Have you ever been walking in Okinawa and seen a stone pillar or slab with the words “Ishi-gan-to” carved into it? These are called “Ishi-gan-to” (ishi-gan-tou / ishi-gan-dou), and they are deeply connected to Okinawan life and culture.
While you might not know it, Ishi-gan-to can be found throughout all of Japan, not just Okinawa. However, it’s said that over 10,000 exist in Okinawa, accounting for 90% of all Ishi-gan-to in the country. In this article, we’ll introduce what this stone—so deeply tied to Okinawan life and culture—is all about, including its history.
Ishi-gan-to: A Protective Stone to Ward Off Majimun
In a word, Ishi-gan-to is a protective stone to ward off evil. In Okinawa, it is primarily placed at the end of roads to repel evil spirits known as Majimun (Note 1).
(Note 1: Majimun is a general term for goblins and evil spirits from Okinawa and the Amami regions.)
Why Ishi-gan-to is Placed at the End of Roads
This placement is due to the nature of the Majimun that Ishi-gan-to is said to repel.
In Okinawa (and in China, where it is believed to have originated), it is thought that evil spirits can only travel in straight lines. For this reason, when a Majimun (evil spirit) reaches the end of a road, it is said to crash into the wall and enter the house. Ishi-gan-to are placed at the ends of roads and intersections to prevent them from entering.
Interestingly, in modern times, Ishi-gan-to are also used as a charm to prevent traffic accidents, based on the idea that they can stop cars from “crashing head-on like a Majimun.”
The History of Ishi-gan-to: Its Arrival from China
Ishi-gan-to originally came from China. The characters literally mean “the stone dares to confront,” and it’s believed that the stone became a charm based on the idea of a stone striking and repelling evil. The oldest known Ishi-gan-to, dating back to 770 CE, was set up in Fujian Province to quell demons. It later became common to place them at the entrances of homes and communities during the Tang and Song dynasties.
The Arrival and Spread of Ishi-gan-to in Okinawa
The exact time of its arrival in Okinawa (Ryukyu) is not clear, but it is thought to have arrived around the mid-15th century and was already widespread among common people by the late 18th century.
In fact, the Ryukyu Koku Shiryaku, a historical record written by Zhou Huang, a Chinese envoy who visited the islands in 1756, states that “many roof tiles and stone lions were placed on roofs and in front of gates, and a stone pillar with Ishi-gan-to carved on it was also erected.” This shows that by this time, Ishi-gan-to was so widespread it caught the eye of official envoys.
(Note 2: A Deputy Envoy was a messenger sent by the Chinese emperor to officially appoint a new Ryukyuan King.)
Ishi-gan-to’s Widespread Use: A Combination of Chinese Tradition and Local Belief
Okinawa already had a custom of using natural stones as amulets. It is believed that Ishi-gan-to became widely popular by combining with this pre-existing faith in stones. However, in Okinawa, Ishi-gan-to is a practical charm for warding off evil; it is not an object of worship.
References
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https://web.archive.org/web/20200928062726/https://ryukyushimpo.jp/okinawa-dic/prentry-40232.html - Takahashi, S. (2008). Ishigantō to Bunka Kōshō—Amami Shotō o Chūshin to shite [Ishi-gan-to and Cultural Interaction: Focusing on the Amami Islands]. In Journal of East Asian Cultural Interaction Studies, Vol. 1, pp. 159-177.
- Nakahara, H. (1981). Nakijin-son no ‘Ishi-gan-tō’ [‘Ishi-gan-to’ of Nakijin Village]. In Nakijin’s Cultural Assets, pp. 3-26.
- Matsui, K. (2019). Ishigantō no Denpa ni yoru Keitai-Imi no Hen’yō ni kansuru Yosatsuteki Kōsatsu [A Preliminary Study on the Transformation of Form and Meaning Through the Spread of Ishi-gan-to]. In Abstracts of Presentations at the Association of Japanese Geographers Conference, pp. 130-131.
- Yamasato, J. (2007). Ishigantō Oboegaki [Notes on Ishi-gan-to]. In Journal of Japanese and Oriental Culture, No. 9, pp. 37-68.
- Yamasato, J. (2019). Okinawa no Majinai [Okinawan Amulets]. Border Shinsho.
- Arashiro, T. (2014). Kyōyō Kōza Ryukyu-Okinawa-shi (Kaiteiban) [General Education Course: The History of Ryukyu and Okinawa (Revised Edition)]. Henshū Kōbō Tōyō Kikaku.
