Osakabehime (Ã¥ÂÂé¨姫) is a figure in Japanese folklore. She is described as a yà Âkai inhabiting Himeji Castle. A Kabuki play based on her story is considered one of the Shin-Kabuki Jà «hachiban.
Osakabehime lives in the castle tower of Himeji Castle, and meets the castle lord only once a year to tell him the fate of the castle. According to Matsuura Shizuyama's essay Kasshi Yawa, the reason why Osakabehime lives in hiding like this is because she hates people.
The true identity of Osakabehime is generally considered to be an old kitsune, or an unrighteous child born by Princess Inoe to his son Osabe-shinno, There are also theories such as the claim she is the spirit of the courtesan that Emperor Fushimi loved or Osakabe Okami, the god of Mt Hime, where Himeji Castle is located. Gender of this yà Âkai was not clearly determined in Shokokuhyakumonogatari (appeared in various forms including men and women), but eventually they came to be considered a woman. It is believed that this was related Osakabe becoming Osakabehime (Princess Osakabe), "-hime" coming from Himeji.
In Mt Hime, where Himeji Castle was built, there were shrines such as a shrine to Osakabe Okami (Ã¥ÂÂé¨大ç¥Â). There are various theories about who the deity of this shrine was, but it was thought that it was the god of the castle. This shrine and god are thought to be the origin of the name Osakabe. However, in early legends and creations such as Shokokuhyakumonogatari (諸å½ç¾ç©èªÂ, 1677), the yà Âkai was just called "Castle Monster" (Ã¥ÂÂã°ãÂÂç©). In order to expand the Himeji Castle, Toyotomi Hideyoshi removed the shrine and re-enshrined Osakabe in Harima Sà Âja, a shrine dedicated to several gods to the outskirts of the town when the castle was expanded.
Ikeda Terumasa, who became the owner of Himeji Castle after the Battle of Sekigahara, renovated the castle on a large scale, but when the new castle tower was completed in 1608, various mysteries occurred, and in 1611 Terumasa finally fell ill. Rumors circulated that this was a curse of the god Osakabe, so the Ikeda family built a shrine in the castle and relocated the god.
In Toriyama Sekien's Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki (ä»ÂæÂÂçÂȌ³ç¶Âç¾鬼), the yà Âkai is called "Osakabe" and is depicted as an old princess with a bat.
In Misaka Daiyata's Rà Âà  Chabanashi (èÂÂ媼è¶話, Tea-time gossip of old ladies), from 1742, a young page named Morita Zusho went on a dare to go see if a yà Âkai really lived in the upper floors of Himeji Castle he saw a noble woman in her 30s wearing a twelve-layered ceremonial kimono. When she asked the page, why he came, and he replied that it was a test of the bravery, Osakabehime, who was impressed with his courage and candidness, gave him a shikorobuki (neck guard of a helmet) as a proof for the test.
In Ihara Saikaku's Nishizuru Kokubanashi (西鶴諸å½ã°ãªãÂÂ), Osakabehime is described as extremely knowledgeable about many things and able to control a multitude (up to 800) of kenzokushin (animal-like spirits who act as messengers). She can read a personâÂÂs mind and manipulate them however she wants.
In Rà Âà  Chabanashi, she is described as being of the same kind as the princess Kamehime of Inawashiro Castle in Mutsu Province, and in the kabuki play The Castle Tower (天å®Âç©èªÂ, Tenshu monogatari) by Kyà Âka Izumi, they are sister-in-laws.
Osakabehime appears in Type-Moon's Fate franchise as an Assassin class Servant in their mobile game Fate/Grand Order.