Chikubushima — The “Rabbit and Waves” Motif in Tosogu
- gallery陽々youyou
- Nov 27
- 6 min read
Following our visit to Hikone Castle, we continue our “Samurai Journey” by exploring places whose names and legends are closely tied to sword fittings.This chapter takes us to Chikubushima, the mysterious island floating on the northern waters of Lake Biwa—a place long revered by Samurai. Seeking the quiet beauty that samurai cherished, we explored how the island’s beliefs inspired the sword-fitting motif known as “Chikubushima,” and how the spiritual aesthetics found in Ko-Shōami works resonate with this sacred site.
When Did Chikubushima Worship Begin?
According to the temple records of Hogon-ji, Chikubushima was established in Jinki1 (724) when the monk Gyōki received an imperial decree from Emperor Shōmu. Though there is not any definitive way to prove this origin, traditions connecting Emperor Shōmu to the island remain deeply rooted in Chikubushima and surrounding communities.
Historic materials including “Boundary Map of Sugaura and Ōura Shimo no Shō” (菅浦与大浦下庄堺絵図Sugaura to Ōura Shimono shō sakai ezu ) from the Sugaura Documents (菅浦文書 Sugaura monjo)—written between the Kamakura and Edo periods and designated a National Treasure in 2018—together with the late-Muromachi period, “Chikubushima Festival Scroll” (竹生島祭礼図 Chikubushima Saireizu) (Tokyo National Museum Collection), depict a pilgrimage route starting from the point known as Miyazaki. There, worshippers pass beneath a torii and proceed toward the worship hall before reaching Benzaiten’s sanctuary. Alongside the path appears a stone tower believed to be the “Memorial Tower for Emperor Shōmu”. Today, the coastal landscape has changed, and the route depicted in medieval sources no longer exists due to the cliffs and altered shoreline.
The island also preserves a path called Gokōzaka, said to have been prepared for Emperor Shōmu’s imperial visit. There are no official records confirming that he ever set foot on the island, yet local traditions recount two visits: one for the Hōjō-e (a fertility and harvest rite) on March 3, Jinki 2 (725), and another for a ritual called Kinjichō-ō on June 15, Jinki 4 (727). Because Hōjō-e is another name for Renge-e, the Lotus rite central to Chikubushima worship, these traditions suggest a deep and enduring connection between the island and the emperor.
Benzaiten Worship, Renge-e and the Asai Clan
Hogon-ji on Chikubushima enshrines both Senju Kannon and Benzaiten.While each is revered in its own right, it is Benzaiten who has long been regarded as the spiritual emblem of the island. According to the Buddhist scripture Konkomyō Saishōō-kyō, Benzaiten plays a central role in protecting the nation, and this belief formed the foundation of Chikubushima’s devotional practices. At the heart of this worship was the Renge-e (Lotus Rite), the island’s principal ceremonial tradition. Historical records describe it as a highly formal ritual in which two individuals—selected by lottery from residents or natives of Asai District who were devotees of Chikubushima—served as ritual heads (tōyaku). After formally receiving a sacred object (Mishotai) from the island, each head was required to commission a new sculpted Benzaiten, dedicate it to Chikubushima, and conduct rites praying for rainfall and an abundant harvest.
“Chikubushima Festival Scroll” (竹生島祭礼図 Chikubushima Saireizu, Tokyo National Museum Collection) vividly conveys the splendor of this ceremony—rich in color, detail, and a sense of sacred celebration.
Documents preserved at Hogon-ji reveal that the Asai clan, even before the era of Asai Sukemasa (Ryōsei), held deep and longstanding faith in Chikubushima as residents of Asai District. Since all inhabitants of Asai District were considered parishioners of Chikubushima, the Asai clan naturally revered Benzaiten as their guardian deity. In particular, Asai Hisamasa and his mother Jushō were known for their devotion. The Renge-e Tōyaku Monbunroku records that Hisamasa served as ritual head in 1566, with Jusō following the next year. The Benzaiten sculptures they dedicated during these ceremonies are still preserved on the island today.
Another figure tied to this tradition was Tanaka Yoshimasa, a native of Mikawa Village in Asai District—who later gained distinction for capturing Ishida Mitsunari after the Battle of Sekigahara. On May 12, Keicho 9 (1604), he wrote a letter to inform Chikubushima that he and his wife wished to serve as heads for the Renge-e. The same letter states that he had already visited the island in Keicho 5 (1600) to fulfill a solemn vow. These letters, too, are kept at Hogon-ji.
Taken together, these records suggest that Yoshimasa, as a native of Asai district held a lifelong devotion to Chikubushima Benzaiten worship.He would later become the lord of Okazaki Castle—and the patron of the renowned tsuba artisan Nobuie.
The Enigma Behind the “Rabbit and Waves” Motif — A Quiet Beauty Hidden in Tosogu
The starting point for this journey was the tosogu motif known as “Chikubushima.” A typical depiction shows a rabbit dashing across moonlit waves. Among the examples I have seen, one that left a particularly strong impression was a tsuba by Shimizu Jingo (Shigenaga), Fifth Generation—the front decorated with a rabbit running across waves in nunome-zōgan, and the reverse depicting the Big Dipper. At first glance, the design unmistakably evokes Chikubushima. And yet why is this rabbit-and-waves motif associated with the island in the first place? The answer lies in the Noh play “Chikubushima.”
In the play’s story, a retainer of Emperor Daigo travels to Lake Biwa to visit the shrine of Benzaiten on Chikubushima. Along the shore, he encounters a young woman and an old fisherman who offer him passage to the island. As they cross the lake, the retainer admires the serene spring scenery, and before long they arrive at Chikubushima. When he asks the woman whether the island is not forbidden to women, she replies that Chikubushima enshrines a female deity—Benzaiten—and that women are not excluded. She explains the origins of the island’s worship, then reveals that she herself is not human and disappears into the sanctuary. The old fisherman identifies himself as the master of the lake and vanishes into the waves. The play continues.
Within its poetic verses appears the following passage:
“Beneath the deep shadows of green trees,fish seem to climb the trunks.When the moon floats upon the water, rabbits appear to run across the waves—how wondrous the scenery of this island.”
This is the very scene that inspired the Tosogu motif of a rabbit running across waves, later known simply as “Chikubushima.”The imagery describes how the reflections of trees make fish appear to climb upward, while moonlight glimmering on the lake resembles rabbits racing across the water’s surface—an otherworldly and enchanting vision of the island.
Thinking of this fantastical atmosphere brings to mind the Ko-Shoami tsuba, design of four rabbits.
This iron tsuba shaped in an elegant eight-lobed mokkō-gata, each rabbit is carved in nikubori, appearing in four directions. In his 1993 publication “Sukashi Tsuba”, Sasano Masayuki writes:
“The Shoami style can be described as intermediate between Kyō and Owari—slightly more robust than Kyō, slightly more refined than Owari.Favoring dynamic designs in sukashi, Shoami established a distinct and characteristic style.”
The graceful eight-lobed mokkō-gata seen in this tsuba would later be inherited and further refined by Higo kinko such as the Hayashi and Nishigaki during the Edo period. The slender half-crescent shape of the nakago-ana suggests an early Muromachi period. There is a quiet, rippling beauty within the iron surface—one that seems to resonate with the spirit of Chikubushima itself.
Petite Kantei Points♡
Taking these points into account, we can say that this piece is unlikely to be either Owari or Kyō work, since those schools generally favor a round outline, whereas this example is an eight-lobed mokkō-gata with nikubori (relief).
Owari-sukashi in Muromachi period are typically characterized by maru-gata (round shape) with tapering volume down towards seppadai. Mimi is kaku-mimi ko-niku (between square and round rim). The sukashi is boldly composed, usually in strong bilateral symmetry, and the surface is finished with tsuchime (hummer marks) that reveals tekkotsu. The overall impression of the sukashi is martial and powerful, with a very solid underlying structure.
By contrast, Kyō-sukashi tend to have a thinner form with either maru mimi or kaku mimi ko-niku. Sukashi is somewhat finer, and in early examples we sometimes see a design of scattered nikubori mon and a composition like Owari, use left–right symmetry. Alongside these, however, Kyō work gradually develops more graceful, pictorial designs—such as the well-known iris and Yatsuhashi (Eight Bridges) compositions.
Shoami pieces, on the other hand, are marked by circular symmetry overall. They often feature large horizontal oval openings on both sides in which the design is carried out in sukashi, and they make frequent use of unusual forms such as six-lobed mokkō-gata or eight-lobed mokkō-gata. The presence of nikubori (relief carving) is also a major point of interest in this school.
Closing thoughts
The quiet presence and spiritual atmosphere of this small island, Chikubushima resonate deeply with the inner beauty found in Tosogu. In our next blog, "Samurai Journey III: Sekigahara"—we will explore the aesthetics and inner spirit of samurai culture through the lives of daimyo who forged alliances and friendships during the upheaval of the late Sengoku period. Until then Stay tosogu & sword minded :)
References:
Chikubushima – Hogon-ji Temple
"Faith in Chikubushima Among Sengoku Daimyo" Hogon-ji Temple, Chikubushima / Nagahama Castle Historical Museum
Nō-no-Zu: Chikubushima by Kanō Ryūsetsu. Collection of the National Noh Theatre. Cultural Digital Library, Japan Arts Council
Chikubushima Festival Scroll Tokyo National Museum
Sugaura Documents (1,281 items): Boundary Map of Sugaura and Ōura Shimo-no-Shō. Cultural Heritage Online, Agency for Cultural Affairs
“Chikubushima” – Noh Support
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