Sōjōbō
Sōjōbō ( Japanese 僧 正 坊 literally "high Buddhist priest") is the mythical king of the Tengu , lower deities who inhabit the forests and mountains of Japan . Sōjōbō is an elderly Yamabushi and Tengu with flowing white hair and an unnaturally long nose (otherwise he does not have the characteristics of a Tengu). Sōjōbō carries a fan made of seven feathers, which distinguishes him as the highest placed in the Tengu society. The myth has it that he is said to be incredibly strong and has the power of 1,000 common tengu. Sōjōbō lives on Mount Kurama in the north of Kyoto .
Sōjōbō is probably best known for having instructed the warrior Minamoto Yoshitsune (also known by his child name Ushiwaka-maru or Shanao) in the art of sword fighting as well as military tactics and magical arts in the 12th century . This relationship is used as a motif for many Japanese woodcuts , as well as one by the artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi .
