"The Great Demon King of Japan": 75th Emperor Sutoku's Legacy

75th Emperor Sutoku is regarded as one of the three great grudge spirits of Japan, as he brought a terrible curse after his death. He was defeated in a political feud with 77th Emperor Go-Shirakawa and was exiled to a remote island. For memorial services of fallen soldiers, he made a copy of a Buddhist scripture and presented it to the Imperial Court but refused, so he became furious and declared 'I become the great demon king of Japan'. After his death, people close to Emperor Go-Shirakawa died mysteriously one after another, causing frequent natural disasters and civil wars, which were feared to be the result of Emperor Sutoku's haunting. Every hundred anniversaries of his death, major events occurred that shook Japan and many people believed his curse caused these. After the Meiji Restoration, 122nd Emperor Meiji established a highly prestigious Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Sutoku for consoling his anger. Thus, it can be seen that Emperor Sutoku was seriously feared even in modern times and had a significant influence on religious policy. From the viewpoint of Shinto, this paper examines how the concept of Emperor Sutoku's vengeful spirit, which arose in late ancient politics, affected later societies.