Where the Demon lived...

The Ainu Legend in Kamuy-Kotan

When our reporter heard a story about a devil, his feet naturally led him to Kamuy-Kotan, where it is said that a devil’s dwelling is.
At the entrance of Kamui-Kotan, there were various guide maps, where some informations were written.

He discovered here the Kamui Kotan Legend Map.
And apparently, the legend of the evil god comes from the Ainu.
There seem to be various traces of the legend of the Demon around Kamuy-Kotan!

The Legend

To put it very simply, the legend of the devil is about Nitnekamuy, an evil god, who tried to destroy the Ainu people living in Kamikawa. However he has been defeated by the hero-god Samaykur.

In Kamuy-Kotan, there were many accidents and disasters due to the geography, the Ainu used to say that it was the devil’s fault.

There are various theories about the Demon's dwelling, such as the place where the god lived, but it is often said that it was where Nitnekamuy, cornered by Samaykur, escaped.

The dwelling is visible from the entrance of Kamuy-Kotan.

Called Kuneshiri or Kamuiwa, this rock have a strong presence in the beautiful scenery of Kamuy-Kotan!
It has the kind of atmosphere where you can't say anything but «  Oh! There it is!».
After knowing about the legend of the Demon and the God, the way our reporter saw the landscape, changed a lot.
There are many other geographical formations linking to the legend, such as the head and torso of the devil and cuts left by the swords when the Demon and the God fought. If the legend and Kamuy-Kotan’s terrain raised your curiosity, you may want to go there to check those places out.

Walking around Kamuy-Kotan

Kamuy-Kotan is often referred to by the locals as a haunted place and has a slightly scary image.
Actually it only is a sightseeing spot where you can appreciate the scenery every season.

When our reporter went to Kamuy-Kotan, it was still early to see the autumn leaves. The landscape was still green but at the end of October you should be able to see a more colourful scenery.

More articles about this will surely be posted!

In front of the famous Kamui Ohashi bridge signboard:
« 100 persons can not cross this bridge at once! »
Our reporter wondered what would happen if 100 persons tried to cross this bridge, will it break ?
This signboard is interesting though.

When you cross the Kamui Ohashi Bridge, you will hear a creaking sound.
The bridge is fragile and our reporter enjoyed having his heart beating fast while crossing the wooden platform.
« It feels like I’m going on an adventure, crossing a creaking bridge and going into an unknown forest! ».

If you are concerned about the spooky rumours, we recommend you to go during the day, the atmosphere is completely different!

The Kamui Ohashi also appeared in the popular manga « Golden Kamuy ».
It's a very popular spot among fans, but even if our reporter hadn’t the chance to read it yet, the view is great and is surely able to overwhelm anyone! (the real view is better than the photo).

After crossing the bridge and climbing the stairs, you will see the former Kamuy-Kotan Station on your right.
The renovated but historic building can also be used as a rest area.

Some tourists were there, and everyone was looking inside.
Signboards on which the station’s history is detailed are hooked. It’s almost a waste to use this place as a rest area!

The legend of the Demon and the God is also written.
It seems like many people come to Kamuy-Kotan to see the traces of that legend.

There is also steam locomotive next to the station !
Actually, our reporter mainly came here to see this.
When he came here before the locomotive was covered with a sheet.
Usually, it isn’t something that can be seen from this close. Moreover, it’s free!
By seeing this scene you can easily imagine how the station looked like when the steam locomotives where still running on their railroads.

The wheels are only one meter away!
It is impressive.
Children may enjoy it too!

By the way, at the entrance of Kamuy-Kotan, there is an old-fashioned shop.
When standing in this area, it feel like we travelled back in time.

Please stop by Kamuy-Kotan!

Close to Asahikawa, because of some spooky rumours, locals don’t come often here.
This article was written to dispel the Demon’s curse and the scary rumours.
If you have the chance to stop by or live in Asahikawa, it may be interesting to know what happened in those lands, what kind of legends the geography created, etc...
Moreover, it is a great occasion to know more about the Ainu!