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Mythic Texts and Folktales: |
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Divinities |
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Legendary Creatures & Spirits |
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Legendary Figures |
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Mythical & Sacred Locations |
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Sacred Objects |
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Shintō & Buddhism |
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Folklorists |
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Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculture-based folk religion. Japanese folklore is the Folklore of Japan. It is heavily influenced by both Shinto and Buddhism, the two primary religions in the country The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological The, sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. or, is a historical Japanese text Its contents were generally believed to be true until the middle of the Edo period. refers to a group of approximately 350 Japanese prose narratives written primarily in the Muromachi period (1392-1573 Yotsuya Kaidan (四谷怪談 the story of Oiwa and Tamiya Iemon is a tale of betrayal murder and ghostly revenge. Banchō Sarayashiki, （番町皿屋敷） ( The Dish Mansion at Banchō) is a Japanese ghost story of love separated by Social class, and broken trust The legend of is a Japanese Legend about a fisherman who rescues a Turtle and for this is rewarded with a visit to the Palace of the Dragon or is a Japanese collection of over one thousand tales written during the late Heian Period ( 794 - 1185) See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always In Japanese mythology, is a Goddess of both creation and death as well as the former wife of the god Izanagi. is a deity born of the seven divine generations in Japanese mythology and Shintoism, and is also referred to in the roughly translated Kojiki as "male who invites" or is in Japanese mythology a sun goddess and perhaps the most important Shinto. is the Shinto God of the Sea and storms Myths In Japanese mythology, Susanoo the Withering Wind of Summer is the brother of Amaterasu is the goddess of dawn and revelry in the Shinto religion of Japan. is the Japanese Kami of Fertility, Rice, Agriculture, Foxes Industry, and worldly success The, commonly referred to in English as the Seven Lucky Gods, refer to the seven gods of good fortune in Japanese mythology and folklore. This is a list of divinities native to Japanese beliefs and religious traditions A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature (often known as "fabulous creatures" in historical literature A ghost is said to be the apparition of a Deceased person frequently similar in appearance to that person and usually encountered in places she or he frequented are creatures from Japanese folklore, variously translated as Demons Devils Ogres or Trolls They are popular characters in Japanese alternately called or, are Legendary creatures a type of water sprite found in Japanese folklore. are a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. are a class of Obake, creatures in Japanese folklore ranging from the evil oni to the mischievous Kitsune or snow Japanese dragons are diverse Legendary creatures in Japanese mythology and folklore. are figures in Japanese folklore, analogous to Western legends of Ghosts The name consists of two Kanji, 幽 ( yuu) meaning "faint" The following is a list of Yōkai, Obake, Yūrei and other legendary creatures which are notable in Japanese folklore, A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to (921?-1005? was an onmyōji, a leading specialist of Onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan. popularly called Benkei, was a Sohei (warrior monk who served Minamoto no Yoshitsune. is a Folk hero from Japanese folklore. A Child of superhuman strength he was raised by a mountain hag on Mount Ashigara. is a popular Hero from Japanese folklore. His name literally means Peach Tarō; as Tarō is a common Japanese boy's name it is often translated as Tamamo-no-Mae (玉藻の前 is a legendary figure in Japanese mythology. is the mythical king of the Tengu, minor deities who inhabit the Mountains of Forests of Japan. A mythological place (also called "mythical place" is a place that a particular culture describes in their Mythology and Folklore as existent SACRED was a Cubesat built by the Student Satellite Program of the University of Arizona. In Geography, location is a position or point in Physical space that something occupies on Earths' surface is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto city lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures Japan. is the highest Mountain in Japan at.An Active volcano that last erupted in 1707–08 it straddles the boundary of Shizuoka and Izumo (Japanese 出雲国 Izumo-no-kuni) was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane prefecture in In Japanese mythology, Ryūgū-jō (竜宮城/龍宮城 is the undersea palace of Ryūjin, the dragon god of the sea Takama-ga-hara (also Takaamahara Taka-no-amahara Takamanohara Takamagahara (高天原) literally "High Heaven's Plain" but often translated as the "High Plain of Heaven" Yomi (黄泉 the Japanese word for the underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits according to Shinto mythology as related in Kojiki Diyu ( literally "earth prison" is the realm of the dead or " Hell " in Chinese mythology. The following is a list of sacred objects in Japanese mythology. is the name given to the naginata in Japanese mythology used to raise the primordial land-mass Onōgoro-shima, from the sea is a legendary Japanese Sword as important to Japan's history as Excalibur is to Britain's, and is one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan The is one of three legendary Japanese spears created by the famed swordsmith Masazane said to be wielded by the Daimyo Honda Tadakatsu. The, also known as the Three Sacred Treasures, consist of the Sword, Kusanagi (草薙劍 the jewel or necklace of jewels is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. The history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods namely the Nara period (up to 784 the Heian period (794–1185 and the post-Heian period For the spanish municipality see Obón. or just is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased Spirits In Japan, Setsubun (ja 節分 is the day before the beginning of each Season. are small wooden Plaques on which Shinto worshipers write their prayers or wishes A is a traditional Japanese Gate commonly found at the entry to a Shinto shrine, although it can be found at Buddhist temples as well A Shinto shrine is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine" a Shinto Kami, and is usually characterized by the presence of a (also called Buddhist temples in Japan are varied yet there are certain generalizations that can be made and general rules or guidelines that are followed Folkloristics is the formal academic study of Folklore. What actually constitutes folklore is disputed even within the discipline but generally folklore focuses on the is a scholar who is often known as "the father of Japanese native Ethnology. was a Japanese folklorist. He was influenced by Yanagita Kunio but often came to different conclusions regarding the same Folktales. Patrick Lafcadio Hearn ( June 27, 1850 - September 26, 1904) also known as after gaining Japanese citizenship was an author best known born March 8, 1922 in Sakaiminato Tottori, is a Japanese manga author, most known for his Shōnen Japanese horror manga founder of Toyo University, was a Japanese educator, philosopher and Buddhist. is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Folk religion consists of Beliefs Superstitions and Rituals transmitted from generation to generation in a specific Culture. The Shinto pantheon alone consists of an uncountable number of kami (Japanese for "gods" or "spirits"). A pantheon (from Greek Πάνθειον - pantheion, literally "a temple of all gods " neut is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always The English word " spirit " comes from the Latin " spiritus " (breath This article will discuss only the typical elements present in Occidental mythology such as cosmogony, important deities and the most well-known Japanese stories. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" This article discusses scientific theories of creation (cosmogony
Mainstream Japanese myths, as generally recognized today, are based on the Kojiki, Nihonshoki and some complementary books. The, sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. The Kojiki or "Record of Ancient Things" is the oldest recognized book of myths, legends, and history of Japan. The Shintoshu explains origins of Japanese deities from a Buddhist perspective while the Hotsuma Tsutae records a substantially different version of mythology. is a Japanese mythological book dating from the 14th century It contains Shinto myths and legends from a Buddhist perspective Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The Hotsuma Tsutae (also Hotuma Tsutaye or Hotuma Tsutahe, Japanese秀真伝 is an elaborate epic of Japanese mythical history whose description is substantially
One notable result of Japanese mythology is that it explains the origin of the Imperial family, and assigned them godhood. The of Japan is the country's Monarch. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. The Japanese word for the Emperor of Japan, tennō (天皇), means "heavenly emperor". An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of
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Spelling of proper nouns
Many deities appear in Japanese mythology, and many of them have multiple aliases. Furthermore, some of their names are comparatively long. This article therefore lists only the most prominent names, and gives them in one of their abbreviated forms, other abbreviated forms are also in use.
(For instance, Ninigi, or Ame-Nigishikuni-Nigishiamatsuhiko-Hikono-no-Ninigi-no-Mikoto in full, may also be abbreviated as Hikoho-no-Ninigi or Hono-Ninigi. )
In some parts of this article, proper names are written in a historical manner. In this article, underlined h, y, and w denote silent letters; they are omitted from modern spelling. Other syllables are modernized as follows (see also Japanese romanization systems). is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities In Linguistics, romanization (or latinization, also spelled romanisation or latinisation) is the representation of a Word or Note that some blend of these conventions is also often used.
- hu is modernized as fu.
- zi and di are modernized as ji. (distinction disappeared)
- oo is modernized as o or oh.
- For instance, various spellings of Ohonamuji include Oonamuji, Ohnamuji, and others.
k, s, t, and h can be changed to,g, z, d, and b or p by adding either two small lines or a tiny circle above these Japanese characters.
Japanese Characters:
| "S" | "T" | "K" | "H" |
|---|---|---|---|
| sa | ta | ka | ha |
| shi | chi | ki | hi |
| su | tsu | ku | hu/fu |
| se | te | ke | he |
| so | to | ko | ho |
The first gods summoned two divine beings into existence, the male Izanagi and the female Izanami, and charged them with creating the first land. is a deity born of the seven divine generations in Japanese mythology and Shintoism, and is also referred to in the roughly translated Kojiki as "male who invites" In Japanese mythology, is a Goddess of both creation and death as well as the former wife of the god Izanagi. To help them do this, Izanagi and Izanami were given a halberd (naginata) decorated with jewels, named Amanonuhoko (Heavenly Jeweled Halberd). Naginata (なぎなた 薙刀 is a Pole weapon that was traditionally used in Japan by members of the Samurai class The two deities then went to the bridge between heaven and earth, Amenoukihashi (Floating Bridge of Heaven) and churned the sea below with the halberd. When drops of salty water fell from the halberd, they formed into the island Onogoro (self-forming). They descended from the bridge of heaven and made their home on the island. Eventually they wished to mate, so they built a pillar called Amenomihashira around which they built a palace called Yahirodono (the hall whose area is 8 arms' length squared). Izanagi and Izanami circled the pillar in opposite directions, and when they met on the other side Izanami, the female deity, spoke first in greeting. Izanagi didn't think that this was proper, but they mated anyway. They had two children, Hiruko (leech child) and Awashima (pale island) but they were badly-formed and are not considered gods. Ebisu (恵比須 恵比寿 夷 戎, also transliterated Yebisu or called Hiruko (蛭子 or Kotoshiro-nushi-no-kami (事代主神 is the
They put the children into a boat and set them out to sea, and then petitioned the other gods for an answer as to what they had done wrong. They were told that the male deity should have spoken first in greeting during the ceremony. So Izanagi and Izanami went around the pillar again, and this time when they met Izanagi spoke first and their union was successful.
From their union were born the Ōyashima, or the eight great islands of Japan:
- Note that Hokkaidō, Chishima, and Okinawa were not part of Japan in ancient times. is an Island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea between the islands of Honshū and Shikoku is the smallest (225 km long and between 50 and 150 km wide and least populous (4141955 as of 2005 of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū are a group of islands in the southwestern part of the Sea of Japan and belong to Japan. or Kyushu is the third-largest Island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Iki Island (壱岐島 is an island lying between the island of Kyūshū and the Tsushima islands in the Tsushima Strait, the eastern channel of the Tsushima (対馬 Tsushima) are islands of the Japanese Archipelago situated in the middle of Korea Strait at 34°25'N and 129°20'E is a city located on Sado Island (佐渡島 or 佐渡ヶ島 both Sadogashima) in the Chūbu region of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. or Honshu is the largest Island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan 's The Kuril Islands (ˈkʊrɪl or /ˈkjuˈriˈl/ Кури́льские острова́ əstrʌˈva ru-Latn ''Kuril'skie ostrova'' or Kurile Islands in Russia is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū
They bore six more islands and many deities. Izanami, however, died giving birth to the child Kagututi (incarnation of fire) or Homusubi (causer of fire). She was then buried on Mt. Hiba, at the border of the old provinces of Izumo and Hoki, near modern-day Yasugi of Shimane Prefecture. Before the modern prefecture system was established the land of Japan was divided into tens of kuni (国 countries) usually known in Izumo (Japanese 出雲国 Izumo-no-kuni) was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane prefecture in Hoki (伯耆国 Hōki-no kuni was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the western part of Tottori prefecture. is a city located in Shimane, Japan. As of 2008, the city has an estimated Population of 43903 and a density of 363 WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū In anger, Izanagi killed Kagututi. His death also created dozens of deities.
The gods borne from Izanagi and Izanami are symbolic of important aspects of nature and culture, but they are too many to mention here.
Yomi, The Shadowy Land of The Dead
Izanagi lamented the death of Izanami and undertook a journey to Yomi or "the shadowy land of the dead. Yomi (黄泉 the Japanese word for the underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits according to Shinto mythology as related in Kojiki " Izanagi found little difference between Yomi and the land above, except for the eternal darkness. However, this suffocating darkness was enough to make him ache for the light and life above. Quickly, he searched for Izanami and found her. At first, Izanagi could not see her at all for the shadows hid her appearance well. Nevertheless, he asked her to return with him. Izanami spat out at him, informing Izanagi that he was too late. She had already eaten the food of the underworld and was now one with the land of the dead. She could no longer return to the surface with the living.
Izanagi was shocked at this news but he refused to give in to her wishes of being left to the dark embrace of Yomi. Izanami agreed to go back to the world above but first requested to have some time to rest and instructed Izanagi not to come into her bedroom. After a long wait, Izanami did not come out of her bedroom and Izanagi was worried. While Izanami was sleeping, he took the comb that bound his long hair and set it alight as a torch. Under the sudden burst of light, he saw the horrid form of the once beautiful and graceful Izanami. She was now a rotting form of flesh with maggots and foul creatures running over her ravaged body.
Crying out loud, Izanagi could no longer control his fear and started to run, intending to return to the living and abandon his death-ridden wife. Izanami woke up shrieking and indignant and chased after him. Wild shikome or foul women also hunted for the frightened Izanagi, instructed by Izanami to bring him back.
Izanagi, thinking quickly, hurled down his headdress which became a bunch of black grapes. The shikome fell on these but continued pursuit. Next, Izanagi threw down his comb which became a clump of bamboo shoots. Now it was Yomi's creatures that began to give chase, but Izanagi urinated against a tree, creating a great river that increased his lead. Unfortunately, they still pursued Izanagi, forcing him to hurl peaches at them. The peach ( Prunus persica) is a species of Prunus native to China that bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach He knew this would not delay them for long, but he was nearly free, for the boundary of Yomi was now close at hand.
Izanagi burst out of the entrance and quickly pushed a boulder in the mouth of the cavern that was the entrance of Yomi. Izanami screamed from behind this impenetrable barricade and told Izanagi that if he left her she would destroy 1,000 living people every day. He furiously replied he would give life to 1,500.
And so began the existence of Death, caused by the hands of the proud Izanami, the abandoned wife of Izanagi.
Sun, Moon and Sea
As could be expected, Izanagi went on to purify himself after recovering from his descent to Yomi. As he undressed and removed the adornments of his body, each item he dropped to the ground formed a deity. Even more gods came into being when he went to the water to wash himself. The most important ones were created once he washed his face:
- Amaterasu (incarnation of the sun) from his left eye,
- Tsukuyomi (incarnation of the moon) from his right eye, and
- Susanoo (incarnation of storms and ruler of the sea) from his nose. or is in Japanese mythology a sun goddess and perhaps the most important Shinto. Tsukuyomi or Tsukiyomi (月読の命 or 月夜見の尊 Tsukuyomi-no-mikoto) also known as Tsukuyomi-no-kami, is the god of the Moon in is the Shinto God of the Sea and storms Myths In Japanese mythology, Susanoo the Withering Wind of Summer is the brother of Amaterasu
Izanagi went on to divide the world between them with Amaterasu inheriting the heavens, Tsukuyomi taking control of the night and moon and the storm god Susanoo owning the seas. In some versions of the myth, Susanoo rules not only the seas but also all elements of a storm, including snow and hail.
Amaterasu and Susanoo
Amaterasu, the powerful sun goddess of Japan, is the most well-known deity of Japanese mythology. Her feuding with her uncontrollable brother Susanoo, however, is equally infamous and appears in several tales. One story tells of Susanoo's wicked behavior toward Izanagi. Izanagi, tired of Susanoo's repeated complaints, banished him to Yomi. Susanoo grudgingly acquiesced, but had to attend to some unfinished business first. He went to Takamanohara (heaven) to bid farewell to his sister, Amaterasu. Amaterasu knew her unpredictable brother did not have any good intentions in mind and prepared for battle. "For what purpose do you come here?" asked Amaterasu. "To say farewell," answered Susanoo.
But she did not believe him and requested a contest for proof of his good faith. A challenge was set as to who could bring forth more noble and divine children. Amaterasu made three women from Susanoo's sword, while Susanoo made five men from Amaterasu's ornament chain. Amaterasu claimed the title to the five men made from her belongings. Therefore, the three women were attributed to Susanoo.
Both gods declared themselves to be victorious. A is a traditional Japanese Gate commonly found at the entry to a Shinto shrine, although it can be found at Buddhist temples as well is a town located in Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Amaterasu's insistence in her claim drove Susanoo to violent campaigns that reached their climax when he hurled a half-flayed pony--an animal sacred to Amaterasu--into Amatarasu's weaving hall, causing the death of one of her attendants. Flaying is the removal of Skin from the Body. Generally an attempt is made to keep the removed portion of skin intact Amaterasu fled and hid in the cave called Iwayado. As the sun goddess disappeared into the cave, darkness covered the world.
All the gods and goddesses in their turn strove to coax Amaterasu out of the cave, but she ignored them all. Finally, the kami of merriment, Ame-no-Uzume, hatched a plan. is the goddess of dawn and revelry in the Shinto religion of Japan. She placed a large bronze mirror on a tree, facing Amaterasu's cave. Then Uzume clothed herself in flowers and leaves, overturned a washtub, and began to dance on it, drumming the tub with her feet. Finally, Uzume shed the leaves and flowers and danced naked. All the male gods roared with laughter, and Amaterasu became curious. When she peeked outside from her long stay in the dark, a ray of light called "dawn" escaped and Amaterasu was dazzled by her own reflection in the mirror. The god Ameno-Tajikarawo pulled her from the cave and it was sealed with a holy shirukume rope. Surrounded by merriment, Amaterasu's depression disappeared and she agreed to return her light to the world. Uzume was from then on known as the kami of dawn as well as mirth.
See also: Missing sun motif
Susanoo and Orochi
Susanoo, exiled from heaven, came to Izumo Province (now part of Shimane Prefecture). "Sun god" redirects here For the Ramsey Lewis album see Sun Goddess (album. Izumo (Japanese 出雲国 Izumo-no-kuni) was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane prefecture in WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū It was not long before he met an old man and his wife sobbing beside their daughter. The old couple explained that they originally had eight daughters who were devoured one-by-one each year by the dragon named Yamata no Orochi ("eight-forked serpent", who was said to originate from Kosi -- now Hokuriku region). is the (subregion along the Sea of Japan within the Chūbu region, the central region of Honshū, the main island The terrible dragon had eight heads and eight tails, stretched over eight hills and was said to have eyes as red as good wine. Kusinada or Kushinada-Hime (rice paddy princess) was the last of the eight daughters.
Susanoo, who knew at once of the old couple's relation to the sun goddess Amaterasu, offered his assistance in return for their beautiful daughter's hand in marriage. The parents accepted and Susanoo transformed Kushinada into a comb and hid her safely in his hair. He also ordered a large fence-like barrier built around the house, eight gates opened in the fence, eight tables placed at each gate, eight casks placed on each table, and the casks filled with eight-times brewed rice wine.
Orochi arrived and found his path blocked and after boasting of his prowess he found that he could not get through the barrier. His keen sense of smell took in the sake - which Orochi loved - and the eight heads had a dilemma. They wanted to drink the delicious sake that called to them, yet the fence stood in their way, blocking any method of reaching it. One head first suggested they simply smash the barrier down. . . but that would knock over and waste the sake making it all for naught. Another proposed they combine their fiery breath and burn the fence into ash. . . but then the sake would evaporate. The heads began searching for an opening and found the hatches and eager for the sake, they were keen to poke their heads through to go and drink it. Yet the eighth head, which was the wisest, warned his brethren of the folly of such a thing and volunteered to go through first to make sure all was well. Susanoo waited for his chance, letting the head drink some sake in safety and report back to the others that there was no danger. All eight heads plunged through a hatch each and greedily drank every last drop of the sake in the casks.
As the heads finished, Susanoo launched his attack on Orochi. Drunken from drinking so much sake, the great serpent was no match for the spry Susanoo who decapitated each head in turn and slew Orochi. A nearby river was said to have turned red with the blood of the defeated serpent. As Susanoo cut the dragon into pieces, he found an excellent sword from a tail of the dragon that his sword had been unable to cut. The sword was later presented to Amaterasu and named Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi (later called Kusanagi). is a legendary Japanese Sword as important to Japan's history as Excalibur is to Britain's, and is one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan This sword was to feature prominently in many other tales.
Prince Ōnamuji
Ōnamuji (also known as Ōkuninushi) was a descendant of Susanoo. He, along with his many brothers, competed for the hand of Princess Yakami of Inaba. While travelling from Izumo to Inaba to court her, the brothers met a skinned rabbit lying on a beach. Izumo (Japanese 出雲国 Izumo-no-kuni) was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane prefecture in Inaba (因幡国 -no kuni was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the eastern part of Tottori prefecture. Seeing this, they told the rabbit to bathe in the sea and dry in the wind at a high mountain. The rabbit believed them and thereby suffered in agony. Ōnamuji, who was lagging behind his brothers, came and saw the rabbit in pain and instructed the rabbit to bathe in fresh water and be covered with powder of the "gama" (cattail) flower. The cured rabbit, who was in reality a deity, informed Ōnamuji it was he who would marry Princess Yakami.
The trials of Ōnamuji were many and he died twice at the hands of his jealous brothers. Each time he would be saved by his mother Kusanda-hime. Pursued by his enemies, he ventured to Susanoo's realm where he would meet the vengeful god's daughter, Suseri-hime. The crafty Susanoo would test Ōnamuji several times but in the end, Susanoo approved of the young boy and foretold his victory against his brothers.
Although the Yamato tradition attributes the creation of the Japanese islands to Izanagi and Izanami, the Izumo tradition claims Ōnamuji, along with a dwarf god called Sukunabiko, would contribute to or at least finish the creation of the islands of Japan.
Installation (19-20)
Amaterasu ordered her grandson Ninigi to rule over the ground. She gave him the Three Sacred Treasures:
- the magatama necklace of Yasakani no magatama (now situated in the imperial palace);
- the bronze mirror of Yata no kagami (now in the Grand Shrine of Ise); and
- the sword Kusanagi (a possible replica of which is now in Atsuta Shrine, Nagoya). Magatama (ja 勾玉 or ja 曲玉) are curved Beads which first appeared in Japan during the Jōmon period. A necklace is an article of Jewellery which is worn around the Neck. Magatama (ja 勾玉 or ja 曲玉) are curved Beads which first appeared in Japan during the Jōmon period. is the imperial main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in Chiyoda Tokyo close to Tokyo Station and contains various buildings Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus A mirror is an object with a surface that has good Specular reflection; that is it is smooth enough to form an Image. is a sacred mirror that is part of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. Ise Shrine ( Ise-jingū 伊勢神宮 is a Shinto shrine dedicated to goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture is a legendary Japanese Sword as important to Japan's history as Excalibur is to Britain's, and is one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan is a 200000 m2 Shinto shrine complex located in Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in Japan. is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan.
The first two were made to lure Amaterasu out of Amano-Iwato. Ame-no-Iwato (ja天岩戸 literally means "The cave of the sun god" of "heavenly rock cave" The last was found in the Orochi, an eight-headed hydra. In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra ( Greek: ( was an ancient nameless serpent -like Chthonic water beast that possessed numerous Of these three, the mirror is the token of Amaterasu. The three together constitute the Imperial Regalia of Japan. The, also known as the Three Sacred Treasures, consist of the Sword, Kusanagi (草薙劍 the jewel or necklace of jewels
Ninigi and his company went down to the earth and came to Himuka, there he founded his palace.
Prosperity and eternity
Ninigi met the Princess Konohana-sakuya (symbol of flowers), the daughter of Yamatumi (master of mountains), and they fell in love. Ninigi asked Yamatumi for his daughter's hand. The father was delighted and offered both of his daughters, Iwanaga (symbol of rocks) and Sakuya (symbol of flowers). But Ninigi married only Sakuya and refused Iwanaga.
"Iwanaga is blessed with eternity and Sakuya with prosperity", Yamatumi said in regret, "by refusing Iwanaga, your life will be brief from now on. " Because of this, Ninigi and his descendants became mortal.
Sakuya conceived by a night and Ninigi doubted her. To prove legitimacy of her children, Sakuya swore by her luck and took a chance; she set fire to her room when she had given birth to her three babies. By this, Ninigi knew her chastity. The names of the children were Hoderi, Hosuseri, and Howori.
Ebb and flow
Hoderi lived by fishing in sea while his brother Hooori lived by hunting in mountains. One day, Hooori asked his brother to swap places for a day. Hooori tried fishing, but he could not get a catch, and what was worse, he lost the fishhook he borrowed from his brother. Hoderi relentlessly accused his brother and did not accept his brother's apology.
While Hooori was sitting on a beach, sorely perplexed, Shihotuti told him to ride on a ship called the Manasikatuma and go wherever the current went. Following this advice, Hooori reached the house of Watatumi (master of seas). There he met Toyotama, Watatumi's daughter, and married with her. After three years of marriage, he remembered his brother and his fishhook, then told Watatumi about it.
Watatumi soon found the fishhook in the throat of a bream and handed it to Hooori. Watatumi also gave him two magical balls, Sihomitutama, which could cause a flood, and Sihohirutama, which could cause an ebb, and sent him off, along with his bride, to land.
As Toyotama was giving birth, she asked Hooori not to look at her delivery. However, Hooori, filled with curiosity, peeped in, and saw her transforming into a shark at the moment his son, Ugaya, was born. Aware of this, Toyotama disappeared into sea and did not return, but she entrusted her sister Tamayori with her yearning for Hooori.
Ugaya married his aunt Tamayori and had five children, including Ituse and Yamatobiko.
Legends (23-)
First Emperor
The first legendary emperor of Japan is Iwarebiko, posthumous alias Emperor Jimmu. also known as Kamuyamato Iwarebiko; given name Wakamikenu no Mikoto or Sano no Mikoto, born according to the legendary account in the Kojiki on He established the throne in 660 BC. His pedigree is summarized as follows.
- Iwarebiko is a son of Ugaya and Tamayori.
- Ugaya is a son of Howori and Toyotama.
- Howori is a son of Ninigi and Sakuya.
- Ninigi is a son of Osihomimi and Akidusi.
- Osihomimi is born from an ornament of Amaterasu.
- Amaterasu is born from the left eye of Izanagi.
- Izanagi is born of his own accord.
Conquest of the east (23-26)
Yamato Takeru (44-48)
originally Prince Ousu (小碓命 おうすのみこと was a Japanese legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Keikō of Yamato, a legendaryDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic