I might have a bit of bias but Iwata is my favorite city that I've ever been to. The train station has an enormous 700-year-old camphor tree that was once the site of the temple Zendo-ji. But it's the city's backstory that really touches my heart.

Anyone who has ever played the video game Okami might recognize Iwata's story.

Legend has it that 700 hundred years ago, Iwata was plagued by evil demons. Once a year, Iwata held Naki Matsuri, a Crying Festival. A white-feathered arrow would fly into the roof of an unsuspecting villager's home. This arrow symbolized the daughter living there had to be sacrificed to the demons. The villagers, afraid of the demon's curse, begrudgingly put the daughter in a coffin and left it outside for the demons to carry away.

And so this happened for many years. 

Then one year, a monk passed through Iwata and heard about this horrifying, annual event. When the day arrived, the monk decided to sneak a closer peek at these infamous demons.

As they carried the coffin away, he listened to one of the demons say, "Shippei Taro of Nagano mustn't know about it."

"I hope he isn't watching," said another demon.

Realizing these demons were terrified, the monk decided to find Shippei Taro and get his help. He traveled to the nearby prefecture of the city of Nagano. There at Kozen-ji temple, he found Shippei Taro. To his surprise, Shippei was not a man but a dog. Shippei, known to the locals as Hayataro, was a white dog larger than a wolf.

He asked the temple if he could borrow Shippei to fight the demons plaguing Iwata. And off they went! They ventured back to Iwata to prepare for the next annual arrow.

As the demon day approached, they crafted a cunning plan to trick the demons. Instead of a daughter, the villagers put Shippei into the coffin. The demons arrived to carry their next sacrifice away but Shippei jumped out.

He fought the demons with tooth and claw until they were all slain. The village was finally safe again. Having accomplished his mission, he gave out a long, proud howl of victory.

Sadly, before Shippei could return home to Kozen-ji, he passed away from his grave wounds. In honor of their hero, Iwata made a shrine in Shippei's honor. It is the only shrine in all of Japan dedicated to Shippei. His grave, however, can be visited at Kozen-ji Temple in Nagano.

If you're ever in Iwata, stop by and take a stroll through Reiken Shrine. The park is massive and even has a beautiful pond. While you're there, you can pray for any pets that you have. You can also buy a few things with Shippei's character on it.

What's your favorite folktale? I'd love to hear about!

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