Volume 24

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Chapters Originally Published in:
	Shonen Sunday 2001 Vol. 38 - 47

Chapter 229: 首塚の鬼
Kubizuka no oni
(The Ogre of the Burial Ground)
At the castle Inuyasha prepares to attack the giant Oni's head again, when Miroku stops him and uses his sutras instead. The head disappears and Miroku points out that it was only an illusion. Inside everyone sits trying to figure out what to do next. Miroku and Inuyasha spy on the lord of the castle who seems to be possessed, but Miroku thinks the evil is coming from somewhere else. The lady of the castle takes Miroku off alone, which upsets Sango, and shows him where the oni's head was buried. Inside the pit there are the bones of many Buddhist priests. The woman tells Miroku that the oni likes eating priests with strong spiritual powers and she intends to do the same with him. She transforms into an oni, but Miroku can no longer move. Upstairs the lord of the castle has transformed as well, and Inuyasha prepares to strike him down.

Chapter Details

	Published In: Shonen Sunday 2001 Vol. 38 Inuyasha Tankobon Vol. 24 ch. 1 Inuyasha Wideban Vol. 13 ch. 6
	Publication Date: August 22, 2001
	Pages: 18 (black and white)
	Anime Adaptation: Episode 85: The Evil Within Demon's Head Castle
Notes: The title "The Ogre of the Burial Ground" is an accurate one, but the term "kubizuka" (首塚) refers specifically to burial grounds for severed heads. The term "kubizuka" literally means "neck mound". There are also "nose mounds" (鼻塚/hanazuka) that were primarily created for the body parts of the Korean and Chinese dead that were killed during the Japanese incursion of the mainland in the 1590s. Heads were the typical trophies of samurai, but when they traveled abroad to the continent it was impractical to carry multiple heads back to Japan and so noses were the preferred trophy. When Miroku throws his paper talismen at the ogre head he says "Horiki" (法力) in Japanese. This literally means "the power of Buddhism". The lady of the castle is referred to as "princess" (姫/hime). It should be noted this term would be more akin to "lady" or any generic term for female nobility in a Western sense. It should be noted that "princess" when written this way does not mean this is the daughter of the emperor. The elderly exorcist is simply referred to as "exorcism person" (お祓い屋/oharaiya). When Sango and Kagome discuss feeling the negative energy of the oni's head the exorcist says she feels no such thing much to their chagrin. They are referring to "jaki" (邪気). As noted in earlier chapters there are two differing terms in Japanese that when rendered in English are often translated as "miasma". 瘴気 (shouki) - miasma; noxious form of "bad air" formerly believed to cause diseases 邪気 (jaki) - (1) malice; ill will; (2) bad air; noxious vapor; miasma The exorcist in Inuyasha gives Miroku a small packet that she explains is a mixture of "ash and salt" (灰塩/haijio). This is more or less the same concept as the "sacred ashes" (聖灰/seihai) used by Tsubasa Jumonji in Takahashi's subsequent series Kyokai no RINNE. However it is important to note that the term "seihai" is primarily used to refer to the ash used to draw the sign of the cross on someone's forehead during Lent. Table of Contents Q: What do you find most appealing about the opposite sex? A: Collarbone and arms.

Chapter 230: 依り代の姫
Yorishiro no hime
(The Princess Vessel)
Inuyasha tries to attack, but the oni is using a girl as a human shield. He bursts through the roof and Inuyasha follows. Kagome and Shippo care for the wounded while the old exorsist and Sango go in search of the lady of the castle and Miroku to ensure they are safe. When they arrive at the tomb of the oni beneath the castle they see that the woman has transformed into an oni as well. Sango is paralyzed and cannot move, and just as the oni is about to eat Miroku, the old exorcist runs in and helps Miroku get free. It turns out she actually does have some spiritual powers after all and was unaffected by the oni's paralysis. The head of the oni flies off and leaves. Meanwhile Inuyasha continues his battle on the roof when suddenly the oni's form seems to go wavy. He realizes it must be an illusion meant to distract him. Inside Kagome and Shippo find the body of the princess in the room where the castle lord had kept himself locked away. Suddenly behind them the oni woman's head appears.

Chapter Details

	Published In: Shonen Sunday 2001 Vol. 39 Inuyasha Tankobon Vol. 24 ch. 2 Inuyasha Wideban Vol. 13 ch. 7
	Publication Date: August 29, 2001
	Pages: 18 (black and white)
	Anime Adaptation: Episode 86: Secret of the Possessed Princess
Notes: The "vessel" of the title is "yorishiro" (依り代). Yorishiro are objects capable of attracting spirits. It is a Shinto term that is often used to refer to trees, rocks or even animals that are believed to house a spirit. In the case of this story it is the princess that is the vessel for the oni. Sacred ropes called "shimenawa" (注連縄) are often tied around objects such as trees that are designated as yorishiro. Table of Contents Q: Tell us, who would you like to get a wake up call from? A: Leo Morimoto. Webmasters' Note: He is the narrator of Thomas and Friends. Pinpoint Question Q: What is the origin of Kagome's name? A: Since it's a fairy tale, I took it from a children's song, but could there be a connection? Webmasters' Note: This is a bonus question that only one author answers.

Chapter 231: 巨大な邪気
Kyodai na jaki
(A Greater Aura)
The oni's head comes into the room with the corpse of the lady of the castle who'se form she stole. It starts to suck the souls of the 99 previous monks it had killed out of the corpse where they had been stored. It needed to eat a 100th priest, Miroku, to fully restore it's body, but it soon notices Kagome's Shikon fragments are realizes she would be a much better feast. Inuyasha knocks out the other oni who soon reverts back into the head of the castle and then dissolves. Inuyasha makes a quick save of Kagome and slices the oni's face. Miroku and Sango arrive and ask why something so powerful had been in hiding for so long. The oni explains that if it had previously come out a greater evil known as Naraku would have absorbed her, but now that he has disappeared she no longer has to worry. She breaks through the roof and flies away, but Miroku quickly unleashes his wind tunnel and sucks the creature in. The old exorcist woman says he goodbyes realizing that with Naraku gone more demons will begin coming out of the woodwork and make for good business for her.

Chapter Details

	Published In: Shonen Sunday 2001 Vol. 40 Inuyasha Tankobon Vol. 24 ch. 3 Inuyasha Wideban Vol. 13 ch. 8
	Publication Date: September 5, 2001
	Pages: 18 (black and white)
	Anime Adaptation: Episode 86: Secret of the Possessed Princess
Notes: The oni's head laughs in this chapter. Evil manga characters,including the oni's head (and Naraku among others) laugh "kukuku" (くくく) which is an "evil laugh". Table of Contents Q: What do you do when you want to escape? A: I go to sleep.

Chapter 232: 猿神さま
Sarugami-sama
(The Venerable Monkey God)
The group is traveling through a village when the notice the fields are in ruins. Suddenly the villagers rush Inuyasha assuming he is some sort of Dog God and beg him to help them with their monkey problem. Apparently monkeys have raided their fields and they will go hungry if this keeps up. Miroku agrees to help them, so he lets Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo deal with it while he and Sango search the area for Naraku. Inuyasha goes exploring when suddenly a giant cyclops gorilla jumps out of the bushes. Inuyasha punches it and it transforms into three tiny monkeys. The monkeys hand Inuyasha a stone and then run off. Soon the stone grows huge and is like a massive weight attached to Inuyasha's hand. Kagome pursues them and asks them why they are destroying the villagers fields. They explain that they are guardians of a Shinto temple and that the object within with their master's spirit resided was taken. They believed it was buried in one of the villagers fields. Inuyasha finally arrives dragging the huge boulder behind him. The monkey children tell him that only their master can remove the spell since they have forgotten how to remove it; so together they set out in search of the their lost master.

Chapter Details

	Published In: Shonen Sunday 2001 Vol. 41 Inuyasha Tankobon Vol. 24 ch. 4 Inuyasha Wideban Vol. 13 ch. 9
	Publication Date: September 12, 2001
	Pages: 18 (black and white)
	Anime Adaptation: Episode 88: The Three Sprites of the Monkey God
Notes: The villagers beg Inuyasha for help calling him "Inugami-sama" (猿神さま) or "Venerable Dog God". In Japan monkeys and dogs are considered enemies. That is why Naraku's baboon pelt is a subtle nod to this historical dog/monkey antagonism. Naturally the villagers would assume a monkey problem could be handled by a dog. There is an idiom in Japanese "犬猿の仲" (kenen no naka). It literally means "the relationship of dogs and monkeys" which is to say a "bad relationship". This has the same meaning as the English phrase "to get along like cats and dogs". The stone that the monkey children hand Inuyasha is a "yorishiro" (依り代). Yorishiro are objects capable of attracting spirits. It is a Shinto term that is often used to refer to trees, rocks or even animals that are believed to house a spirit. Sacred ropes called "shimenawa" (注連縄) are often tied around objects such as trees that are designated as yorishiro. The building that Kagome finds the monkeys in is a "hokora" (ほこら), a small shrine. Sometimes these can be so small a person could not fit inside, other times they are slightly larger such as the one shown here. Table of Contents Q: What makes you realize that you've come a long way? A: When I realize the editor-in-chief is younger than me.

Chapter 233: ご神体の行方
Go-shintai no yukue
(The Holy Object)
Everyone returns to the village, but the local residents say that they do know know anything about the vessel the monkey god might be living in, and they certainly did not take it. They look all around the village, under the houses, and everywhere in between but they cannot find anything that matches the description of the dark place the monkeys told them about. Miroku and Sango return after having found nothing and are surprised to see the prediciment Inuyasha has gotten himself into. Miroku says he can use his spiritual powers to help them find the god, but wants to wait until tomorrow so that he can secure a place to stay for the night. Some of the villagers bring out vegetables to feed everyone and Kagome notices a glow coming from them. The monkeys say that is their god's aura and then Kagome says she knows where he is. They go into a shed and find the stone used to hold the lid down on a vegtable pickling vat. The stone is actually the object in which the monkey god resided. Having been found the god appears and thanks everyone for finally tracking him down. As it turns out when the temple caught fire the little monkeys brought his stone to safety, and then forgot where they left it. A villager found it and thought it would be a good weight for his vats. The god tells them that recently a great evil passed over the skies of the area heading northeast.

Chapter Details

	Published In: Shonen Sunday 2001 Vol. 42 Inuyasha Tankobon Vol. 24 ch. 5 Inuyasha Wideban Vol. 13 ch. 10
	Publication Date: September 19, 2001
	Pages: 18 (black and white)
	Anime Adaptation: Episode 88: The Three Sprites of the Monkey God
Notes: The vessel for the monkey god, a "goshintai" (ご神体) is a Shinto concept. This is a vessel in which a spirit (神/kami) resides. Mentioned previously in this volume were references to "yorishiro" (依り代) which is a similar Shinto concept. The difference is a yorishiro is an object that a kami can potentially reside in, but once the kami is perceived as living inside the yorishiro it becomes a goshintai. The villagers mistook the "goshintai" (ご神体) for a "tsukemonoishi" (漬物石) which is a weight stone used to hold the lid down on a pickling vat. The monkey god describes the direction that Naraku traveled in was "ushitora" (丑寅). Literally this means "ox" and "tiger", but is the archaic term for "northeast". In both China and Japan they once used animal terms for directions. These were: Rat (North) Ox (North-Northeast) Tiger (East-Northeast) Rabbit (East) Dragon (East-Southeast) Snake (South-Southeast) Horse (South) Goat (South-Southwest) Monkey (West-Southwest) Rooster (West) Dog (West-Northwest) Pig (North-Northwest) Table of Contents Q: What would you like to pick up on the street? A: Luck.

Chapter 234: 亡霊
Borei
(The Ghost)
An old three-tailed wolf runs through the woods pursued by demons. They catch him and are more than the old creature can fight off. Suddenly Koga jumps in and saves the elderly beast. The wolf tells him he was fleeing his territory because of a giant creature, neither demon nor human, had been rampaging and killing in his area. Koga decides to go and investigate assuming it may have something to do with Naraku. Two priests come across the creature in question and flee in terror. The monsterous creature is known as Kyokotsu, and Kohaku is with him. He tells Kyokotsu that the ones with the Shikon shards are nearby. Kyokotsu sees that Kohaku has shards as well and tries to rip them from him, but gets his hand cut off for his troubles. He simply reattaches it when Koga arrives. Kyokotsu says he will take the shards along with Koga's life.

Chapter Details

	Published In: Shonen Sunday 2001 Vol. 43 Inuyasha Tankobon Vol. 24 ch. 6 Inuyasha Wideban Vol. 13 ch. 11
	Publication Date: September 26, 2001
	Pages: 18 (black and white)
	Anime Adaptation: Episode 102: Assault on the Wolf-Demon Tribe
Notes: The old wolf says the creature that was pursuing him is a "borei" (亡霊), a ghost. The implication is that the old wolf realized that Kyokotsu was someone who had died but had returned. The wolf goes on to say Kyokotsu is not a "demon" (妖怪/yokai) or a "human" (人間/ningen) but a "corpse"　死人 due to the scent of "grave soil"　(墓土/hakatsuchi). The old monk and his pupil are unnamed in the manga and anime both. However the original cast list at the YTV website credited the voice actors and included the names "Kaido" (開道) meaning "open road" and his young pupil (who had a much more cartoonish character design that was far different than his manga appearance) as "Shochin" (唱沈). His name means "chant" and "subside" and like Kaido his name was not included in the manga or anime but on the YTV website. Kyokotsu makes his debut in this chapter. His name (凶骨) means "bad luck/disaster" and "skeleton/bone". All of the Band of Seven have the character "骨" (kotsu/bone) in their names. Kohaku speaks very politely to Kyokotsu, going so far as to refer to him as "Kyokotsu-sama" (Lord Kyokotsu). Table of Contents Q: If a robber broke into your house, what would you try to protect other than your life? A: The purpose of robbery is money. Money doesn't matter.

Chapter 235: 凶骨
Kyokotsu
(Kyokotsu)
Kyokotsu says that by eating demons he has been building up his massive body. He says that Koga is next on the menu. He admits that he is a human who has come back from the grave thanks to a Shikon shard. He makes the unfortunate mistake of gesturing towards his forhead when saying this so Koga knows exactly where his shard is located. Their battle begins and Koga is able to twist his head 180 degrees with his amazing strength, but Kyokotsu mearly twists his neck back around and prepares to devour Koga who he has caught in his clutches. Just as he is about Koga rams his hand into Kyokotsu's forehead and rips out the shard, returning Kyokotsu to a pile of bones. Koga is pinned beneath the bones and trying to reach the shard, but Naraku's wasps come swoop in and carry it off. The wasps carry news to Kohaku of Kyokotsu's death. He informs one of Kyokotsu's teammates, Jakotsu, of his death. Jakotsu wants Kohaku to tell him about his prey Inuyasha, and how beautiful he is.

Chapter Details

	Published In: Shonen Sunday 2001 Vol. 44 Inuyasha Tankobon Vol. 24 ch. 7 Inuyasha Wideban Vol. 13 ch. 12
	Publication Date: October 3, 2001
	Pages: 18 (black and white)
	Anime Adaptation: Episode 102: Assault on the Wolf-Demon Tribe
Notes: Takahashi's fourth editor on Inuyasha, Masanao Murakami, listed this chapter as his favorite chapter. Kyokotsu refers to himself as "Kyokotsu-sama" (Lord Kyokotsu). Jakotsu (蛇骨) makes his debut in this chapter. His name is written with the kanji for "snake" and "skeleton/bone". All of the Band of Seven have the character "骨" (kotsu/bone) in their names. The "snake" is a reference to the way his sword works. Table of Contents Q: What main character from a movie would you like to play? A: I don't know.

Chapter 236: 七人隊
Shichinintai
(The Band of Seven)
Kagome, Inuyasha, and the others pass through a village and see a lot of commotion going on. Apparently a group of men were murdered and there are rumors that a zombie has been roaming the area. The villagers seem to believe it stems from a disturbance to the grave of the The Band of Seven, a seven member mercenary squad that was slain in the area. Meanwhile a group of horsemen come across Jakotsu wandering down a rural road. They tell him to move aside, and he slices their heads off with lightning speed. Inuyasha detects the scent of blood and everyone rushes to the scene of the battle. They find Jakotsu surrounded by dozens of bodies. Jakotsu quickly guesses that this is Inuyasha and seems excited to see how cute he is.

Chapter Details

	Published In: Shonen Sunday 2001 Vol. 45 Inuyasha Tankobon Vol. 24 ch. 8 Inuyasha Wideban Vol. 13 ch. 13
	Publication Date: October 10, 2001
	Pages: 18 (black and white)
	Anime Adaptation: Episode 103: The Band of Seven, Ressurected!
Notes: This issue of Shonen Sunday features a multi-page announcement and first look at the Inuyasha movie Affections Touching Across Time (Toki wo Koeru Omoi/ 映画犬夜叉 時代を越える想い). Additionally the magazine has an article about the Inuyasha card game. The Band of Seven is known as the "Shichinintai" (七人隊) in Japanese. The name of the group obviously conjures allusions to the 19X0 film Seven Samurai (七人の侍/Shichinin no Samurai) which was set during the Sengoku period, as is Inuyasha. Each member of the Band of Seven have the "-kotsu" (骨) ending to their name, meaning "bone", a reference to their status as having been revived from the dead. As Inuyasha and Miroku interrogate the villagers about the Band of Seven and their gave, the villagers explain that the mercenaries originally came from "the eastern provinces" (東国/Togoku). Typically this refers to the Kanto provinces. This clue becomes important in chapter 247. In the flashback showing how the Band of Seven were killed we see a military leader directing his troops with a fan. This war fan is called a "tessen" (鉄扇). The particular type depicted is called a "gunbai" (軍配). These were used to issue orders during military campaigns. In front of the grave for the Band of Seven are two small bamboo vases contained a plant. The plant is cleyera japonica also known as "sakaki" (榊). These are often used in Shinto ceremonies. The soliders tell Jakotsu to move out of the road. Samurai followed the "right to strike" (斬捨御免/kiri sute gomen). If someone of a lesser rank caused offense to a samurai they were subject to being struck by the samurai. The term literally means "cut and leave (the body). The samurai was expected to report the incident to the nearest government official and remain indoors for the next 20 days as penance. Table of Contents Pinpoint Question: Which yokai do you think is the scariest? A: The wife's ghost that appears in the Kibitsu no Kama story in Ugetsu Monogatari. Afterall, the scariest thing is being human.

Chapter 237: 蛇骨
Jakotsu
(Jakotsu)
Jakotsu continues to make passes at Inuyasha and Miroku while they try to find out if he is one of the Band of Seven who has been resurrected. Just as Miroku is about to suck him into his Wind Tunnel, Kagome notices he has a Shikon shard. Inuyasha gets fed up with Jakotsu's flirting and when he removes Tessaiga, Jakotsu unsheathes his blade, Jakotsuto. The blade seems able to stretch over long distances and bend, but when Inuyasha blocks the attack it's true nature is reavealed. It is a sword with one blade attached to another, and so on, allowing it to retract and extend long distances. Sango tries to step in to help, but that makes Jakotsu fly into a rage and cut her arm. As they battle a masked man watches from a nearby ridge.

Chapter Details

	Published In: Shonen Sunday 2001 Vol. 46 Inuyasha Tankobon Vol. 24 ch. 9 Inuyasha Wideban Vol. 13 ch. 14
	Publication Date: October 17, 2001
	Pages:18 (black and white)
	Anime Adaptation: Episode 103: The Band of Seven, Ressurected!
Notes: We have discussed the stylized laughter of various characters. Jakotsu gives a へへへ (hehehe) rather than Naraku's くくく (kukuku). Inuyasha calls Jakotsu a "perverse bastard" (変態野郎/hentai yarou). When Jakotsu first uses his sword, Miroku warns the others and say that Jakotsu is carrying a "sword stick" (仕込み刀/shikomi katana). Literally he is saying something akin to a "sword cane", such a something that the famous character Zatoichi uses (he is a blind man who has a hidden sword in his walking stick). In reality Miroku's meaning and a more appropriate translation would be a "trick blade". This is a good example of why literal translations are not always ideal and a good deal of nuance must be used in making an appropriate adaptation for foreign readers. Like Kyokotsu before him, Jakotsu also refers to himself as "Jakotsu-sama" (Lord Jakotsu). Jakotsu's sword is named "Jakotsuto" (蛇骨刀). Litearlly this means "snake bone blade". Kagome even points out that the sword is "like a snake" (まるで蛇/maru de hebi). Mukotsu (霧骨) debuts in this chapter. His name means "mist bone/skeleton". All of the Band of Seven have the character "骨" (kotsu/bone) in their names. The "mist" is a reference to the poison vapor he emits. Mukotsu gives a げへへへ (gehehehe) for his laugh. Table of Contents Q: What would you do if you had been born 100 years earlier? A: I wonder if I would secretly be drawing pictures.

Chapter 238: 毒の煙
Doku no kemuri
(Poison Smoke)
Inuyasha and Jakotsu battle, but soon a cloud of smoke rolls down the hill and begins to dissolve the bodies of the dead soliders. Jakotsu says it must be Mukotsu's doing, as he retreats. Inuyasha and the others fall back as well. Meanwhile Sesshomaru, Rin, and Jaken are making their way through the woods. Sesshomaru has picked up Kohaku's scent and is planning on getting revenge against Naraku for trying to manipulate him by kidnapping Rin. Inuyasha tells the others to stay behind so he can pursue Jakotsu. Jakotsu though has met up with his former colleague and is rather upset that he interrupted his battle with Inuyasha. He tells Jakotsu that Inuyasha has gone in search of him, which excites Jakotsu quite a bit. They agree that Mukotsu will deal with Kagome and the others while Jakotsu can have Inuyasha. Kagome and Shippo go to draw water from a nearby well and find the dead bodies of a few villagers around. They try to escape but the poison in the air makes Kagome collapse. Mukotsu arrives and gets ready to take the paralyzed Kagome off with him to torture. Just then Sango and Miroku arrive. As Shippo goes off to find Inuyasha.

Chapter Details

	Published In: Shonen Sunday 2001 Vol. 47 Inuyasha Tankobon Vol. 24 ch. 10 Inuyasha Wideban Vol. 13 ch. 15
	Publication Date: October 24, 2001
	Pages:18 (black and white)
	Anime Adaptation: Episode 104: The Steathly Poison Master, Mukotsu
Notes: For the sake of consistency because it has been mentioned many times in our notes. The "Poison Smoke" of this chapter's title (毒の煙/doku no kemuri) is quite literally "poison smoke" and not the frequently referenced "miasma" (瘴気/shouki). When Jaken explains to Rin that Sesshomaru is angry about Rin having been kidnapped and has decided to look for Naraku Rin happily asks "for Rin?" (she always refers to herself in first person). The sound effect/onomatopoeia is "jiin" (じーん). This is the "sound" of glowing or being touched emotionally. The building that Inuyasha and the others tend their wounds in after their battle with Jakotsu is a "hokora" (ほこら), a small shrine. Mukotsu explains that torturing and killing women is his hobby, making for a good counterpart to Jakotsu and his taste for men. Kagome is last seen riding her bicycle in this chapter when she is captured by Mukotsu. It seems this is when she is parted from her original bicycle because in Kagome also receives a new bicycle to take back to the past. She was separated from her bicycle when she was kidnapped by Mukotsu in chapter 332. Table of Contents Q: What can you draw with your eyes closed? A: Points.

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