Through natural erosion and harsh weather, the cliffs along this hill bordering the Pacifc ocean came to resemble Oni. Oni are physical strong Japanese demons who ravage and destory small villages in ancient Japanese folklore. Only brave warriors can face and defeat them.
The hill itself was formed from rocks pushed up out of the ground from earthquakes and then tempered by the waves and weather. During the sengoku period, a small castle was built on the top of the hill to easily spot armies using the coastline to travel south.
With the image of Oni carved into these cliffs, the castle became known as Onigajo 鬼ヶ城 or Oni Castle.
Visiting the cliffs is free, and it has plenty of parking. There's a visitor center at the parking lot, which directs people to the path leading to the cliffs.
The stone from above is pretty clean, like any exposed mountain surface. The stone closer to the sea water is much more fitting of rock eroded by salt and water.
It's amazing how soft and brittle the stone looks on its own. But it is literally rock hard, and any sharp peaks of the rock, could easily cut or puncture skin.
Railings were planted into the rocks to keep people from falling or slipping into the ocean. The path leads through the giant Oni face and further past the other side. Unfortunately, the rest of the 1km path along the coast was closed due to erosion.
The original path leading all the way around the cliffs was ruined and too dangerous to travel. The path was meant to circumnavigate the whole hill. But, I had to turn back.
Coming back to the visitor center, there was a short hiking path that lead to the top of the hill where the castle once stood. Now, it's an open park with a great view of the surrounding area.
The hill is aligned with many cherry blossom trees. I think I was about a week late to see them in full bloom, though. From the top, I had a clear view of the town below, Kumano-Odomari Town. I also had a clear view of a very distinct Island off the coast.
Mamirugashima is a small uninhabited island about 1.5km away from the coast of Onigajo. The local people call it Maburika for some reason, and old folks usually row to it as a good fishing spot.
The plaque near the visitor center explains the legend of this island. In the late 700s, during the reign of Emperor Kanmu, Shogun Sakaue Tamuramaru was ordered to defeat the demon leader who held Oni Castle at that time. It was a fierce battle. During the battle a small boy on Mamiruga Island was seen dancing and singing songs. This made the demon open the castle door to get a better look. This given the Shogun the opportunity to fire a single arrow at the demon, and kill it instantly.
The Kanji 魔見 means Demon Looks. 魔 or ma is the kanji for demon, and 見る is the kanji for look.
Before leaving the area and heading home, I stopped at an overlook on the other side of door given a view of the cliffs, the hill, and the park on top of the hill.
Note: This post was made in Mar 2025 and back-dated to the time of my visit.
