Hitobashira: The Tragic Stories of Human Pillars (Ep. 81)

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Uncanny Japan - Japanese Myths, Folktales, Superstitions, History and Language

Society & Culture


How do you build a bridge that stands up to storms and floods? Well, you have to appease the nature gods, of course. But how do you do that? Human sacrifice seemed to have worked in the past. Today I'll talk about hitobashira or human pillars. An ancient tradition of insuring strong river banks, fireproof castles, and tunnels that won't collapse.