Who Is Shutendōji? Two Beginnings of the “Japan’s Most Famous Demon” at the Suntory Museum of Art

The exhibition Shutendōji Begins: Tales of the Demon Slayer Throughout the Ages opens on April 29 at the Suntory Museum of Art in Roppongi, Tokyo, and runs through June 15 (with some changes to the exhibits during the run).

Among the various tales of Shutendōji, who is considered one of the "Great Three Evil Yokai of Japan," the version housed in the museum’s collection, The Tale of Shutendōji by Kanō Motonobu from the Muromachi period (16th century), is renowned as an early example that has influenced later generations. This exhibition features the freshly restored piece on an unprecedented scale, alongside a wide variety of works depicting Shutendōji, including pieces shown in Japan for the first timeー the two “beginnings” of Shutendōji.

Who exactly is Shutendōji, the most famous demon in Japanese folklore? What is the secret of his mysterious birth? We sat down with Tomoe Ueno, Associate Chief Curator at the Suntory Museum of Art and exhibition curator, to learn more.

The Tale of Shutendōji: Minamoto no Yorimitsu vs. Abducting Demon

——First, could you tell us the general outline of the Shutendōji's tale?

Ueno: The story begins in the Heian period, when a series of strange incidents occur in Kyoto—beautiful women start to vanish. The onmyōji (court diviner) Abe no Seimei determines that demons are behind the disappearances. The emperor then orders the top warrior Minamoto no Yorimitsu to slay the demon, and he sets out with his retainers for the battle. While variations depend on the source, this is the most orthodox version of the tale.

——Please tell us about the scroll of The Tale of Shutendōji in the museum’s collection.

Ueno: The version we have, referred to as the “Suntory Scrolls,” is a set of three scrolls painted by Kanō Motonobu, the second-generation head of the Kano school. The production presumably started in 1522 during the Muromachi period, and its documented origins and production make it a valuable work.

The origin of the Shutendōji story is believed to have been established by the 14th century. One key piece of evidence is Mount Ōe (now in the collection of the Itsuo Art Museum and designated an Important Cultural Property), a scroll created in the 14th century that depicts the mountain as a demon's lair. The location of Shutendōji’s lair differs depending on the story—Mount Ōe in Kyoto and Mount Ibuki on the border of Shiga and Gifu prefectures are the two most common. Notably, the Suntory Scrolls are the oldest known pieces to depict the “Mount Ibuki” version.

Shutendōji’s tale spread widely as a subject in both paintings and Noh theater. What’s especially interesting is that hundreds of reproductions and similar works were created based on the Suntory Scrolls. This exhibition includes several 17th-century scrolls that closely resemble it, allowing visitors to see how the story spread and evolved over time.

Why Kanō Motonobu’s "Tale of Shutendōji" Is Special?

——Why did the Suntory Scrolls have such a strong influence? Was it because the Kano school, established by Motonobu, remained dominant in the Japanese art world for 400 years until the end of the Edo period?

Ueno: That's one of the significant reasons. The sketches of the Suntory Scrolls were passed down within the Kano school, and Shutendōji became one of their signature motifs.

Another key factor in its influence is the connection to the Tokugawa shogunate. Originally, the scroll was commissioned by the Sengoku-period warlord Hōjō Ujitsuna. His son later married Tokugawa Ieyasu’s second daughter, Tokuhime. After the Hōjō clan was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590, Tokuhime remarried Ikeda Terumasa, bringing the scroll with her as a dowry. The Suntory Scrolls became a treasured heirloom of the Ikeda family, who ruled the Tottori domain throughout the Edo period, and it was treated as proof of their noble lineage connected to Ieyasu. Records indicate that the residence displayed the scroll to honor distinguished guests.

——So the scrolls bore the prestige of the Tokugawa family?

Ueno: Exactly. The combination of artistic skill and noble provenance gave it great value and became a highly sought-after work. Many artists longed to see the real piece as well. One record states that Kanō Tan’yū, a famous painter of the Kanō school, requested to borrow it from the Ikeda family when creating a Shogunate-commissioned version of The Tale of Shutendōji. Materials related to this history are also displayed in the exhibition.

Before Demons Had Horns: Striking and Gory Scenes

——How much of the Suntory Scrolls will be displayed this time?

Ueno: We’ll be showing approximately 35 meters of the total 66 meters across all three scrolls, which is the largest exhibition in the museum’s history. It was designated an Important Cultural Property in 2015 and underwent dismantling and restoration between 2018 and 2020. A primary goal of this exhibition is to present the scrolls in their fully restored form.

Because the scrolls alternate between text and images, it's always a challenge to select which scenes to show within the limited display cases. This time, we’re including many highlights, including parts that couldn’t be exhibited before the restoration. Visitors can enjoy the vivid colors and sophisticated brushwork characteristic of Motonobu’s style.

——Could you describe some of the key scenes?

Ueno: The first volume features Minamoto no Yorimitsu and his four retainers traveling through steep mountain valleys toward Mount Ibuki to the Shutendōj’s lair. The mountain scenery, described as “Blue and Green Landscape,” is a beautiful highlight of this volume. This section, previously too damaged to display, now reveals stunning colors created by the thick application of ultramarine and verdigris pigments.

Before the journey, they stop by Iwashimizu Hachimangū, Sumiyoshi, and Kumano Shrines to pray for victory. Disguised as yamabushi (mountain monks), they meet three mysterious men on the road, who turn out to be deities in disguise. These deities provide magical caps to block the demons' powers and give them poisoned sake. They also help them across a ravine by laying down a tree and vanish after aiding them. The movement of the figures and the emotion of these scenes are worth noting.

In the second volume, the party reaches Mount Ibuki and confronts the goblins. Along the way, they encounter a woman washing clothes in a river—one of the kidnapped victims —who leads them to Shutendōji’s lair. Numerous goblin minions emerge as they arrive, each depicted with unique and comical features.

——The expressions of the goblins are so lively and even humorous.

Ueno: Aren’t they adorable? Looking closely, you’ll notice that most of them don’t have horns. The image of goblins with horns and wearing tiger-striped pants became fixed in the Edo period. This piece was created in the medieval period when people feared many things, and the nature and appearance of demons, which were visual representations of those fears, were portrayed in many different ways. This scene, which has rarely been shown in exhibitions until now, is also one of the highlights.

The scene where Shutendōji himself appears before Yorimitsu for the first time may have influenced Noh performances. For example, in the Noh play Mount Ōe (Kae no kata), Shutendōji appears with two child attendants, just like in the Suntory Scrolls. This suggests that the scroll's visual influence extended into three-dimensional performing arts.

——Shutendōji is depicted as rather handsome in Volume 2. Why is he raising his hand to his forehead?

Ueno: According to the accompanying text, Shutendōji appears to be about 40 years old, over three meters tall, and is described as “remarkably handsome.” The gesture of shielding his eyes indicates he’s suspicious of the travelers and is trying to determine their true nature with his supernatural powers.

During the banquet scene, blood is poured into cups in place of sake, and the dishes include sliced human leg—gruesome and provocative imagery. The leg belonged to a kidnapped woman, and Shutendōji and his minions ate it as if it were ham. Yorimitsu and his men consume the food and drink to avoid suspicion, but thanks to the magical caps gifted by the gods, they avoid being exposed and instead get the demons drunk with the poisoned sake.

The third volume centers on the dramatic demon-slaying scene. Yorimitsu and his retainers remove their disguises and are ready to fight in their armor, but are blocked by an iron door. The deities reappear to open it and provide iron ropes to bind the demon. The warriors then burst into Shutendōji’s sleeping quarters, where the drunken demon has reverted to his true monstrous form.

Shutendōji’s head is cut off in a spray of blood—it flies through the air and bites into Yorimitsu’s helmet. This climactic scene is powerfully depicted using a continuous narrative technique that shows multiple moments in a single image. The way the demon’s body leaps violently, snapping the iron ropes in the process, is quite intense and unforgettable.

The moment when the demon’s head is severed is reminiscent of the famous “Balse” spell in Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Until then, the demon’s mansion is a paradise where all season flowers bloom at once, but when Shutendōji is beheaded, its magical energy vanishes and the illusion crumbles. What remains is a dark cave filled with the bodies of the victims. Because of the graphic nature of this final scene, it won’t be shown in the exhibition out of consideration for young visitors. Still, it is fully reproduced in the exhibition catalog.

——The scene where Shutendōji rests with the kidnapped women before being slain also leaves an impression. The way his body relaxes and his face turns red with intoxication humanizes him, and in turn, makes his terrifying nature even more striking afterward.

Drunken Rage Monster from Age of Three? 

——Why did you choose the title Shutendōji Begins for this exhibition?

Ueno: There are two reasons. First, we’re presenting the Suntory version of The Tale of Shutendōji, which can be considered the origin of the many depictions of the legend. This version, copied and reinterpreted through the ages, is the visual foundation of how Shutendōji has been portrayedーit represents the “beginning of the image.”

Second, we are exhibiting two scrolls from the GRASSI Museum of Ethnology in Leipzig that contain the story of Shutendōji’s early life—what can be described as the “beginning of the demon.” These scrolls had been previously unknown due to the museum not having a Japanese art specialist. However, a team of Japanese researchers recently studied them, and this exhibition marks the first showing in Japan.

——What kind of scrolls are they?

Ueno: It’s a rare six-volume Tale of Shutendōji scrolls, created in the mid-Edo period. Two of the six volumes are returning to Japan for the first time in approximately 140 years and will be on display. The latter half of the scrolls is similar in content and imagery to the Suntory Scrolls, but the first half features a narrative of Shutendōji’s birth and transformation into a demon. The artist is Sumiyoshi Hiroyuki, the fifth-generation head of the Sumiyoshi school, part of the Yamato-e painting group.

——Could you tell us the story of the first half of the Leipzig Scrolls?

Ueno: The story begins in the age of the gods. The deity Susanoo-no-Mikoto defeats the fearsome serpent Yamata-no-Orochi and saves the princess Inadahime. The scrolls illustrate how Susanoo-no-Mikoto uses clever tactics to get Orochi drunk, and once slain, how the serpent’s spirit flies to Mount Ibuki, where it becomes the deity Ibuki Myōjin.

Time passes, and the story shifts to Ōmi Province, home to Mount Ibuki. A noblewoman named Tamahime becomes pregnant. It is later revealed that Ibuki Myōjin, smitten by Tamahime who resembled Inadahime, secretly visited her and fathered the child. A boy turns out to be wild and rebellious—by the age of three, he drinks sake and flies into drunken rages!

——Perhaps he inherited it from Yamata-no-Orochi?

Ueno: Because of his violent outbursts when drunk, his grandfather sends him to Mount Hiei, where drinking is prohibited, in hopes that he might reform. There, the boy dedicates himself to studying. When a celebratory event is held to transfer the capital to Heian-kyō, Mount Hiei, located northeast of the capitalーa direction traditionally considered unlucky and used by demons to come and goーis asked to send performers for “demon dance.” The boy creates many demon masks and dances wearing them. While he’s depicted adorably during the performance, the emperor rewards him with sake, which causes the boy to go berserk. As a result, he is banished from Mount Hiei and abandoned by his family.

——How tragic.

Ueno: Lost and confused, the boy turns to his birth father, Ibuki Myōjin, who tells him to hide in the mountains away from humans. At first, he obediently secludes himself on Mount Ibuki. But over time, he falls under the influence of demonic powers and transforms into a savage demon who abducts women and eats human flesh. This prelude connects to the well-known demon-slaying tale in the latter half. You could call it the “Episode Zero” of Shutendōji’s story.

——When did this spin-off story about Shutendōji originate?

Ueno: These stories are believed to have been created after the original Shutendōji legend was established. During the Edo period, various spin-offs appeared: The Boy from Mount Ibuki (Ibukidōji), Rashōmon, and The Earth Spider (Tsuchigumo). Much like hit movies getting sequels and prequels, the popularity of the Shutendōji story led to new versions being produced. If I had to draw a comparison, it’s like how House of the Dragon spun off from Game of Thrones. The Leipzig Scrolls are especially intriguing because they fuse a prequel with the main story into a single narrative.

——What do we know about the origin of the Leipzig Scrolls?

Ueno: We recently discovered that it was part of the wedding dowry of Tanehime, the adopted daughter of the tenth shogun Tokugawa Ieharu, when she married into the Kishū Tokugawa family in 1787. It is believed that Dr. Heinrich Botho Scheube, a German physician invited to Japan in the early Meiji period, purchased the scroll and brought it back to Germany.

Like the Suntory Scrolls, the Leipzig Scrolls belonged to a Tokugawa princess. Perhaps because of this, it is made of silk and is quite large—41 cm in height—while most scrolls are made of paper and are approximately 30 cm high. Its scale and material lend it a sense of luxury and importance.

——You were part of the Japanese research team that visited Leipzig to examine the scroll in person. What were your first impressions?

Ueno: I was amazed by how well the pigments had been preserved. When scrolls are kept rolled up, the inside is protected from light and air, which helps prevent fading. Since the Leipzig Scrolls were only opened a few times, the colors remain strikingly vivid, as if they were painted just yesterday.

Further research revealed that preliminary drawings for the Leipzig scroll are housed at the Osaka Aoyama Museum of History and Literature. These sketches will also be displayed for the first time in this exhibition.

Demons as Symbols of the Unknown and the Opposition

——Why would a scroll as gruesome as The Tale of Shutendōji be chosen as a dowry for a Tokugawa princess?

Ueno: At its core, the tale is about a warrior bringing peace and order through military strength. Possessing such a work may have been a way to assert legitimacy as a daughter of a samurai family. Minamoto no Yorimitsu, the tale’s hero, was an actual historical figure and one of the earliest warrior heroes, so showcasing a connection to the Minamoto lineage would have conveyed pride in noble ancestry. In the exhibition’s final section, we present Shutendōji as a political symbol with such layered meanings.

——Demons are quite popular characters in modern anime and manga, too.

Ueno: In medieval Japan, demons symbolized opposites to humanity—things that we don't understand, foreign, or threatening. There are numerous theories of Shutendōji, too. For example, his existence has been interpreted as a metaphor for plagues that struck the capital or even as a symbol of government opposition. Tales of slaying such demons appealed because they reinforced the legitimacy and stability of one’s existence.

At the same time, Shutendōji is often depicted as having once been human, or appearing human before he started heavy drinking. Just like demons in Demon Slayer, he wasn’t born a demon and isn’t purely evil. Some legends even suggest that he became a demon simply because he wore a mask and couldn’t take it off. There are countless versions of the Shutendōji story, each offering a different portrayalーthat’s why I don’t think demons are simply figures to be feared or loathed. Some viewers might even empathize with them. We hope visitors will appreciate these many facets as they experience the exhibition.