The legend of Ushiwakamaru's journey to hell

...There is a similar legend, the Legend of the Prince's Island Journey, in which Yoshitsune, during his stay in Oshu, crosses over to an island also called Chishima or Ezogashima, and steals a secret military strategy called "Dainichi no Ho" from the King of Demons with the help of the King's daughter (Otogi-zoshi, "The Prince's Island Journey"). If this legendary island becomes hell, it becomes the Legend of Ushiwakamaru's Journey of Hell, in which Ushiwakamaru prays to Bishamon of Kurama, arrives at the palace of Daitengu, and begs to travel through hell to meet his late father, Yoshitomo, who is now Dainichi Nyorai. A notable legend from this period is that of the meeting between Yoshitsune and Musashibo Benkei, which in the "Gikeiki" is said to have taken place at Gojo Tenjin Shrine and Kiyomizu-dera Temple, but the so-called "Hashi Benkei Legend" which describes their duel on Gojo Bridge is particularly famous (see the Otogi Zoushi "Hashi Benkei" and "Benkei Monogatari", the Noh play "Hashi Benkei", etc.).

*Some of the terminology that refers to the "Legend of Ushiwakamaru's Tour of Hell" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…これに似た伝説に御曹子島渡り伝説があり，奥州滞在中に義経は千島とも蝦夷（えぞ）ガ島とも称される島に渡り，鬼の大王の秘蔵する〈大日の法〉と名づけた兵法を大王の娘の手引きで盗み出すというものである(御伽草子《御曹子島渡り》)。この伝説の島が地獄となると牛若丸地獄巡り伝説となるが，これは牛若丸が鞍馬の毘沙門（びしやもん）に祈って，大天狗の内裏に至り，懇願して地獄を巡り，今は大日如来となっている亡父義朝に会うというものである。この時期で特筆すべき伝説は義経と武蔵坊弁慶との出会いを伝えるもので，《義経記》では五条天神と清水寺でのこととなっているが，五条橋での二人の対戦を描くいわゆる橋弁慶伝説は特に有名である(御伽草子《橋弁慶》《弁慶物語》，能《橋弁慶》など)。…

※「牛若丸地獄巡り伝説」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報