EMMA-O¯ King of the dead and their judge. He appears in the robes of a Chinese magistrate, carrying a shaku (a thin, flat board about one foot long that was used by court officials to rest scrolls they were reading on, and became a symbol of rank and authority) and wearing a crown or bonnet on which appears the character “king.” He has a fierce expression with a red face and protruding canine teeth, but like Jizo, with whom he is sometimes identified, he cares for those under his care. He is merciful, and one can also appeal to him for help from disease. Emma- o is a Buddhist figure of Chinese antecedents. Because both he and Susano-wo are rulers of the underworld, they are identified as one and the same.
SOURCE:
Handbook of Japanese Mythology written by Michael Ashkenazi – Copyright © 2003 by Michael Ashkenazi