Novel Vol 11 Chapter 6 (September: The Eccentric Ayakashi Pharmacy)

I am VERY sorry for the long hiatus after S2… things are quite busy with real life (and TBH, I am still reeling from the bad Ōdanna-sama animations in S2). However, I miss him. I miss Ōdanna-sama so much, and I bet many of us are missing him too. Therefore, I am translating a small chapter in Vol 11 where Ōdanna-sama is traveling to Asakusa Tokyo in Utsushiyo for a short trip. Vol 11 is after Raijū was defeated in Vol 10 and Ōdanna-sama was reinstated as the true Master of Tenjin-ya. I hope you like this short story.

By the way, I’m returning the narration to present tense. I understand that past tense is the norm for stories in English, but for me, translating in present tense brings me closer to the feeling of Japanese novels, where scenes are depicted like unfolding dreams in front of us, instead of us retelling a dream we had last night…

BY THE WAY! I found this very cool fan-art about Ōdanna-sama's true jyaki form... and I think it's super cool!

SERIOUSLY, get the fan artist (Aizawa-san?) to draw S3 please, I want this visual!!! (Source: Mahoyaku)

Ahem. Anyway, please refrain from posting my translations elsewhere. If you need to quote it, please acknowledge my site for the quote, because translating from Japanese hardcopy texts to English is a really hard work...

I will delete this translation when there is an indication that the novel will be translated into English, and I will replace it with the summary of the chapter.  Meanwhile, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy reading it at least as much as I enjoy translating it. 

Vol 11 Ch 6 

September: The Eccentric Ayakashi Pharmacy

P94

I’m Ōdanna, the Oni King of Tenjin-ya.

My real name, Setsu, is only known by a few.

Lately, I’ve been delegating the management of Tenjin-ya to Ginji, Byakuya and Akatsuki, hence I found myself frequently coming to Utsushiyo for business trips. In particular, since the travel restrictions^ between Utsushiyo and Kakuriyo have been lifted off, I have been taking initiatives to travel and conduct research to improve the effectiveness of the medicine that controls impurities lying dormant in the Kakuriyo underground. 

Thus I am here, in Asakusa, paying a visit to a particular pharmacy.

“Welcome~~~. Ooh!”

A black-haired teenage boy wearing an eyepatch was tending the pharmacy. As soon as he saw me, he yelped in surprise and dashed off into the back part of the store. From the back of the store, a monocled man wearing a flashy haori appeared.

“Oh my, if it isn’t the Master of Tenjin-ya. Long time no see.”

“Hi, Suiren.”

P95

The shopkeeper doing business in this human world is a water snake ayakashi named Suiren. Despite being notably suspicious-looking, he is actually a skilled doctor who has been secretly contributing to the development of a medicine to purify the Oni Gate’s impurities. 

“You’re such a bad person, Ōdanna-sama. You’re just showing up as you wish out of nowhere, and before I knew it, you were already back home to Kakuriyo. You don’t even bother to say hi to me.”

“I’m not a human; I’m an oni. Well, more like a free spirit.” I sat down on a guest chair by the window. It’s the usual chair I always sit on whenever I am visiting this store. Some out-of-season wisteria flowers are adorning the windowsill.

“P-please have some tea.”

“Thank you, Mikage”.

Slightly nervous, the black-haired teenage boy with the eyepatch who had been minding the shop earlier served me some herbal tea. Although this teenage boy looks like a shop assistant, he is actually a very famous Yatagarasu (three-legged raven) ayakashi^ in this human world of Utsushiyo. The Yatagarasu have existed since the Japanese mythos of ancient times, and are more noble and long-lived than any other ayakashi.

I wish Kakuriyo is adopted by NHK Anime... and I wish there is a cross-over with Yatagarasu...

Chirp…

P96-97

At Mikage’s feet sat a round penguin chick, gazing at me with its innocent eyes. I think his name is "Omochi”. However, he is not an ayakashi penguin. Instead, he is a tsuki-tsugumi^, a Japanese thrush bird ayakashi known for its shapeshifting ability. However, for some unknown reasons, it keeps transforming into a penguin chick. I heard that two old-pal oni of mine who are currently living in Asakusa are raising Omochi like their own child. 

“So, how is it going with the cleansing medicine?” 

Store proprietor Suiren came over and took a seat in front of me. The two of us took out our kiseru, the traditional tobacco pipe, and started to chat while smoking. 

"The purification process is going well. However, it would be great if we could improve it a bit more and mass-produce it. Our bath guardians are working hard, but there are limits to what we can do with only the medicines and materials from Kakuriyo."

“Well, Kakuriyo is a small world, after all. It’s just about the size of our Kyushu* in Utsushiyo.”

In fact, Kakuriyo is a reversed image of Kyushu. Kakuriyo map from S2E4 and Kyushu map from Japan Travel. 

"That’s why I'd like to borrow the abundant medicinal ingredients and knowledge of elixirs available in Utsushiyo. That's where you come in, Suiren."

Suiren chuckles. “Well, not only I’m an ayakashi who’s been living here for more than a thousand years, I also possess the knowledge the continental medicine,” he further proudly declares. 

That’s true. He came over from China a thousand years ago to Japan, and has been living here ever since. 

P97-98

“On that matter, I have something to show you, Ōdanna-sama.” 

Suiren reaches to his kimono sleeve and takes out a jar before placing it in front of me. The jar contains translucent fruits that look like sugar candies. 

"This is a treasure fruit secretly cultivated deep in the mountains of Kyoto; said to be a fruit that a celestial maiden dropped from heaven. Super expensive, but I managed to procure it. It has the potentials to be the miraculous elixir that will save Kakuriyo." Suiren further added that a little more research is needed, but he said it with a confident smile playing on his lips.

I reached for the bin and shook it in front of me. 

“Huh, it’s true, this fruit does contain a rather unusual psychic power.”

Each time I shook the treasure fruit, it scattered a sparkling silver light before settling down. But it always shone with a faint glow. Such a pure and clear psychic power. And yet, it possesses an otherworldly, peculiar quality. Does such a thing still exist in Utsushiyo?

"I'll do some research on my own for a while, and I’ll contact my fellow pharmacists for that. I'll let you know if this thing is useful."

P98

“Yep, I’m counting on you, Suiren. You’re so reliable. I wish you could work for Tenjin-ya.”

Suiren burst into laughter. “I’m only helpful because I’m here in Utsushiyo. At any rate, if I ever say that I’m going to Kakuriyo, not sure what those two guys would say…”

He then gave a wry, lopsided smile.

‘Those two guys’ that Suiren talked about are two ayakashi that he serves.

A thousand years ago…

Again, get this fan-artist (Aizawa-san?) as the official artist for Season 3. I want this visual for Ōdanna-sama! (source: Mahoyaku)

During my time in this human world Utsushiyo, I was very indebted to two daiyokai called Shutendōji and Ibarakidōji. The two ayakashi were husband and wife, and they were the masters of Suiren and other ayakashi in this pharmacy. The story of the husband and wife was a very famous one, where they were separated by death. Later, they reincarnated as human children and they have been living ever since in this very Asakusa. In particular, Suiren was one of Ibarakidōji’s four retainers who had sworn loyalty to her. If I were to head-hunt her precious retainer to work in Tenjin-ya, she would have my head off. She doesn't like me in the first place anyway.

“By the way, don’t you want to meet Shutendōji, Ōdanna-sama?”

“He might be busy with a class or his part-time work, I guess. On top of that, his wife keeps a watchful eye on me. She doesn’t trust me, after all.”

P99

A thousand years ago, I brought Shutendōji with me to Kakuriyo. However, while I eventually stayed in Kakuriyo, Shutendōji returned to Utsushiyo.

Suiren laughed again. 

“Well, you both are bad company, Ōdanna-sama! Well, I was actually hoping that Shutendōji would just stay in Kakuriyo.”

“It can’t be helped. He preferred to return to his wife. He was a devoted husband even back then. Although I couldn’t understand his sentiments at all back then, I do understand it now. Having a place to call home and someone waiting for you at home is such a wonderful thing. Also, I now have my beloved wife waiting for me back home.”

“Oooh… you’ve become a totally devoted husband, Ōdanna-sama. It’s hitting me, you know, since I’m still single now,” Suiren leaned back in an exaggerated manner.

“But you like being single anyway,” I give him a wry smile. After all, Suiren has experienced more love compared to this inexperienced me.

Ayakashi – they willingly pursue a love that can never be fulfilled. Despite realising its futility , they continue to stay by that person's side^. The troublesome thing about ayakashi is that they are too devoted.

P100-101

In addition, love does not forget.

“Well. At that time, if Shuntendōji chose to live in Kakuriyo, things would change in Kakuriyo. And then, he might not have to die^.” Saying this pointless thing, I exhaled smoke from my kiseru pipe.

“The past is in the past. However, even after a thousand years, we still remember those things. We ayakashi can’t help it, whether we live in Kakuriyo or Utsushiyo. Humans might say that we have too much attachment.” Suiren also smokes his pipe, deep in thought.

The two of us smoke our kiseru, completely enveloping the shop with smoke.  A slight distance away, the young Yatagarasu boy is coughing and choking.

“In the first place, in Utsushiyo, we ayakashi cannot just go about as we wish. Nowadays, humans and ayakashi are able to coexist to a certain extent, but this is only because ayakashi are able to disguise themselves as humans and live according to the rules of human society. Breaking this rule will result in immediate punishment.”

“… You mean exorcism?”

“Yep. Well, there are nice exorcists too. However, However, Kakuriyo as a place ruled by spirits and where one can live like a true yokai, is, in my view, a miraculous medicinal garden. It would be a shame to let Kakuriyo be ruined by the miasma, the impurities, for it could disrupt the balance of other worlds."

P101

Suiren sent Mikage, the young Yatagarasu who has been choking and coughing, to retrieve something. Frantically, Mikage returned with a giant old map, which he later spread wide on the table. Yet, the map isn’t just a map of this mortal world Utsushiyo. Rather, it’s a a diagram illustrating the relationships between different realms: Utsushiyo, Kakuriyo, Tokoyo the Eternal Realm^, the Underworld, Hell, and Takamagahara or the High Plain of Heaven, the home of the Gods.

At the top is Takamagahara, the dwelling place of the Gods. At the bottom is Hell, where sinners are cast. Takamagahara, the Underworld, the mortal world Utsushiyo, the hidden world Kakuriyo, Tokoyo the Eternal Realm, Hell… Some say that, in this order, our world is made up of interconnected layers, like geological strata. The locations of Utsushiyo, Kakuriyo, and the Eternal Realm are said to be particularly close to each other. Kakuriyo, in particular, is especially small, located parallel to and is adjacent to the Eternal Realm. In fact, instead of considered as a separate world, Kakuriyo is often considered as a part of the Eternal Realm and is just separated by a black sea. 

“By the way Suiren, have you heard rumours from the Eternal Realm?”

“I was planning to bring this up. However, since I am here in Utsushiyo, I don’t really get rumours from Tokoyo. However, I’ve got a feeling that the Eternal Realm ayakashi are cooking up something fishy.” 

P102

“Are they…?”

"Especially those foxes. I hear that a the nine-tailed fox sits at the top of the command chain in the Eternal Realm. We in Utsushiyo are also currently being troubled by foxes from that realm."

Suiren scoffed sarcastically, but having heard a little about their situation, I thought it was a indeed a troublesome situation for them^.

However, foxes, eh?

Speaking of which, Ginji, our nine-tailed fox who works at Tenjin-ya, is also said to be a fox cub that drifted ashore onto the Southern Land from across the ocean*.

“Ooh!”

Suiren, on the other hand, seemingly was thinking of something, because he then exclaimed, “Oh yeah, Ōdanna-sama, do you wanna eat dorayaki?”

“Oh! I love dorayaki!”

The conversation was turning serious, but this one comment from Suiren made me want to take a break and have something sweet. In particular, the dorayaki from a certain long-established shop in Asakusa is such a fluffy masterpiece whenever you eat it. I’ve been thinking to buy a bulk of them on my way home for the dorayaki-lover Ōgondōji-sama. Oh yeah, I’ll get some for the Tenjin-ya folks too as a souvenir. Do they still have some left in the shop…

“Heey, Kirara-chan, don’t just watch TV at the back will ya! Get me some dorayaki please?”

P103

Suiren once again hollered to the back of the store. 

A moment later, a mystical girl in a maid costume, her hair the colour of wisteria^, appeared. 

“Well, whaddaya know, it’s Kijin, the Oni God!”

“Yo, Kirara. Been a while. Nice to see you again.”

“I haven’t seen you for about a thousand years, and you call that 'a while'? To me, it’s like, a reaaaaaly long time! I’m also glad to see you again, Kijin!”

This girl, with her peculiar way of speaking, is another of my acquaintance. Specifically, she is the spirit of a wisteria tree. A thousand years ago, I often held a banquet under her tree. She couldn't leave the wisteria tree and always wanted someone to talk to, so I sometimes kept her company. Well, I do refer to “her” with a female pronoun, but “she” is actually genderless. Like me, her first-person Japanese pronoun is “boku”*.

With a maid-like attitude suitable for her maid dress, Kirara places a plate of dorayaki in front of us. However, afterwards, she took one dorayaki for herself and sat down properly next to me. Well, that is rather un-maid-like. I mean, in the first place, why is she wearing a maid dress anyway? Is it to cater to Suiren’s hobby**?

P104-105

“Hey, hey, you can’t sit next to a guest, Kirara-chan!”

“Why not? I haven’t seen Kijin for a long time!” 

“I’m also fine with it. You’re cute as always, Kirara. But, you’ve finally been able to leave your wisteria tree then.”

 “It’s actually fine when the branch is placed on the balcony,” Kirara pointed to the window. “I’m also growing up, you know.”

Oh, I see. Indeed, there is a branch of wisteria there, blooming with flowers out-of-season. 

I then took one of my favourite dorayaki. Dorayaki here are filled with white anko paste. The fluffy texture always surprises me, no matter how many times I have eaten them. 

“I’m thinking of bringing some home for Ōgondōji-sama.”

“Ōgondōji-sama, eh? She sometimes came here to have a chat with us. However, I haven’t seen her recently… is she okay?”

“Oh yes, she’s fine. She doesn’t seem to age at all.”

Suiren burst out laughting. “Indeed, she always looks young! What’s she up to now?”

“Beats me. She goes here and there in Kakuriyo, moving chess pieces from a much higher position than I am.”

To save the world called Kakuriyo, the Kakuriyo ayakashi are thinking and doing their best.

P105

I too must continue to do so as long as I live. That is my promise, in exchange for my life. 

Meanwhile, Utsushiyo, the world dominated by humans, continues to exert various influences on Kakuriyo. The population of ayakashi living in Utsushiyo is actually greater than the ayakashi population in Kakuriyo. However, Utsushiyo ayakashi folks have improved their shapeshifting abilities and, throughout the long period of history, have strived to coexist with humans. In the span of history, there are countless anecdotes of confrontations between daiyokai and humans. In those tales, the daiyokai folks ended up being slayed. 

With the restrictions on movement between Kakuriyo and Utsushiyo now gone, it will likely become less unusual for not only ayakashi but also humans to travel between the two worlds. Just like my own wife Aoi, from now on, there will be moments when human existence in Kakuriyo shines. Just like Tsubaki Shirō in the past, a figure who will exert a strong influence on Kakuriyo ayakashi is bound to appear. Therefore, to protect Kakuriyo, I need help from both ayakashi and humans in Utsushiyo. Then, one day, Kakuriyo can also send beings and items to Utsushiyo. In the near future, the ayakashi globalisation will continue. 

“Oh yeah, I’m thinking of bringing my employees to Utsushiyo for a company retreat^ in autumn next year.

P106

I’ve always wanted to do that, but things haven’t settled down yet at Tenjin-ya.”

“Oooh, you Tenjin-ya guys are finally coming here then,” Suiren grins.

“I’m looking forward to your help later. See you then, Suiren. Also, Kirara and Mikage. Please give my regards to Shutendōji and Missus.” 

Yes.

I’m looking forward for your help.

I need your help for that moment.

For the moment when we can visit Utsushiyo and invite them to Kakuriyo. In the not-too-distant future.

Translator’s Note

P94:

^ I didn't know there was a travel restriction between Kakuriyo and Utsushiyo. I originally thought that it meant that, because of Raijū's poisonous whispers, the King used to forbid Ōdanna-sama from traveling between the two worlds. However, it also seems that the travel restriction applied generally. Maybe only Daiyokai and Hachiyō like Ōdanna-sama (and their entourage) were allowed to go between the two worlds freely, and since Tenjin-ya defeated Raijū, and since the King's trust to Ōdanna-sama returned, the Master was able to talk to the King about businesses between the two worlds. Vol 12 might talk about it as well.

 

P95: 

^Yatagarasu… that brings back memories. NHK released a very good anime called “Yatagarasu” in 2024, and it really reminds me of Kakuriyo somehow. Mikage sounds like Yukiya from Yatagarasu somehow. I wish Kakuriyo S2 was animated as good as Yatagarasu… or NHK adopts Kakuriyo... and there's a cross-over between Yatagarasu and Kakuriyo... I'd love to see Ōdanna-sama, Ginji, Ranmaru, and Hatori in the same room with Natsuka-dono, Wakamiya Tenka, Yukiya, Sumio and Rokon.

Anyway, for me, three anime with classical settings that I ended up always coming back to is Kakuriyo, Yatagarasu and Shabake. We need more of anime like these. Now that I think of it, I think a cross-over between Kakuriyo and Yatagarasu would be soooo good! Yatagarasu is after all – SPOILERS – set during the current time, like Kakuriyo. The setting is just a mixture of Heian and Edo eras; again, like Kakuriyo. Also, there is a Hakutaku in Shabake called Nikichi, so it would be nice to have our Byakuya having a cross-over conversation with Nikichi!

P96:

^ OMG, I didn’t realise that someone has been translating the Asakusa Oniyome Nikki (the Diary of an Asakusa Oni Bride)! Go have a read!!! If you read Chapter 2, you will find a reference on tsuki-tsugumi.

* In fact, Kakuriyo is a reversed image of Kyushu. The area of Nagasaki and some parts of Saga are merged as Kimon, the Oni Gate, while Kumamoto is where Yōto is located. The Northwestern Land Bunmon is modelled after Oita, and interestingly, Oita has a university there (Ritsumeikan APU), while Bunmon centers around a university (the Bunmon Daigaku). 

P99:

^ I originally thought that Suiren loves Ibaraki, thus he wanted Ōdanna-sama to take Shutendōji to Kakuriyo. However, now I think it means that Suiren wished that Shutendōji would go to Kakuriyo so that he was not slayed by Minamoto no Yorimitsu (Raikō).

P100:

^ In the real timeline (our universe), Shutendōji was killed by Raikō during the Heian-era. The 2003 anime Otogi-zoshi tells the adventure of Raikō’s sister vis-à-vis Shutendōji and Abe no Seimei.

P101:

^ The Eternal Realm in Japanese is Tokoyo 常世, but since it’s Romaji is very similar to Japan’s capital city Tokyo (though the Kanji is different 東京), I prefer to write Tokoyo 常世 as “Eternal Realm”.

P102:

^ This trouble from the foxes of the Eternal Realm might be in one of the volumes of the “Asakusa Oni Bride Diary”.

* Oooh, are Ginji and Ranmaru actually from the Eternal Realm?

P103: 

^ think about Takechiyo’s light purple hair… or if you watch Netflix’s Onmyoji, Abe no Seimei has two wisteria spirits as his shiki (attendants). 

* although “boku” is still considered formal, it is less formal than “watashi”. Boku is usually for males, and since Kirara is using “boku” as her first-person pronoun, the vibe is more rebellious, confident or boyish. The even less informal first-person pronoun is “ore”, and it’s quite a masculine word. You’d see a lot of anime characters using first-pronoun “ore” (Ranmaru is one of those, for sure!). However, even Aoi uses first-person pronoun of “ore”! You can check it again in S1E1 when she found the (later to be legendary) hairpin that Ōdanna-sama gave her. For a more thorough explanation for Japanese first-person pronouns, check Kaname Naito’s excellent video here. 

**OMG, Suiren is hentai!

P105:

^ which brings us to Vol 13 where the main Tenjin-ya team is having a company retreat in Utsushiyo!