The age of forty-two was considered to be the most critical for a man in traditional Japan, because the number forty-two can be pronounced shi-ni, which is phonetically identical to the term “death” in Japanese. Therefore, Bunji abided by the traditional beliefs associated with his age in order to avert any misfortunes.

However, in June of Bunji’s forty-second year, he collapsed and became bedridden with a serious illness. His illness affected his throat so severely that he was no longer able to speak or drink, causing his doctors to give up hope for his recovery.

Bunji’s relatives and neighbors worried that he would die because he had angered Konjin. They gathered at his house and had Tose’s brother, Jiro, give prayers. Jiro then became possessed by a deity, who declared that Bunji had been irreverent to Konjin while building his house. Since Bunji properly abided by the traditional beliefs of the Days and Directions, he was not irreverent according to the standards of those days.

However, upon hearing Jiro’s words, Bunji prayed and became deeply moved by the words regarding the construction of his house. Just as soon as he realized that the construction must have offended the deity, his throat cleared up enabling him to speak, and he apologized from his bed. With his acknowledgement and acceptance of his faults, the deity revealed that Bunji was to have perished with this illness, but due to his faith and sincerity, it was changed to a lighter throat ailment. The deity also forgave Bunji and promised to have him recover from his illness.

In this way, an interdependent (Aiyo kakeyo) relationship between Kami and people was opened to the world.