

>>73

I see.

It’s pretty sad when the victims of discrimination themselves keep clinging to the superstition.

Still, I’m surprised how much these beliefs are still alive.

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84:(OP)

>>80

Yes, to this day, we still enshrine the mummified weasel in the family shrine.

I think we just can’t let go because of fear.

We believe that because our ancestors cursed others with bad intent,

we’re now suffering the consequences.

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64:

Assuming your family really is possessed by Inugami —

what are the pros and cons of that?

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66: (OP)

>>64

There are no pros.

Too many cons.

Marriage is a struggle.

We’re shunned.

The clan’s tight-knit unity feels suffocating.

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68:

>>66

Sounds rough.

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71:

Are buraku (outcast) communities and Japanese gods connected?

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74:(OP) 

>>71

You’re asking about the burakumin right?

I don’t think there’s much connection.

They’re likely descendants of eta-hinin (historically discriminated castes).

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72:

Can you still cast curses nowadays?

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76:(OP)

>>72

I don’t know.

The main family might still know how. 

But even if they do, I don’t think anyone would actually do it.

“When you curse someone, you will dig two graves.”

That lesson stayed with us.

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78:

Are there successors?

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82:(OP)

>>78

There’s a 4-year-old child in the main family.

They’ll probably do the rabbit ritual when they turn 7, like I did.

But we don’t really have this notion of “successors.”

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81:

So there really is discrimination in your area.

If you’d just stop worshipping at the shrine, I wouldn’t think twice about it.

I don’t get why people keep saying they hate it but still don’t destroy the shrine or let go of the family unity stuff.

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85:(OP)

>>81

I think it comes from a deep, subconscious fear. 

Even though I say I don’t believe in it, 

I’d still be terrified if someone told me to destroy the shrine.

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90:

>>85

If there’s even a little belief left,

couldn’t you just bring in someone from a shrine like Kenmi to do an exorcism before tearing it down?

If I were the head of the main family, I’d do it without hesitation.

There’s no point clinging to something from 300 years ago.

People like me, who aren’t from areas with these traditions, probably wouldn’t care at all.

Honestly, what’s scarier is that you guys are still carrying on that weird tradition—like the rabbit ritual—

not the past itself.

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93:(OP)

>>90

Logically, I think you’re absolutely right.

There is even a shrine like Kenmi that specialize in this sort of thing.

But after starting this thread, I realized something—

I’ve been pretending to be strong by saying I don’t believe in it…

but I think deep down, I actually do believe in it.

It’s pathetic, but just imagining destroying the shrine gives me chills.

The power of belief is incredible, isn’t it?

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96:

>>93

I see.

If you were to get married, would you move out of your family home?

Or would your partner come live with you?

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98:(OP)

>>96

I’d absolutely want to move out—and ideally live as far from home as possible.

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102:

>>98

Yeah, that makes sense lol.

If that happens, are there any rituals or traditions that either of you would have to follow?

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87:

Folklore in Shikoku really is fascinating.

Like the Izanagi-ryu tradition in Kochi—super unique.

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89:

>>87

Yeah, Izanagi-ryu is full of mysteries.

It’s not Onmyōdō (yin-yang sorcery), and while it leans toward Shinto,

its norito (ritual chants) are completely different.

It’s very distinctive.

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88:

You mean like shikigami?

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91:(OP)

>>88

If we think in terms of Onmyōdō, I guess you could say it’s a kind of shikigami.

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94:

This is so freaking interesting.

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97:

When it comes to Inugami, it’s a whole different level from other possession lineages.

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103:

This thread is really intriguing.

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100:

Totally unrelated, but…

I’m kinda falling for OP (>>1) lol.

They’ve got that tragic, misfortune-laden charm—

pretending not to believe but with teary eyes.

If they looked up at me, teary-eyed, and said “I want to get out of here… as far away as possible,”

I’d fall instantly lolol.

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101:

>>100

LMAO

So this is the seductive power of an Inugami-possessed person, huh? LOL