Susanoo, often referred to by the honorific title Susanoo-no-Mikoto, is a kami in Japanese mythology. The younger brother of Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and mythical ancestress of the Japanese imperial line, he is a multifaceted deity with contradictory characteristics, being portrayed in various stories either as a wild, impetuous god associated with the sea and storms, as a heroic figure who killed a monstrous serpent, or as a local deity linked with the harvest and agriculture. Syncretic beliefs of the Gion cult that arose after the introduction of Buddhism to Japan also saw Susanoo becoming conflated with deities of pestilence and disease.
Izumo Province was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called Unshū (雲州). The province is in the Chūgoku region.
Izumo-taisha, officially Izumo Ōyashiro, is one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan. No record gives the date of establishment. Located in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, it is home to two major festivals. It is dedicated to the god Ōkuninushi, famous as the Shinto deity of marriage and to Kotoamatsukami, distinguishing heavenly kami. The shrine is believed by many to be the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan, even predating the Ise Grand Shrine.
Hikawa Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the two shrines claiming the title of ichinomiya of former Musashi Province. The main festival of the shrine is held annually on August 1. The district of Omiya, literally "Great Shrine", derives from the special favor shown by Emperor Meiji, who raised Hikawa above all other shrines in the Kantō region. It is the head of a network of approximately 280 Hikawa shrines mostly around the Kantō region.
Kuni no miyatsuko (国造), also read as kokuzō or kunitsuko, were officials in ancient Japan during the Yamato period who governed provinces called kuni.
The Izumo Taishakyo Mission is a Shinto shrine located in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. It is one of the few active Shinto shrines in the United States. The wooden A-frame structure was inspired by Shimane Prefecture's classical Japanese shrine Izumo-taisha. It was designed by architect Hego Fuchino and built by master carpenter Ichisaburo Takata.
Noriko Senge, formerly Princess Noriko of Takamado, is a former member of the Imperial House of Japan and the second daughter of Norihito, Prince Takamado and Hisako, Princess Takamado. She married Kunimaro Senge, a commoner, on 5 October 2014. As a result, she gave up her imperial title and left the Japanese Imperial Family, as required by law.
Futsunushi, also known as Iwainushi, is a warrior god in Japanese mythology. Also known under the epithet Katori Daimyōjin (香取大明神) after his shrine in northern Chiba Prefecture, Katori Jingū, he is often revered alongside Takemikazuchi, with whom he is closely associated. He is the general of Amaterasu and regarded as a legendary ancestor of the Mononobe clan, and like Takemikazuchi is one of the tutelary deities of the Fujiwara clan.
Senge Motomaro was a Japanese poet active during the Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan.
Izumo-taishakyo is a Japanese Shinto grouping. It was established by Senge Takatomi (1845–1918), the 80th head priest of Izumo-taisha in 1882, as one of the original thirteen sects of Kyoha Shintō Rengokai, during the Meiji era in Shimane Prefecture.
Kushinadahime (櫛名田比売、くしなだひめ), also known as Kushiinadahime (奇稲田姫、くしいなだひめ) or Inadahime (稲田姫、いなだひめ) among other names, is a goddess (kami) in Japanese mythology and the Shinto faith. According to these traditions, she is one of the wives of the god Susanoo, who rescued her from the monster Yamata no Orochi. As Susanoo's wife, she is a central deity of the Gion cult and worshipped at Yasaka Shrine.
The kuni-yuzuri (国譲り) "Transfer of the land" was a mythological event in Japanese prehistory, related in sources such as the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. It relates the story of how the rulership of Japan passed from the earthly kami (kunitsukami) to the kami of Heaven (amatsukami) and their eventual descendants, the Imperial House of Japan.
Ame no Hohi, also known as Ame no Fuhi is a male deity and the second son of sun goddess Amaterasu in Japanese mythology. Izumo no Kuni no Miyatsuko or the historical rulers of Izumo and modern heads of Izumo-taisha and Izumo-taishakyo descend from him.
The Shake (社家) was a Japanese social class and the name for families that dominated Shinto shrines through hereditary government offices and priestly positions. Officially abolished in 1871, with 14 shake families granted hereditary nobility (Kazoku), most shrines were however unaffected, and at many shrines hereditary succession of former shake families continues to this day. Prominent shake families include the Nakatomi family and the Suwa family.
The Haji clan is a Japanese clan. The clan administered earthenware artisans, organized collectively into a group called Haji-be (土師部). During the Yamato period, these artisans worked chiefly on soil-related matters, such as creating haniwa, constructing tombs and kofun, and handling other civil engineering. The kabane titles of the clan are Sukune or Muraji. They were engaged in constructing the tombs of high-ranking people as well as managing the funeral ceremonies of the ōkimi.
Sect Shinto refers to several independent, organized Shinto groups that were excluded by Japanese law in 1882 from government-run State Shinto. Compared to mainstream Shrine Shinto, which focuses primarily on rituals, these independent groups have a more developed theology. Many such groups are organized under the Association of Sectarian Shinto. Before World War II, Sect Shinto consisted of 13 denominations, which were referred to as the 13 Shinto schools. Since then, there have been additions to and withdrawals from membership.
Susa Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Izumo, Shimane, Japan. It is the 18th Shinto shrine in the Enza-no-kai Organization list of shrines and temples considered important to the historical region of Izumo, which includes other major shrines in Shimane and Tottori Prefectures including Izumo-taisha, Kumano-taisha, and Ōgamiyama Jinja.
Kumano Taisha is a Shinto shrine located in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. The shrine is dedicated to the god Kaburogi-kumano-okami Kushi-mike-no-mikoto, which is identified with Susanoo-no-Mikoto.
The Izumo clan is a Japanese noble family descended from Ame no Hohi who used to rule Izumo Province and run Izumo Taisha today.
The Aso clan (阿蘇) is a Japanese clan associated with Aso Shrine. They descend from Kamuyaimimi. The clan were originally Kuni no miyatsuko but after the abolition of the role they took on a priestly role at Aso Shrine. They share this history with the Izumo clan of Izumo-taisha, the Owari clan of Atsuta Shrine, the Munakata clan of Munakata Taisha, and the Yamato clan of Ōyamato Shrine.
