Kanabō, the Oni's Iron Club

The myth

The kanabō is the iron club, or wooden club reinforced with studs and iron plates, used as a weapon in medieval Japan. It became the classic attribute of the oni, who appear in paintings, masks and festivals wielding these enormous clubs. Hence the proverb "oni ni kanabō", "a kanabō for the oni": giving an advantage to someone already strong, making them nearly invincible. Human warriors used such weapons too, especially against riders and armor, but their weight demanded great physical strength.

Why it has this power

A Common equipment that gives a Beast-Warrior or Beast monster +500 ATK and DEF. It is the proverb turned into a card: an oni that already hit hard becomes even stronger. It works well with the Oni, Kappa, Ushi-oni, Tanuki and Raijū, and pushes Shuten-dōji above 3200 attack.

Did you know

At Setsubun, people dressed as oni, with horns and toy kanabō, visit homes and temples to be chased off with beans.

Connections

• In Aiko, Dojo Apprentice's deck
• In Kenji, Kamo River Fisherman's deck
• In Renji, Ronin of the Snowy Roads's deck
• In Master Suzu of Mount Kurama's deck

Where to get it

• Daily Offering: 0% per pack (Common 64% per card)
• Welcome Pack: 0.97% per pack (Common 70% per card)
• Traveler's Pack: 0.88% per pack · 5.2% in the themed pack (Common 64% per card)
• Bronze Reliquary: 0.86% per pack · 5.1% in the themed pack (Common 62% per card)
• Silver Reliquary: 0.67% per pack · 4% in the themed pack (Common 49% per card)
• Golden Reliquary: 0.46% per pack · 2.7% in the themed pack (Common 33% per card)
• Daily Showcase: Shows up on about 0.69% of days · 150 gold
• Craft with card dust: 40 dust
• Crossing of Myths: Can be offered as a reward during a crossing (the card stays in the crossing deck).

Sources

1. Oni — Encyclopedia of Shinto — Kokugakuin University
2. Ghosts in Ancient Japan — World History Encyclopedia — Mark Cartwright