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| Japanese mythology and folklore |
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| Mythic texts |
| Divinities |
| Legendary creatures and urban legends |
| Mythical and sacred locations |
| Sacred objects |
| Shintō and Buddhism |
The following is a list of sacred objects in Japanese mythology.
| Part of a series on |
| Japanese mythology and folklore |
|---|
| |
| Mythic texts |
| Divinities |
| Legendary creatures and urban legends |
| Mythical and sacred locations |
| Sacred objects |
| Shintō and Buddhism |
The following is a list of sacred objects in Japanese mythology.
In Japanese religion, Yahata formerly in Shinto and later commonly known as Hachiman is the syncretic divinity of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism.
Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi is a legendary Japanese sword and one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan. It was originally called Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, but its name was later changed to the more popular Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. In folklore, the sword represents the virtue of valor.
The Kojiki, also sometimes read as Furukotofumi or Furukotobumi, is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the kami (神), and the Japanese imperial line. It is claimed in its preface to have been composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Genmei in the early 8th century (711–712), and thus is usually considered to be the oldest extant literary work in Japan.
Omikuji (御御籤/御神籤/おみくじ) are random fortunes written on strips of paper at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan. Literally "sacred lot", these are usually received by making a small offering and randomly choosing one from a box, hoping for the resulting fortune to be good. As of 2011, vending machines sometimes dispense omikuji.
The Three Sacred Treasures are the imperial regalia of Japan and consist of the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi (草薙劍), the mirror Yata no Kagami (八咫鏡), and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama (八尺瓊勾玉). They represent the three primary virtues: valour, wisdom, and benevolence. The actual historical status of these legendary treasures is unknown as they are intentionally kept from public view to symbolize authority.
In Shinto and Buddhism in Japan, an ofuda is a talisman made out of various materials such as paper, wood, cloth or metal. Ofuda are commonly found in both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples and are considered to be imbued with the power of the deities or Buddhist figures revered therein. Such amulets are also called gofu (護符).
The Mihashira or Onbashira are four wooden posts or pillars that stand on the four corners of local shrines in the Lake Suwa area of Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The largest and most famous set of onbashira are those that stand on the four shrines that make up the Suwa Grand Shrine complex.
Suwa Grand Shrine, historically also known as Suwa Shrine or Suwa Daimyōjin (諏訪大明神), is a group of Shinto shrines in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The shrine complex is the ichinomiya of former Shinano Province and is considered to be one of the oldest shrines in existence, being implied by the Nihon Shoki to already stand in the late 7th century.
Shide are zigzag-shaped paper streamers, often seen attached to shimenawa or tamagushi to demarcate holy spaces, and used in Shinto rituals in Japan. They are usually found adorning doorways, shrine buildings, and kamidana.
An ōnusa or simply nusa or Taima is a wooden wand traditionally used in Shinto purification rituals.
Traditional Japanese musical instruments, known as wagakki (和楽器) in Japanese, are musical instruments used in the traditional folk music of Japan. They comprise a range of string, wind, and percussion instruments.
Tamagushi is a form of Shinto offering made from a sakaki-tree branch decorated with shide strips of washi paper, silk, or cotton. At Japanese weddings, funerals, miyamairi and other ceremonies at Shinto shrines, tamagushi are ritually presented to the kami by parishioners, shrine maidens or kannushi priests.
The Suwa clan, also known as the Jin or Miwa clan was a Japanese shake and samurai family. Originating from the area encompassing Lake Suwa in Shinano Province, it was originally a family of priests who served at the Upper Shrine of Suwa located on the southwestern side of the lake. By the Kamakura period, it thrived as a prominent samurai clan with close ties to the shogunate.
This is the glossary of Shinto, including major terms on the subject. Words followed by an asterisk (*) are illustrated by an image in one of the photo galleries.
An azusa yumi is a sacred bow (yumi) used in certain Shinto rituals in Japan, as well as a Japanese musical bow, made from the wood of the Japanese azusa or Japanese cherry birch tree. Playing an azusa yumi forms part of some Shinto rituals; in Japan, it is believed that merely the twanging of the bowstring will frighten ghosts and evil spirits away from a house. In Japanese poetry, the word azusa yumi functions as a makurakotoba.
Takeminakata (タケミナカタ), also known as Minakatatomi or Takeminakatatomi, is a kami in Japanese mythology. Also known as Suwa Myōjin (諏訪明神) or Suwa Daimyōjin (諏訪大明神) after Suwa Grand Shrine in Nagano Prefecture in which he is enshrined alongside his consort Yasakatome, Takeminakata is historically worshiped as a god of wind, water and agriculture, as well as a patron of hunting and warfare, in which capacity he enjoyed a particularly fervent cult from various samurai clans during the medieval period such as the Hōjō or the Takeda. Takeminakata was also held to be the mythical ancestor of certain families who once served at the shrine as priests, foremost among them being the Suwa clan, the high priests of the Upper Shrine of Suwa who were also revered as living vessels of the god.
Moreya or Moriya is a Japanese god who appears in various myths and legends of the Suwa region in Nagano Prefecture. The most famous of such stories is that of his battle against Takeminakata, the god of the Grand Shrine of Suwa.
Jingū Taima is an ōnusa wrapped in clean Ise washi and issued by the Ise Grand Shrine. They are a form of ofuda. The Association of Shinto Shrines recommends every household have at last three Ofuda in their Kamidana, a Jingu Taima, an Ujigami ofuda, and another deity one personally chooses.