Mount Arakuraあらくらやま

Taira no Koremochi is an entity of the 'demon-slaying hero' archetype who stands not on the side of *yokai*, but on the side that strikes them down. Just as Sakanoue no Tamuramaro subdued Suzuka Gozen and Otakemaru, and Minamoto no Yorimitsu subdued Shuten-doji, Koremochi carved his name in lore as the one who vanquished the demoness Momiji of Togakushi. What makes him a hero is not pure military force, but the fact that the story weaves in 'the limits of human power'—he is initially defeated by Momiji's dark arts and can only conquer the demon after praying to buddhas and deities. The fascination of Koremochi's figure lies in the flexibility with which his protector swaps depending on the medium of the legend. In Noh it is Hachiman, in Bessho-lineage accounts it is Kitamuki Kannon—the same warlord is protected by different divinities depending on local faith and theatrical convenience. This implies that Koremochi is not an entity rigidly tied to a specific god, but rather a vessel carrying the archetype itself of 'the warrior who slays demons with divine protection'. While Kinasa reveres Momiji as a noblewoman, Koremochi is strictly a subjugator executing the orders of the center, and only by combining both does the dual nature of good and evil in the Momiji legend emerge. In this encyclopedia where *yokai* are the main characters, Koremochi is a rare subjugator included as a 'counterpart existence that makes the demon possible'.

A demoness archetype fixed in Noh, joruri, and kabuki from the Muromachi to Edo periods. She appears under the pretext of autumn leaf viewing as a courtly lady-in-waiting or princess’s attendant, lulling suspicion with music and dance. At the feast she inebriates warriors, but near midnight her nature is exposed by divine protection or a sacred blade, and she reveals her true form in the wilds of Mount Togakushi. Commonly called Momiji, she bears aliases such as Princess Sarashina depending on the work. Her slaying tales extol martial virtue and reflect awe of the mountains, inheriting Togakushi worship and the rhetoric of oni-hunting lore. On stage, the contrast between the elegant disguise of the first act and the ferocious demon visage of the second is emblematic.