Atsumano

Adjective: atsumani

Oni Shekichi
"When the last Oni Shekichi crumbles, then the world will die; chewed and swallowed by the demented souls of the bowels of the earth." (Excerpt from The Prophecies of Unmei Yinogen 1602 NE, translated in 2172 NE).

In the far eastern mountains of Atsumon there are warrior-monks, raised and trained to defend the Oni Shekichi, or Demon Gates.

Kosu
Kosu is a traditional form of Atsumani massage. It is tradition for an atsuman to have a kosu on each night that has the same moon as their birth (for example; if you were born on the third day after a full moon, then every third day after a full moon you would have a kosu). A kosu is a 20-30 minute massage which begins with the lighting of incense. The traditional incense is designed to burn out after ~30 minutes, as a timing mechanism. A kosu which ends before the incense is burned out is seen as giving bad luck. It is considered offensive to one's own spirit to be even partially clothed during a kosu. Each kosu usually focuses on a particular part of the body - e.g. neck and shoulders, legs, or arms.

For children, the kosu is mostly performed by a parent at home. For adults a kosu is often performed by close friends, partner, or a professional Kosuhito.

Kosujiru
For boys, their 160th kosu - the first after their 13th birthday - is their Kosujiru. Similarly for girls, their 190th kosu - the fifth after their 15th birthday - is their Kosujiru. This marks the transformation from childhood to adulthood. A Kosujiru is similar to a kosu except that it lasts for upward of 5 hours.

The ceremony begins with a vigorous bath. Kosujiru requires the kosujiri - the one receiving the Kosujiru - to brew several herbal teas and light different incenses throughout. This first kosujiru must be performed by a spiritual leader within the community, usually a priest of sorts.

If the Kosujiru is missed it is considered an ill omen, and the individual is still considered a child. In extreme cases, usually in small villages, the person may even be exiled. It is not uncommon for the succession of nobility to be questioned on the basis of a few-days-late Kosujiru; that the heir is still a child and cannot therefore inherit, as well as the superstition that they will bring bad luck to their House.

Regarding Marriage
Note that only men and women can marry, though same-sex relationships are not looked down upon.

If a man wishes to marry, he must ask his partner's mother - or other ruling female member of the woman's house if the mother is unavailable - to act as Kosuhito in his next kosu, which should be performed as a Kosujiru. Similarly, if a woman wishes to marry she must have the father of her partner - or other ruling male of his house - to act as Kosuhito in her next kosu, also performed as a Kosujiru. Just as the Kosujiru takes someone from childhood to adulthood, it also joins two people in the next stage of their lives.