← Japanlore

Topic

Japanese Gods and Spirits

15 articles on this topic.

An armored statue of Bishamonten holding a jeweled pagoda, standing upon a trampled demon

Temples / Buddhas / Tenbu

Who Is Bishamonten?

Armored and lifting a jeweled pagoda, Bishamonten stands as one of the Four Heavenly Kings who guard the Buddhist Law — and as one of the Seven Lucky Gods. A martial protector enshrined at Kurama-dera and Shigi-san.
A weathered stone Jizō statue by a country roadside, wearing a faded red bib and cap, moss at its base

Temples / Buddhas / Bosatsu

Who Is Jizō Bodhisattva?

The small stone figure with a red bib you see at roadsides, on mountain passes, beside cemeteries. Protector of children, guide of the departed — the bodhisattva closest to ordinary Japanese life.
A misty Japanese landscape with many small shrine torii scattered through forests, fields, and water — a sense of countless presences

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

How Many Gods Are There in Japan? — What 'Yaoyorozu' Really Means

Japan is often described as having 'eight million gods.' That number isn't literal. A short introduction to who these gods are, where they live, and how to start meeting them at shrines.
Izanagi and Izanami standing together holding a jeweled spear, looking out toward an island emerging from morning mist

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

Who Are Izanagi and Izanami?

The husband-and-wife pair at the very beginning of Japan's mythology. The Kojiki tells the story of how they made the islands together — and how they were parted by death.
Amaterasu, the sun goddess, peering gently out of a cave entrance toward warm morning light

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

Who Is Amaterasu?

Amaterasu, the sun goddess enshrined at Ise, is one of Japan's central kami. But the Kojiki also describes her as someone who was hurt by her brother and hid in a cave. A look at her personality, and where you can meet her today.
Benzaiten, a graceful goddess playing a biwa, seated near a small red shrine on an island in a still pond

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

Who Is Benzaiten?

The only goddess among the Seven Lucky Gods. Benzaiten holds a biwa and is enshrined near water — a kami of music, eloquence, and water, who came from India and was welcomed into Japan's pantheon.
Ebisu, a cheerful fishing god holding a rod and a sea bream, sitting on coastal rocks at sunset

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

Who Is Ebisu?

Ebisu, one of the Seven Lucky Gods, is known as the cheerful kami of fishing and prosperity, holding a sea bream and a fishing rod. His mythological origin, surprisingly, begins with a child set adrift on the sea.
Hachiman, a calm older god in ceremonial robes, watching quietly from beside a shrine approach lined with old camphor trees

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

Who Is Hachiman?

There are over 40,000 Hachiman shrines across Japan. Hachiman is known as a god of warriors, but is also worshipped as a protector of children and families. A look at the figure behind those familiar gates.
Inari, a gentle androgynous deity holding rice stalks, a white fox messenger seated beside them, rice paddies behind

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

Who Is Inari? — Ukanomitama and the Foxes

The red torii gates and fox statues you see at shrines across Japan belong to Inari. The kami at the center of that worship is Ukanomitama. A short look at the figure behind one of Japan's most familiar shrine scenes.
Konohanasakuya-hime, a young goddess in cherry-blossom robes holding a sakura branch, Mount Fuji in the misty distance

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

Who Is Konohanasakuya-hime?

The goddess enshrined at Mount Fuji. Her name means 'blooming like cherry blossoms,' but the Kojiki tells the story of a goddess who chose to give birth inside a burning hut to prove her honesty.
Ninigi, a young god holding rice stalks, looking out over misty terraced paddies in the Kirishima mountains

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

Who Is Ninigi?

Amaterasu's grandson, who descended from heaven to earth carrying rice. The Kojiki describes him as young, with a young person's mistakes — choices that, in the story, gave human lives their limits.
Ōkuninushi crouching kindly on a quiet beach, a small white hare in the grass at his feet

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

Who Is Ōkuninushi?

Ōkuninushi is enshrined at Izumo and known as the kami of en-musubi — the binding of relationships. The Kojiki shows him as someone who was hurt many times, and never lost his kindness.
Sarutahiko, a tall earth deity with a long staff, standing at a forested crossroads beside an old Dōsojin stone

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

Who Is Sarutahiko?

The earth-side god who guided Ninigi's descent from heaven. Long-nosed and bright-eyed, Sarutahiko is the kami of paths, crossroads, and beginnings — and is loved as a guide, not feared as a strange figure.
Susanoo, a young storm god with long wild hair, standing by a river on the Izumo plains under a clearing sky

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

Who Is Susanoo?

Susanoo, the younger brother of Amaterasu, is the kami who hurt his sister in the heavens — and became a hero on earth, defeating the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi. A look at the range of his personality.
Tsukuyomi, the quiet moon god walking through a moonlit forest near a small torii gate

Shrines / Gods / Kojiki

Who Is Tsukuyomi?

The moon god, brother to Amaterasu and Susanoo. The Kojiki barely tells his story — and that quietness is part of who Tsukuyomi is.