Located north of central Hirosaki, the former village of Onizawa has an evocative name. Oni, of course, refers to Japanese demons resembling two-horned ogres, powerful and strong. Naturally, there is a story behind such name. According to local folklore, a rice farmer named Yajuro once befriended an Oni from Mount Iwaki, and the two would often meet for lunch, sitting together on the branch of a great daimyo oak tree. When Yajuro mentioned that water kept leaking from his rice paddy, the Oni helped him build a steadfast canal. But…
