Like most creation myths, the Shinto Japanese myth also consists of the primordial gods. Painting by Eitaku Kobayashi (Meiji period). To that end, most of the mythical narratives of the Japanese gods and goddesses are derived from the codified books Kojiki (circa 708-714 AD), Nihon Shoki (circa 720 AD), and the 9th-century Kogoshui (that compiled the oral folklores that were missing from the earlier two codified documents). In terms of history, the first of these mythologies were documented in written forms by the early 8th century – thus serving as a standardized (or at least generalized) template of the Shinto pantheon for most of Japan. In essence, Shinto, without any proclaimed founder or prescribed tenets, can be perceived as the evolution of local animalistic beliefs of Yayoi culture (300 BC – 300 AD) that were further influenced by both Buddhism and even Hinduism throughout the course of centuries.Īnd given the nature of these localized folklores (intermixed with the myths of venerated entities of Buddhism and Hinduism), the Japanese gods and goddesses are deities mostly based on the kami – the mythical spirits and supernatural beings of the land. And interestingly enough, much like Hinduism, Shinto, or kami-no-michi (‘the Way of the Gods’) is a polytheistic mode of religion that results from the highly pluralistic culture of Japan throughout history. Sculpture of Uzume.When we talk about the Japanese gods and goddesses, we must understand that much of the mythology and pantheon is derived from the traditional folklores of the Shinto – one of the major religions of Japan. Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto is also known as “The Great Persuader” and The Heavenly Alarming Female.” Uzume is popular for “the tale of the missing sun deity” in which she was able to draw out Amaterasu from hiding and restore light on earth. She is the wife of the god Sarutahiko Ōkami. The Kojiki (“An Account of Ancient Matters”) is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan describing that Fūjin was born of Izanami-no-Mikoto, the goddess of both creation and death.Īme-no-Uzume-no-mikoto – the goddess of dawn, mirth, and revelry. He also carries a large bag of wind on his shoulders. He is portrayed as a brown skinned wizard-like demon wearing a leopard skin. His symbolic animal and messenger is the dove.Ī scroll depicting kami Hachiman dressed as a Buddhist monk.įūjin – the god of wind and one of the oldest Shinto gods. His name means the “God of Eight Banners,” referring to the eight heavenly banners that signaled the birth of the divine Emperor Ōjin. Most samurai worshipped him and he is considered the tutelary god of warriors. He was originally an agricultural deity but later became the guardian of the Minamoto clan. Hachiman – the god of war and the divine protector of Japan and its people. All three sacred items collectively became the Imperial Regalia of Japan. Among those were Ninigi, who received the sacred mirror Yata-no- Kagami, the jewel and Kusanagi-noTsurugi, the sword of Susanoo. According to legend, Amaterasu birthed descendants to whom she bequeathed some of her magical items. Her name means “Great Goddess” or “Great Spirit Who Shines in the Heavens.” Her story can be traced all the way to the oldest known records of Japan’s history, in the Kojiki (680 AD) and the Nihon Shoki (720 AD). Here are just a few of the major deities in Japanese mythology:ĭepiction of Amaterasu emerging from a cave.Īmaterasu-ōmikami – the goddess of the sun, she is believed to be the ancestress of the Imperial Household of Japan. Japanese deities are an important aspect in the culture and history of Japan and its people. These deities are integrated into Japanese mythology and folklore. Many divinities native to Japanese beliefs and religious traditions are from the Shinto religion, while some are from Buddhism or Taoism.
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