Enma and the Ten Kings of Hell

Enma (闻魔), the Indian god Yama, is the king and judge of the dead. In the Chinese belief that reached Japan by the Heian period, every soul appears before ten kings in turn during the long journey after death, and Enma is the most feared of them. His scowling face, Chinese judge's robes and crown are among the most familiar images of the Buddhist underworld.

Japanese 闻魔王, Enma-ō; Enma-sama; the Ten Kings, Jūō
Sanskrit Yama
Rank Deva
Recognise by A ferocious bearded judge in Chinese official robes, with a crown bearing the character for king, holding a tablet
Attendants Two scribes, Shimyō and Shiroku; the hag Datsueba at the river of the dead

The ten courts

The soul passes from court to court on the seventh, fourteenth and later days after death, up to the forty-ninth day, and then on the hundredth day, the first year and the third year. Enma presides on the thirty-fifth day. At his court the soul's deeds are shown in the mirror of karma, jōhari no kagami, and weighed on scales. Each king was paired with a compassionate Buddhist figure, and Enma's counterpart is Jizō; this pairing grew into the Thirteen Buddhas of memorial rites.

The Ten Kings in art

Sets of ten paintings, Jūō-zu, show each king at his desk with scribes and demons, while sinners are punished below. Many fine sets were made in Ningbo in southern China and brought to Japan, and Japanese workshops copied them. Sculpted kings fill the halls of temples such as Ennōji in Kamakura. Paintings of the six realms, rokudō-e, often include Enma's court.

Enma in popular life

Enma's festival days fall in January and July, when servants were traditionally given leave, and temples display hell paintings for visitors. Children were warned that Enma would pull out the tongues of liars, a warning still heard in Japan.

Collecting notes

  • Sculpted Enma figures and sets of the Ten Kings are powerful and theatrical. Look for original polychromy and the tablet in the hand.
  • Painted sets are often dispersed. A single scroll can still be a strong and affordable work.

In the collection

Search the collection for Enma or browse Buddhist paintings. Our collector concierge can search Japan for a Ten Kings set.

See also

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