Obama Rokurozaemon - Obamaro Kurozaemon

...The custom of welcoming the gods of misfortune and plague corresponds in a way to the custom of worshiping the Bon Festival Buddhas and hungry ghosts separately from spirits. To ward off misfortune and smallpox, there is also a custom of posting on one's door the name of a military commander, such as "Chinzei Hachiro Tametomo's Inn," or the name of someone who is said to have helped or given lodging to the gods of misfortune, such as "a descendant of Somin Shorai," Nikaho Kinshichiro, Obama Rokurozaemon, or Tsurifune Seiji. There are also "apology letters for the gods of misfortune" and "letters to banish the gods of misfortune" that claim to avoid or alleviate misfortune and plague, and are passed down in various regions....

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Obama Rokurozaemon" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…厄病神歓待の風習は，ある意味で盆の無縁仏や餓鬼仏を精霊とは別にまつる風に対応するものともいえる。厄病や疱瘡よけのため，〈鎮西八郎為朝御宿〉といった武将の名のほか，〈蘇民将来（そみんしようらい）子孫也〉とか仁賀保金七郎，小浜六郎左衛門，釣船清次など，厄神を助けたり泊めたりしたという者の名前を記して戸口にはっておく風習もある。厄病を免れる，または軽くするという旨の〈疫神のわび証文〉や〈疫神退散状〉も各地に伝えられている。…

※「小浜六郎左衛門」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