9. The Hesitant Blacksmith
When Sato suffered an illness following her miscarriage in the spring of 1864, Izo desperately sought help from various doctors and prayer-specialists. Although there is an account that claims that a fellow carpenter named Nagai told Izo about Oyasama’s growing local reputation as the “living god of safe childbirth,” it is often a “Kisaburo of Tsubao Village” who is given this credit.
Similarly, accounts differ on whether Izo had previously been to Shoyashiki Village. There is an account that claims that Izo had done carpentry jobs there from time to time and because the Kajimotos were the Iburis’ neighbors, Izo must have already heard about Oyasama since Haru Kajimoto was Her daughter. However, the general consensus is that Izo had never heard of Shoyashiki Village prior to Sato’s illness and that the Kajimotos never spoke of Oyasama in front of the Iburis.