Dosojin

Dōsojin (道祖神) meaning road ancestor kami are Shinto highway deities that are believed to protect travelers during their journey. Dōsojin are usually enshrined in miniature roadside Shinto shrines called hokora (神庫). They are often represented as a male and female couple or a pair of male and female genitals carved into rock, or simply as large stones or statues on the side of a road or pathway. They were also placed along the edges of a village to protect against wandering spirits who were thought to bring plague to the community.

A festival for the dōsojin was observed near the village border to offer prayers for the harvests of the new year to be bountiful and to prevent pestilence. During the festival, large pillars of wood would be constructed and burned. People would celebrate by eating rice cakes and treats. The festival was usually held on January 14th. These festivals had many names depending on the area it was held, some of the names included saenokami or sagichō. Most of these traditions came to an end during the Meiji Era.

Dōsojin in Fatal Frame

In Fatal Frame II, dōsojin guardian stones are scattered around Minakami Village and contain carvings of the Twin Shrine Maidens rather than the typical male and female couple seen in other areas. Seijiro Makabe makes reference to this in one of his notes.

Examples of Dōsojin

• Sae no Kami (障の神) - the kami who prevents the passage of the spirits of the dead into the world of the living and the guardian of boundaries. He is represented by large rocks set at the edges of villages.
• Jizō
• Ubakami

Japanese Culture
Religion
Buddhism - Shinto
Japanese Ghosts/Creatures
Funayūrei - Goryō - Hitodama - Ikiryō - Onryō - Ubume - Yōkai - Yūrei
Specific Japanese Ghosts/Creatures
Oiwa - Okiku - Yuki-onna
Terms
Dosojin - Grave Mound - Hannya Mask - Higanbana - Jizo - Kaidan - Miko - Mukoyōshi - Sanzu River - Shimenawa - Toro-Nagashi - Wara Ningyo
Locations
Northeastern Japan - Shizuoka - Sugisawa Village - Tono
Media and Entertainment
Kagome, Kagome - Ringu