Lot Essay
In Takasago bay, Harima, according to legend, there is an old pine where the spirit of the maiden of Takasago dwells. She was once seen by the son of Izanagi, they fell in love, married and lived to a very old age. Their spirits reside in the tree and on moonlit nights they return taking on human forms. There is also a Noh play entitled "Takasago" in which Tomonari, the guardian of the shrine of Aso in Higo, Kyushu, on his way to see the capital and the Bay of Takasago, encounters the spirits of the pine (Jo and Uba).