News has arrived of the publication of a Guide to Benzaiten on Mark Schuhmacher’s website about Japanese religion. It’s a hugely impressive affair with 68 pages and 250 images from around the country, a true labour of love. Congratulations … Read the rest
Green Shinto friend, Paul Carty, has written in with information taken from the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan by Reiko Chiba (Tuttle, 1966). It’s a short book which looks at the origins.
The first recorded mention apparently is 1420 in … Read the rest
The Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin) may be the ultimate in Japan’s syncretic landscape. They pop up anywhere and everywhere, whether Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple. Though the Meiji government tried to sever all forms of syncretism, they failed miserably … Read the rest
In an article today in the Daily Yomiuri, Kevin Short writes of rice paddies and the ta no kami (kami of the rice fields). Surprisingly it was sparked by a chance encounter in a park in Ikebukuro in downtown Tokyo … Read the rest
In older books about Shinto, you often read that the word ‘kami’ derives from the word for ‘upper’ or ‘superior’. It makes good sense if you think of a deity as a superior being. It makes even better sense in … Read the rest
Kibune Jinja is small but special; in Heian times it was designated one of the top 22 shrines. It’s noted for being dedicated to a water kami and is located just above the river. There is water gushing all around … Read the rest
The following is a clear depiction of how the names of kami have evolved over the years. Originally they had no names and were simply referred to by their locale. This was similar to how the nobility were treated, since … Read the rest
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