Benzaiten: Japanese Goddess of Love. Benzaiten (or Benten) is the Japanese goddess of everything that flows including water, music, words and eloquence. In the popular imagination she is also associated with femininity and love. Benzaiten is often depicted holding a Japanese lute.

Who is the main god in Japan?

1. Amaterasu. Amaterasu Omikami is the Shinto sun goddess from which the Japanese imperial family claimed descent.

Who is the Japanese goddess?

Amaterasu Amaterasu. Amaterasu is the sun goddess of Japan, the central goddess of Shinto, and the center of Japanese spiritual life. As the mythical ancestor of the Japanese Imperial Family, she forms the basis of their right to rule.

Who is Okuninushi?

Ōkuninushi (Japanese: 大国主) was a famous hero and one of the more personable gods as part of the Japanese Izumo mythology. His name literally translates to Great Land-Owner or Great Land Master and he was in charge of firming the land during creation.

Who is the Japanese god of protection?

Hachiman is the ancient Shinto god or kami of war, divination, and culture. He is famously credited with sending the kamikaze or divine wind which twice dispersed the invading fleets of Mongol ruler Kublai Khan in the 13th century CE and which earned Hachiman the title of protector of Japan.

Who is the god of death in Japan?

Shinigami Shinigami (死神, literally death god or death spirit) are gods or supernatural spirits that invite humans toward death in certain aspects of Japanese religion and culture. Shinigami have been described as monsters, helpers, and creatures of darkness.

Who was the first Japanese god?

When Takamagahara was formed, the first three gods of Japanese mythology appeared: Amenominakanushi (天之御中主神, Amenominakanushi) Takamimusubi (高御産巣日神, Taka-mi-musuhi-no-kami) and. Kamimusubi (神産巣日神, Kami-musuhi-no-kami).

What is Raijin?

Raijin (雷神, lit. Thunder God), also known as Kaminari-sama (雷様), Raiden-sama (雷電様), Narukami (鳴る神) and Raikou (雷公), is a god of lightning, thunder and storms in Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion.

How old is Japanese mythology?

The mythology of Japan has a long history dating back more than 2,000 years. It became part of two major religious traditions: Shinto, an indigenous religion, and Buddhism, which developed in India and came to Japan from China and Korea.

Who did Izanami give birth?

Kagutsuchi Attributing the mistake to a ritual error on the part of Izanami, who, as a woman, should never have spoken first, they began again and produced numerous islands and deities. In the act of giving birth to the fire god, Kagutsuchi (or Homusubi), Izanami was fatally burned and went to Yomi, the land of darkness.

Is Raijin a dragon?

This Japanese dragon symbolized the power of the ocean had a large mouth. He is considered a good god and patron of Japan, since the Japanese population has for millennia lived off the bounty of the sea. Ryūjin is also credited with the challenge of a hurricane which sank the Mongolian flotilla sent by Kublai Khan.

Is Susanoo a Raijin?

Genealogy. Raijin has many siblings, most notably, Fujin (the god of wind), Kagutsuchi (the god of fire), Susanoo (the god of the sea and storms), Tsukuyomi (god of the moon), and Amaterasu (the goddess of the sun). Raijin also has a son named Raitaro.

Who is the Japanese god of death?

Shinigami Shinigami (死神, literally death god or death spirit) are gods or supernatural spirits that invite humans toward death in certain aspects of Japanese religion and culture. Shinigami have been described as monsters, helpers, and creatures of darkness.

What do Japanese believe about death?

Generally speaking, Japanese believe in the existence of the life after death. Most of them believe there is another life after death. It is natural for bereaved families to think the deceased will have a tough time in another world if they lost their body parts such as limbs or eyes.

Is there a heaven in Shinto?

In Shinto, ame (heaven) is a lofty, sacred world, the home of the Kotoamatsukami. However, it is likely to have referred from the beginning to a higher world in a religious sense. A Shinto myth explains that at the time of creation, light, pure elements branched off to become heaven (ame).

How was Amaterasu born?

Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed his left eye, Tsukuyomi was born when he washed his right eye, and Susanoo was born when he washed his nose. Izanagi then appoints Amaterasu to rule Takamagahara (the Plain of High Heaven), Tsukuyomi the night, and Susanoo the seas.