1,000-year-old boulder in Japan believed to imprison demon just split in half, freaking everyone out

Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 11, 2022. It has since been updated.

If you thought 2020 was bad and then witnessed 2021 and figured it couldn't any worse, we have some (potential) bad news for you. A group of Japanese Twitter users created a stir after claiming that a huge volcanic boulder said to have imprisoned a powerful demon was found to be cracked in half, unleashing the demon on the world. As the legend goes, anyone who comes in contact with the stone dies. The rock is called Sessho-seki, translating to "killing stone," and is believed to be 1,000 years old. Per Japanese mythology, the boulder is believed to contain the transformed corpse of Tamamo-no-Mae, a beautiful woman who was part of a secret plot hatched by a feudal warlord to kill Emperor Toba in the 12th century, reported The Guardian. Her true identity was supposedly an evil nine-tailed fox and she was killed by a warrior, turning her into a corpse that became the Sessho-seki.

The boulder is located near Tokyo and is famous for its sulfurous hot springs. Twitter user who goes by Lilian (@Lily0727K) was the person who claimed they found the rock split in half on March 5. "I came alone to Sesshoseki, where the legend of the nine-tailed fox remains. The big rock in the middle wrapped around with a rope is that ... It was supposed to be, but the rock was split in half and the rope was also detached, they wrote, as per the translation. "If it's a manga, it's a pattern that the seal is broken and it's possessed by the nine-tailed fox, and I feel like I've seen something that shouldn't be seen." The tweet immediately went viral, garnering more than 185k likes. They then added, "I searched for tweets and looked at the photos that seemed to have been taken within the last 1-2 days, but none of the rocks were broken. I'm getting really scared."

The legend of the boulder is deeply etched into Japanese mythology and was registered as a local historical site in 1957. It also was mentioned in Matsuo Basho’s "The Narrow Road to the Deep North," and even inspired a Noh play, a novel, and an anime film. It is a popular sightseeing spot, but it was the first time people had noted the rock as broken with its rope lying by the side. The superstitious section of Twitter feared the worst. A rational group did some research and claimed the rocks had cracks for years which possibly allowed rainwater to seep inside weaken the strength of the boulder until it finally split into two. Masaharu Sugawara, the head of a local volunteer guide group agreed with the rationalists. “It’s natural, so it can’t be helped, but it’s a shame because it’s a symbol of the local area." Sugawara said government officials will discuss the fate of the stone.

Many are spooked by the development. One person wrote on Twitter, “The Sessho-seki, a famous rock in Nasu, Japan that was said to have imprisoned the evil nine-tailed fox demoness Tamamo-no-Mae, was found broken in half. After nearly 1,000 years, the demon vixen is presumably once again on the loose.” Some said they were looking forward to what was about to happen. “Man, imagine of all mythologies and religion Japan was right all along. I'm unironically all for this and want to see where this goes cause I am tired of mundane life and want magical/supernatural stuff to happen.” 

Many locals are also convinced that the demon has been unleashed. I can't wait to find what's in store but let's face it, the last thing we need amidst a potential world war and a pandemic, is a demon unleashed on us. Still a tiny bit intrigued though.