Asakura Family

The Asakura Family(朝倉家, Asakura-ke) is one of two great families in the Shaman King Universe.

About


The Asakura Family is an over one thousand year old family whose fame started with Asakura Hao, a famous Buddhistic monk and a brilliant Shaman mastering many different shamanic arts including that of an Itako and not to mention the basic Shaman Abillities. He eventually went mad and decided to create a shaman only world, using the Great Spirit won in the Shaman Fights. It was then the Asakura Family allied and together killed Hao. However they would eventually learn that he would reincarnate, and has ever since seen it as their duty to kill Hao each time he was reincarnated, even if it meant that they would have to kill a newborn child.

When Hao mastered the five elements in his first life, he, as the head of the family, made the five point unity star the family symbol. However, after he was killed, the family tore apart the star and changed it into the seven star tree, symbolizing their revival after Hao had dishonoured their name.

Also the family appear quite wealthy as they are able to pay for a 3,3 square meter house in Izumo and still rent out an entire house for Asakura Keiko when she lived in Tokyo, and later for Yoh and Anna when they moved there. They have a long line of traditions including that of finding the perfect partner for their children, a person who must be strong in both body and mind, and have an exceptional shamanic abilility such as Kyōyama Anna, a natural Itako from birth.

Past
The history of the Asakura in the story is traced back to the year of 970 with the birth of Asakura Hao who back then during his childhood went under the name of Asaha Douji and nicknamed Mappa Douji.

The fame and wealth of the Asakura Family started when Hao began his training as Onmyōdō that would help people seal onis and other demons. He succesfully trained and mastered both Shaman and Itako arts.

During this time he sealed away Zenki and Kouki that would later become his own guardian ghosts. He also met Matamune, a cat who had survived his mother and eight other siblings and who had the abillity to see spirits. He took in Matamune and saw him as his only friend. These feelings are still there today, even becoming sentemental when he sees Yoh's O.S. Spirit of Sword resembling Matamune's Oni Goroshi O.S.

However during this time Hao was also losing control of his Reishi abillities and created Onis from his own dark thoughts. The greed and dark minds of the wealthy men around him went into his heart forcefully and he eventually, according to Matamune, created an Oni within his heart. Hao began seeing humans as a plague to the world and decided that they would eventually be the course of the world's destruction. He saw it for a world to exist with only Shamans who would be able to save nature. During this time Matamune died and returned as a Goryoushin. He saw how his master had turned mad and revealed to the rest of the family what he could and allied with them. It was then they successfully killed Hao. However, because of Hao's knowledge of the Ritual of Taizan Fukun (泰山府君祭), he could control his own rebirth.

As predicted Asakura Hao was reincarnated five hundred years after his death using the Hao's Ying-Yang jutsu. The mastery of the five elements of nature (fire, metal, wind, earth, water), prevented his permanent death as he could now control the circumstances of his reincarnation. He was able to gain the ability to control his soul using the ritual of Taizan Fukun.

This time he chose to be reincarnated into the Patch Tribe, the people who organized the Shaman Fights, because he believes it would give him a better chance of winning. During this time he also gained one of the five great elemental spirits known as the Spirit of Fire. He starts preaching again, about a Shaman only world and tried to gain followers, including the five Seminoa warriors sent to stop him, who were in turn killed by the massive Spirit of Fire.

However the Asakura Family eventually found out and one of them, Asakura Yohken, left for the Shaman Fights to kill Hao. When Yohken came to the Shaman Fight he was given the help of Matamune and together they eventually defeated and killed Hao. However because he killed a man, Yohken felt sorrow and was eventually sent to hell. Because of his sorrow, he would stay in hell for 500 years still thinking the Shaman Fight had just ended and fighting his way towards freedom.

Shaman Fights
The current generation started during the Second World War with Asakura Yohmei. He eventually married the blind Itako Kino, whose power had been recognized by the Asakura Family. They would have a daughter, Asakura Keiko

When Asakura Keiko grew up she was always shunned by everyone for her ability to see spirits and was even one day dumped by her fiancé because of this. It was then when she was taking a train home that she met Mihikisa Maki, a poor musician who was playing at the trainyard for money and who was living in an apartment with resignation and two of his friends. During this time he saw Keiko was crying about the recent breakup. She asked him to play her a number and told him her situation. During this time Mikihisa fell in love with her, even saying she was his type of girl. She once again requested a song, to which Mikihisa wondered if he knew anything good enough and even questioned why someone would break up with such a beautiful girl. She then told him about her powers and how they had made everyone leave her, and even pointed out a spirit right next to Mikihisa. Mikihisa then revealed that he could see spirits too and it had always brought him problems.

Somehow, Keiko wound up inviting Mikihisa to her rented house in Tokyo. There Mikihisa was surprised to see the size of it and then even more surprised to hear about the size of the family house in Izumo. Keiko continued to invite him inside for coffee brought to her by a friend who lives outside of the country. Mikihisa was smitten and from there began their relationship which in turn resulted in them getting married.

As the Asakura family had no male heir in Keiko’s generation, Mikihisa married into the family, following the Japanese muku no naru tradition and took up the Asakura surname.

Mikihisa also received training from Asakura Yohmei, gaining the abilities of an Ascetic Monk and two mountain spirits of a fox and a tanuki.

When Keiko was found to be pregnant, it was predicted by her father Yohmei that she was to give birth to Asakura Hao who was going to be reincarnated into his original bloodline for more strength. During this time Yohmei used his divinition abilities many times in hopes of seeing a better vision of the future. However the outcome was the same: Hao would be reborn in the child carried by Keiko. Because of the unchangeble future, it was decided that the baby would be killed immediately when it was born.

However things became complicated when Keiko went to a doctor and it was revealed that she was carrying twins. With a heavy heart, Yohmei decided to have both killed just in case. Right after the birth of the baby, Yohmei summoned his small shikigami to attack the baby. However, he hesitated at the last moment as he apologized to his infant grandson and that was enough for Hao to summon the Spirit of Fire and destroy the small leaf spirits. He then tried to kill Yohmei, but Mikihisa took the attack and was badly burned. Hao urged Keiko to lay still as she still carried his important other half within her. He then disappeared with the Spirit of Fire laughing. A little while later Asakura Yoh was born, the twin brother of Hao and the one who had the powers to stop Hao. It was then decided he was to be raised to defeat Hao.

A little while later Mikihisa started hiking, climbing the mountains to forget about the shame of letting Hao go and to become stronger so that he could one day face him.

Funbari No Uta
Six years after the events of Shaman King (2007), Asakura Hana, the son of Asakura Yoh and Asakura Anna journeys with Umemiya Ryunosuke to gather the Five Elemental Warriors. He lives at the Funbari Onsen under the care of Tamamura Tamao whom he thinks is his mother.

Abillities and Powers
Because of their long history, the Asakura Family trained in many shamanic arts, from the most basic shaman abilities to an Itako that can call upon or exorcise spirits. The styles of the Asakura family's shaman include Onmyoudou, which specializes in divinations; Shugendou, a form of asceticism involving a lifestyle requiring the practitioner to develop an extremely powerful body by giving up all but the most necessary functions of life; and Mikos, who can contact divine spirits and warn people of danger.

Shamanic Spells and Techniques

 * Ko-Oni Strike (小鬼ストライク): This is one of the Asakura clan's onmyôji magic. With this magic, an onmyôji can summon shikigami -- familiar spirits -- from leaves or bits of paper to do their bidding. They are most useful, from anything from household chores to assassinations. Yoh never truly mastered Shikigami magic, but displayed the capacity to use it at age 10, under tutelage of his grandfather, Asakura Yohmei. At best, he could only invoke three Shikigami from the leaves. Overall, however, this is a minuscule technique compared to Yoh's more advanced shaman magic.


 * Asakura Shiki Onmyō Jutsu Hyaku Shikigami (Asakura Style Yin and Yang Technique - Hundred Shikigami): Another unique shamanic spell of the Asakura Family, which is also Yohmei's favored technique. It creates countless Shikigami that can surround an opponent and attack them from all directions at once.

Shikigami
Another special ability of the Asakura Family seems to be the ability to capture and control Shikigami and create Goryoushin, a special type of spirit employed by Onmyouji to guard against demons and other spirits that would seek to harm them

Zenki and Goki


 * See More: Zenki and Goki

Zenki and Goki are two red and blue large ogre like-Shikigami demons caught and controlled by Asakura Hao during his first life and sealed within two paper parchments. Later they became the guardians of the seal on the Chō-Senjiryakketsu written by Hao himself and would stay there for over a thousand years.

A thousand years later it was decided that Yoh was to have the book to train. However the seal was broken and the two large ogres were released and started to chase Ponchi and Conchi whom they believed had broken the seal. However Anna quickly learned the related technique of the book and easily captured the two Shikigami with her 1080 rosary beads. However instead of exorcising them or sealing them again, she took control of them and turned them into her guardian spirits.

Family Treasures
Because of their long history of family and various shamanic abilities have the Asakura Family also gathered numerous treasures.

Chō-Senjiryakketsu


 * See More: Chō-Senjiryakketsu

This is the book written by Asakura Hao in his first life and contains the knowledge of all of his techniques and secret arts including purification spells and techniques to read the flow of furyoku. It also tells how to bind even the strongest Shikigamis and even how to control them. The book contains every single piece of Shamanic knowledge gained by Asakura Hao in his first life.

Futunomitama no Turugi


 * See More: Futunomitama no Turugi

The, Futunomitama no Turugi (the Futsunomitama Sword; Antiquity in the English anime) is a red knife shaped rock that has been owned by the Asakura Family ever since the time of Hao. According to Hao, it was once owned by a sword god and even though it's only made of rock it is the perfect medium to create a sword oversoul. That sword which slumbers in a storage room of the Asakura Family, always creates a stir in the world when surfaced since it is a national treasure. It was brought to Yoh during the current Shaman Tournament to help him out as it did Asakura Yohken 500 years ago in the previous tournament.

The 1080 Rosary Beads The 1080 Rosary Beads are a long necklace used by Anna for her strongest abilities. When Yoh defeated the Oh-Oni it left behind a skeleton that Asakura Kino gathered and turned into beads for Anna. Because the beads are made out of the skeleton, it is more powerful than regular beads.

The Rosary Beads are now used by Kyōyama Anna to control Zenki and Kouki amongst others.