Demon’s Hand Prints in the Rocks

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Demon’s Hand Prints in the Rocks

Iwate Prefecture, part of Japan's Tōhoku (northeast) region, is known as home to many curious legends and folk tales. Even the prefecture's namesake, as it happens, has to do with the supernatural. Iwate literally means "rock-hand" and doesn't make much sense alone, but the answer can be easily found in its capital city, Morioka. As you approach Mitsuishi Shrine in the Nasukawa-chō neighborhood, you are bound to notice signs pointing toward "Dem…