- The Truth Behind Volcano Worship and Sacrificial Rituals as Told in the Tsugaru Outer Three Counties Chronicle
- An Era Swayed by the Voice of False Gods — The Origins Behind the Belief in Human Sacrifice
- The Voice of God and the Legacy of the I’hins — A Link Between OAHSPE and the Tsugaru Soto Sangunshi
- References、Images Used
The Truth Behind Volcano Worship and Sacrificial Rituals as Told in the Tsugaru Outer Three Counties Chronicle
At the northernmost edge of Japan’s Tōhoku region lies Aomori Prefecture, where the Tsugaru area is known for its particularly harsh winters. How did the ancient people known as the Asohe tribe live in such conditions?
According to the Tsugaru Outer Three Counties Chronicle (Tsunaguru Soto Sangun-shi), the Asohe tribe declined following an eruption of Mount Iwaki, a prominent peak in the region. Mount Iwaki is still an active volcano today, and its surroundings are dotted with natural hot springs. To survive the cold climate, it appears that the Asohe people built their settlements near these hot springs and spent their winters there.
The Asohe clan was the oldest known people of Tōnichi (present-day Tsugaru), said to have descended from migrants from the Western Continent.
The land of Tsugaru at that time was blessed with both mountains and seas, allowing the people to sustain themselves through hunting and fishing. However, due to the harsh climate, they eventually settled around natural hot springs that emerged from the earth in the Asohe Plains at the center of Tsugaru. These communities formed the Asohe clan, who survived the winters there.
In their society, divination played a central role in daily life, and those who served as spiritual guides through divination held the position of chief.
However, the land of Tsugaru was constantly shaken by earthquakes, and after the eruption of Mount Hakkōda, Mount Iwaki also erupted. It is said that the entire Asohe clan perished beneath the volcanic debris.
Source: Tsugaru Outer Three Counties Chronicle – “The Downfall of the Asohe Clan”
In the Asohe clan’s society, divination was deeply valued, and those with exceptional skill in reading signs were chosen as leaders. But no matter how wise or capable their chiefs may have been, they could do nothing in the face of catastrophic natural disasters like the eruption of Mount Iwaki.
The eruption dealt a devastating blow to the Asohe clan. Already long embroiled in conflict with the Tsuboka clan, they were eventually forced to retreat deep into the remote mountains of the Ōu Range.
What followed was a decision that, to modern readers, may seem shocking:
In an effort to appease the wrath of the god of the volcano, the surviving Asohe clan offered a human sacrifice at the crater. On the night of the full moon, August 15, a chosen young girl was adorned and cast into the crater as the first offering. The second offering consisted of deer and fish, and the third included necklaces and treasured items.
Source: Tsugaru Outer Three Counties Chronicle – “The Downfall of the Asohe Clan”
It was believed that eruptions were a sign of divine anger. To calm that fury, the people offered sacrifices—first a young woman, then animals and fish, and finally ornaments and treasures.
While such practices may seem cruel from a modern perspective, for the people of that era, it may have been a desperate act of faith—a decision made in the tension between survival and belief.
An Era Swayed by the Voice of False Gods — The Origins Behind the Belief in Human Sacrifice
Today, we understand that offering a human sacrifice cannot stop natural disasters. However, in ancient times, when people had no knowledge of the mechanisms or causes behind such catastrophes, turning to invisible powers—gods—must have seemed like a natural course of action.
Even so, we might ask: why would people come to believe that a human, and more specifically a young girl, should be offered as a sacrifice?
The true Creator never condones the taking of human life. Therefore, the act of killing someone as a sacrificial offering clearly runs counter to the Creator’s will. It is more appropriate to see such practices as the influence of dark spirits or false gods.
In the ancient Pan continent, it is said that dark spirits once spread unchecked. To cleanse the world of their corruption, the entire continent was submerged into the sea. However, Japan—originally part of Pan—is thought by some to have miraculously escaped complete destruction.
Even so, it’s possible that some of those dark spirits survived, and in the aftermath of a great disaster, they whispered to the terrified Asohe people: “Sacrifice your most beloved daughter.” This could have been the tragic origin of the practice of human offerings.
This brings to mind the story of the prophet Abraham. According to OAHSPE, dark spirits that once wandered the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah came upon Abraham, claiming, “I am your God. Offer your son Isaac as a sacrifice.” (OAHSPE 23, First Book of God, Chapter 9)
But Abraham refused, saying: “The true God has commanded that no life be taken.” Even a holy man like Abraham was tempted by deceitful spirits. So it’s understandable that a mere diviner—lacking Abraham’s spiritual depth—might have mistaken the voice of darkness for divine will.
If such mistaken beliefs had continued unchecked, the world may very well have fallen into darkness once again.
—But fortunately, that fate was avoided.
The Voice of God and the Legacy of the I’hins — A Link Between OAHSPE and the Tsugaru Soto Sangunshi
The dark and tragic practice of human sacrifice was ultimately brought to an end by the Tsuboké people.
Below is a passage from the Tsugaru Soto Sangunshi, a local chronicle of the Tsugaru region that preserves oral traditions passed down by storytellers:
“According to the ritual law (as recorded by the Tsugaru storyteller):
When the sky darkens and the earth trembles, it is a sign that humanity is facing destruction. To soothe the wrath of the gods, people must offer their most precious treasures and beautiful daughters as sacrifices.
The selection of the sacrifice is revealed through the mouth of a diviner, said to be the voice of the gods.
These dreadful customs of the Asohe clan continued until the time of the Tsuboké people.”
Source: Tsugaru Outer Three Counties Chronicle – “The Downfall of the Asohe Clan”
As this quote reveals, it was the Tsuboké people who finally brought an end to the Asohe clan’s sacrificial practices.
Had the Tsuboké not been able to hear the true voice of God, they too might have fallen under the influence of dark spirits, just as the Asohe did. But that did not happen.
Why? Because the Tsuboké, like the holy man Abraham, were able to discern the true voice of the Creator. In the ancient Pan continent, only the I’hins—not the I’huans—possessed the spiritual sensitivity to hear God’s voice.
In other words, it is likely that the Tsuboké people were themselves I’hins who had fled to Ista (ancient Japan), carrying with them a sacred mission.
This connection may serve as further evidence of the Tsuboké people’s spiritual role in guiding others away from darkness—and toward divine truth.
References、Images Used
| books | authors | publishers |
|---|---|---|
| OAHSPE ”A New Bible in the Worlds of Jehofih and His angel embassadors.” | John B. Newbrough | OAHSPE PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION |
| 聖書 新共同訳－旧約聖書 | 共同訳聖書実行委員会 | 三省堂印刷/日本聖書協会 |
| 東日流外三郡誌 1古代篇(上) | 東日流中山史跡保存会 | 八幡書店 |
Images：Generated from stable diffusion(model:DreamShaper)
Images：Generated from stable diffusion(model:XSMerge-RealisticVisionV3-ForArchi)
Photo Credit: Clay figurine excavated from the Kamegaoka Site, housed in the Tsuruga City Mokuzo Kamegaoka Archaeological Materials Room
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