Tsuchigumo Sōshi

Tsuchigumo Sōshi (土蜘蛛草紙) is a 14th-century Japanese picture scroll depicting the heroic exploits of Minamoto no Raikō in his battle against an enormous spider monster.

[1] As the story begins, Raikō and Tsuna arrive at the cemetery of Rendaino, in the Kitayama (ja), a hilly region of the northern outskirts of Kyoto.

[17] Tsuna joins his master,[17] and they encounter various yōkai: possessed household utensils, a nun with a massive head, and a beautiful young woman who throws balls with the appearance of white cloud at Raikō.

[22] As swift as lightning, Raikō decapitates the beast with his broken sword,[23] and Tsuna goes for the belly, where he finds that it is already cut open—Raikō's handiwork from their previous encounter at the old house.

[22] The emperor, hearing this story, rewards Raikō's valorous deed with the governorship of Tsu Province, and promotes him to the Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade.

These are: Against these malignant yōkai, the hero calls upon his divine ancestors, the kami of Japan, Hachiman and Amaterasu, alluding to his own imperial ancestry (his grandfather, Minamoto no Tsunemoto, was a son of Emperor Seiwa).