Editing Tsuchigumo (section)

===Yamato Province===
The Tsuchigumo of the [[Mount Yamato Katsuragi|Katsuragi]] region in Yamato Province (modern Nara Prefecture) are particularly well-known. According to the ''Nihon Shoki'', Emperor Jimmu defeated several Tsuchigumo groups during his eastward expedition. These included figures named Niki Tobe (新城戸畔) at Hataoka-no-saki, Kose Hafuri (居勢祝) at Wani-no-saka-no-shita, and Ihafuri (猪祝) at Hetsugi-no-nagae-no-oka-no-saki. He is also said to have defeated Tsuchigumo at Takaowari village by weaving a net of katsura vines (葛), subsequently renaming the area Katsuragi (葛城).<ref>''Nihon Shoki'', Volume 3, Emperor Jimmu.</ref> The Tsuchigumo of Takaowari were described as having small bodies and long limbs.<ref>''Nihon Shoki'', Volume 3, Emperor Jimmu.</ref> [[Katsuragi Hitokotonushi Shrine]] (葛城一言主神社) features a "Tsuchigumo塚" (tsuka, mound), said to be where Jimmu buried the head, body, and feet of captured Tsuchigumo separately to prevent their vengeful spirits ({{transliteration|ja|[[onryō]]}}) from harming the living.<ref>{{Cite book|author=村上健司 編著|authorlink=Murakami Kenji|title=妖怪事典|year=2000|publisher=毎日新聞社|isbn=978-4-620-31428-0|pages=222頁}}</ref>

A unique physical characteristic attributed to the indigenous people of Yamato in early chronicles was the possession of tails. The ''Nihon Shoki'' describes the ancestor of the Yoshino no Futo (吉野首) clan as "glowing, with a tail," and the ancestor of the Yoshino no Kuzu (国樔) as "having a tail and pushing aside rocks."<ref>''Nihon Shoki'', Volume 3, Emperor Jimmu.</ref> Similarly, the ''Kojiki'' refers to the people of Osaka (忍坂, modern Sakurai city) as "Tsuchigumo who have tails grown."<ref>''Kojiki'', Middle Volume, Emperor Jimmu.</ref> These descriptions likely served to portray the pre-Yamato inhabitants as non-human or primitive.