Emma-o, in Japanese Buddhism, the ruler and judge of the dead.
Emma-o ruled the underground hell of Jigoku; there he was surrounded by eighteen generals and thousands of warriors, as well as demons and horse-headed guards. The underworld was divided into eight fiery and eight icy hells. It was believed that death begins as a journey through a desert plain and mountains, and at the entrance to the other world there flows a river that can be crossed in three places. The ford was intended for those who had committed minor sins, the bridge was for good people, and hardened sinners had to overcome a stream infested with monsters. A terrible old woman was waiting for them on the other bank. She exposed the deceased, and in this form they appeared before Emma-o, who saw all their earthly affairs in a magic mirror and judged (only men) according to what he saw. The women were judged by his sister.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru