Home›Rituals›Native To Region›JapanRegionJapanAlso Known As JapaneseEast Asia and Central AsiaDocumented History and SocietyVerifiedThe Japanese archipelago off the eastern edge of Asia, four main islands and the Ryukyu chain. Shinto and Tenrikyo are placed here, and both are effectively confined to it, which is unusual in this scheme. Shinto has no significant presence outside Japan and the Japanese diaspora, and its modern shape owes much to the Meiji state's separation of it from Buddhism after 1868 and to the Allied directive of 1945 that ended its official status. Ryukyuan religion, which is distinct from mainland Shinto, has no separate place in this classification.FactsLearn MoreJapanConnectionsIn the Other AtlasesSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsGeographyLatitudeWell-attested36.2 degrees north 1Approximate reference point, rounded to one decimal place; a large or historical region has no formal center, so this coordinate is conventional, not a precise boundary claim.LongitudeWell-attested138.3 degrees east 1Approximate reference point, rounded to one decimal place; a large or historical region has no formal center, so this coordinate is conventional, not a precise boundary claim.Modern AreaWell-attestedJapan 1TraditionsPrincipal Religious TraditionsWell-attestedJapanese Buddhism 2Principal Religious TraditionsWell-attestedShinto 2Sacred and Liturgical LanguagesWell-attestedClassical Japanese and Classical Chinese 3Learn MoreThe Way of the Kami The Japanese archipelago is the home of Shinto, "the way of the kami," an indigenous religion so bound to the land that it has almost no significant presence anywhere else, a rarity among the world's major traditions. Shinto centres not on doctrine, scripture, or a founder but on the veneration of the kami: the innumerable sacred powers and presences that inhabit the natural world, mountains, waterfalls, ancient trees, striking rocks, the sun, as well as ancestral and mythic deities, chief among them the sun goddess Amaterasu, from whom the imperial line traditionally claimed descent. Its heart is ritual: purification, offering, and festival (matsuri) at shrines (jinja) that mark sacred sites, entered through the distinctive torii gate. For most of Japanese history Shinto coexisted and fused with Buddhism, imported in the sixth century, in an intricate combination (honji suijaku) in which kami and Buddhas were identified as aspects of one another, and most Japanese to this day participate in both, marking birth and marriage with Shinto rites and death with Buddhist ones. The archipelago also produced the newer religion Tenrikyo and a host of other new religious movements. Japan thus represents a distinctive religious pattern: an indigenous, place-bound veneration of sacred nature and ancestry, layered with Buddhism, expressed far more through ritual practice and belonging than through creed.The Kami Before the Chronicles, and After Them The earliest written sources for kami worship are the Kojiki of 712 and the Nihon Shoki of 720, and both were compiled at the imperial court for a purpose. They set out a descent from the sun goddess to the reigning line, and they do it at a moment when the court was consolidating its authority and importing Chinese models of statecraft. They are the foundation documents of the tradition and they are political texts, and neither fact cancels the other. For most of Japanese history the question of what counts as Shinto did not arise in the form modern readers expect. Kami and buddhas were worshipped together in combined institutions for more than a thousand years, with kami understood as manifestations of buddhas or as their protectors, and a single site would house both. That arrangement was broken deliberately. The Meiji government ordered the separation of kami and buddhas in 1868, and the dismantling that followed removed Buddhist images and clergy from shrines across the country. What emerged was reorganised as a state institution with the emperor at its centre, and it was in that form that Shinto was presented to the world and studied by outsiders for the better part of a century. Anyone reading about Japanese religion is therefore reading through two reconstructions: one made in the eighth century to legitimate a dynasty, and one made in the nineteenth to build a nation.JapanFilter Results14 entriesAddressed ToAllAmaterasu (2)Origin Period Start YearAll-400 (1)500 (1)700 (4)800 (1)1600 (1)1870 (1)1900 (1)1949 (1)1970 (1)FrequencyAllAnnual (4)As the occasion requires (3)Daily (1)Once, or at a turning point in a life (4)Seasonal, at set points in the year (2)Life Stage MarkedAllA milestone of childhood (1)Coming of age (1)Death and the disposal of the body (1)Marriage (1)ObligationAllObligatory (2)Optional and voluntary (4)Recommended and meritorious, not required (1)Scholarly StandingAllA standard analytic category in the study of religion (13)Used, but its validity as a comparative category is disputed (1)Social FormAllPerformed alone (1)Performed alone or together (2)Performed by a gathered group (6)Practice StatusAllLiving tradition, practised today (7)PractitionerAllAll adherents of the tradition (2)Clergy or ordained officiants (4)Lay people (1)Officiant Led (1)The candidate undergoing the rite (1)Trained or authorised specialists (5)TraditionAllSect Shinto (1)Theravada (1)Zen (1)Originated InAllJapan (14)Originates In LanguageAllClassical Japanese (2)Kind of ritualAllBuddhist Funerary Tradition (1)Coming-of-Age and Initiation Rites (2)East and Southeast Asian Shinto, Daoist and Spirit Rites (2)Indigenous Sacrificial Ceremonies and Sacred Games (1)Marriage Rites (1)Seasonal Rites of Japan and the Neopagan Year (2)Shinto, Roman and Mesopotamian Purgation Rites (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 14DaijosaiJapanIyomanteJapanKaguraJapanKemariJapanMeditation (Vipassana / Zazen)JapanMizuko KuyoJapanNiiname-saiJapanOharaeJapanOkinaJapanSeijin-shikiJapanSetsubunJapanShichi-Go-SanJapanShinsosaiJapanShinzen KekkonJapanConnectionsAssociated WithSea of Japan, Bodies of Water Well-attested The sea lies along Japan's western coast.Attested HereBakeneko, Mythical Creatures Well-attested The material is largely Edo-period, circulated in kaidan collections, woodblock prints and later kabuki. It is popular entertainment as much as belief.Source The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese FolkloreMichael Dylan Fostertier 1Classical Chinese, Languages Well-attested Source The World's Writing SystemsPeter T. Daniels and William Bright (eds.)tier 1Classical Japanese, Languages Well-attested Classical Japanese is documented in use as a written language in Japan. The claim is where the language is documented in use as a written, literary or liturgical language. It is not a claim about the full extent of its speakers, and it is not a claim about where the language originated.Source The World's Writing SystemsPeter T. Daniels and William Bright (eds.)tier 1Deer, Animals & Totems Well-attested The deer of Kasuga are messengers of the kami and are protected on that ground.Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)tier 1Dragon, Animals & Totems Well-attested The ryu of Japanese tradition, adapted from the Chinese and given its own water cult.Source A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the Guideways through Mountains and SeasRichard E. Strassbergtier 1Dragonfly, Animals & Totems Well-attested Akitsushima, the dragonfly islands, is an old name for Japan itself.Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)tier 1Fox, Animals & Totems Well-attested Kitsune, the messenger of Inari, whose shrines are guarded by fox statues.Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)tier 1Jikininki, Mythical Creatures Well-attested Source The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese FolkloreMichael Dylan Fostertier 1Kappa, Mythical Creatures Well-attested Source The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese FolkloreMichael Dylan Fostertier 1Monkey, Animals & Totems Well-attested The three monkeys of Nikko, and the monkey as messenger of the mountain kami.Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)tier 1Nekomata, Mythical Creatures Well-attested Source The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese FolkloreMichael Dylan Fostertier 1Old Japanese, Languages Well-attested The language of the Nara period in Japan.Source Old Japanese (Wikipedia)Tengu, Mythical Creatures Well-attested In Japan the tengu are mountain beings. Two forms are distinguished, the crow-headed karasu tengu and the red-faced long-nosed yamabushi tengu, the second of which is a satire on mountain ascetics and is the later of the two.Source The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese FolkloreMichael Dylan Fostertier 1The Carp, Animals & Totems Well-attested The Dragon Gate legend of the carp that swims upstream and, on leaping the falls, transforms into a dragon, held in Japanese as well as Chinese religious symbolism.Source A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and ThoughtWolfram Eberhardtier 2ContainsMount Kurama, Sacred Sites Well-attested Kurama lies north of Kyoto.Modern AreaJapan, Countries Well-attested Source Encyclopaedia Britannica (online academic reference)Encyclopaedia Britannica editorstier 2Originated HereSetsubun, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Seven Lucky Gods, Pantheons Well-attested Source Seven Lucky Gods (Wikipedia)Shichi-Go-San, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Shingon, Denominations Well-attested Source The Princeton Dictionary of BuddhismRobert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.tier 1Shinran, Figures Well-attested Source Shinran (Wikipedia)Shinsen, Sacred Foods Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Shinsosai, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Shinzen Kekkon, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Shugendo, Denominations Well-attested Source Shugendo (Wikipedia)tier 3Soka Gakkai, Denominations Well-attested Source Soka Gakkai's Human Revolution: The Rise of a Mimetic Nation in Modern JapanLevi McLaughlintier 1Soto, Denominations Well-attested Source The Princeton Dictionary of BuddhismRobert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.tier 1Sukunabikona, Figures Well-attested Source Sukunabikona (Wikipedia)Susanoo, Figures Well-attested Source Susanoo-no-Mikoto (Wikipedia)Tendai, Denominations Well-attested Source Tendai (Wikipedia)Tenrikyo, Religions Well-attested Source New Religions: A Guide, New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative SpiritualitiesChristopher Partridge (ed.)tier 1The Creation by Izanagi and Izanami, Myths & Sacred Narratives Well-attested Source The Kojiki: Records of Ancient MattersBasil Hall Chamberlaintier 2The Sixth Patriarch of Zen at the Moment of Enlightenment (Kano Tan'yu, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2006.174), Sacred Art & Iconography Well-attested Source The Sixth Patriarch of Zen at the Moment of Enlightenment, accession 2006.174 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 1Todai-ji, Sacred Sites Well-attested Source The Princeton Dictionary of BuddhismRobert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.tier 1Toyotama-hime, Figures Well-attested Source Toyotama-hime (Wikipedia)Tsukuyomi, Figures Well-attested Source Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto (Wikipedia)Tsuzumi, Sacred Objects & Ritual Items Well-attested Source Encyclopedia of Shinto (Shinto Jiten)Kokugakuin Universitytier 2Twelve Buddhas and Kobo Daishi (Jusanbutsu) (Cleveland Museum of Art, 1988.119), Sacred Art & Iconography Well-attested Source Cleveland Museum of Art Open Access API: Cleveland Museum of Art object record 1988.119Uke Mochi, Figures Well-attested Source Ukemochi (Wikipedia)Watatsumi, Figures Well-attested Source Watatsumi (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributorstier 3Yasukuni Shrine, Sacred Sites Well-attested Source Encyclopaedia Britannica (online academic reference)Encyclopaedia Britannica editorstier 2Showing 101 to 125 of 125 in Originated Here, page 3 of 3.← Previous123Plants Native HereDaijosai, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Iyomante, Rituals Well-attested Source Encyclopaedia Britannica (online academic reference)Encyclopaedia Britannica editorstier 2Kagura, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Kemari, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Meditation (Vipassana / Zazen), Rituals Well-attested Source Zen Buddhism: A History, Volume 2: JapanHeinrich Dumoulintier 1Mizuko Kuyo, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Niiname-sai, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Oharae, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Okina, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Seijin-shiki, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Setsubun, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Shichi-Go-San, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Shinsosai, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Shinzen Kekkon, Rituals Well-attested Source Shinto: A HistoryHelen Hardacretier 1Plants Used in Ritual HereMugwort, Plants Well-attested Source A Modern HerbalMaud Grievetier 2Regions Where This Is PrincipalBuddhism, Religions Well-attested Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)tier 1Shinto, Religions Well-attested Source Encyclopedia of ReligionMircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.)tier 1Related ToEast Asia, Regions Well-attested Japan received Buddhism, Confucian learning and the Chinese script through Korea rather than directly from India.Sky Figures Read HereAinu, Languages Well-attested Hokkaido, and formerly Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.Source Ethnologue: Languages of the WorldDavid M. Eberhard, Gary F. Simons and Charles D. Fennig (eds.)tier 1In the Other AtlasesUsed InClassical ChineseAlso in Language Atlas: which uses this subject.JapaneseAlso in Language Atlas: which uses this subject.Sources1. Encyclopaedia Britannica (online academic reference)tier 2Encyclopaedia Britannica editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 2024s.v. regional geographyOriginated Here: Japanese CultureModern Area: Japan, Stored modern-area property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Seicho-no-Ie, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Japan.Originated Here: Iyomante, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Hokkaido, Japan, among the AinuOriginated Here: Mount Hiei (Enryaku-ji), Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Yasukuni Shrine, Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Meiji Shrine, Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanView the Source2. Encyclopedia of Religiontier 1Mircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.), Macmillan Reference, 2005The geography of religionsGeneral reference for the extent of each region and for the traditions placed within it.Originated Here: Kojiki, Opening sentences of the entity descriptionJapan's oldest surviving book, presented to Empress Genmei in 712.View the Source3. The Oxford Dictionary of World Religionstier 1John Bowker (ed.), Oxford University Press, 1997Shinto and Japanese religionView the SourceThe Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd editiontier 1Oxford University Press, Oxford University Pressdemonym / adjectival formView the SourceA Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thoughttier 2Wolfram Eberhard, Routledge, 1986Attested Here: The CarpView the SourceUkemochi (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Uke Mochi, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Uke Mochi, Lead sectionis a goddess of food in JapanView the SourceReikai Monogatari (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Reikai Monogatari, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Reikai Monogatari, Lead sectionReikai Monogatari (Japanese: 霊界物語; English translatiView the SourceImperial Regalia of Japan (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2025Originated Here: Imperial Regalia of Japan, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Imperial Regalia of Japan, Lead sectionare the imperial regalia of Japan and consist of the swordView the SourceSeven Lucky Gods (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Seven Lucky Gods, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Seven Lucky Gods, Lead sectionIn Japanese mythology, the Seven LucView the SourceOld Japanese (Wikipedia)Wikimedia FoundationAttested Here: Old Japanese, Old Japanese, sources and datingOld Japanese is usually defined as the language of the Nara period (710-794), when the capital was Heijō-kyō (now Nara).Originated Here: Old Japanese, Lead paragraph, originated-inOld Japanese (上代日本語, Jōdai Nihon-go) is the oldest attested stage of the Japanese language, recorded in documents from the Nara period (8th century).View the SourceShinto: A Historytier 1Helen Hardacre, Oxford University Press, 2017Plants Native Here: Okina, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanPlants Native Here: Kagura, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanPlants Native Here: Niiname-sai, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanPlants Native Here: Daijosai, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanPlants Native Here: Shichi-Go-San, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanPlants Native Here: Setsubun, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanPlants Native Here: Oharae, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanPlants Native Here: Kemari, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanPlants Native Here: Shinzen Kekkon, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanPlants Native Here: Shinsosai, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanPlants Native Here: Seijin-shiki, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanPlants Native Here: Mizuko Kuyo, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Sect Shinto, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Okina, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Kagura, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Niiname-sai, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Daijosai, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Shichi-Go-San, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Setsubun, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Oharae, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Kemari, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Shinzen Kekkon, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Shinsosai, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Seijin-shiki, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Mizuko Kuyo, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Ise Grand Shrine, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Izumo Taisha, Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Fushimi Inari Taisha, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Itsukushima Shrine, Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Osechi, Stored origin-region property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Shinsen, Stored origin-region property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanView the SourceZen Buddhism: A History, Volume 2: Japantier 1Heinrich Dumoulin, World Wisdom, 2005Plants Native Here: Meditation (Vipassana / Zazen), Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Japan, in the Zen zazen traditionOriginated Here: Meditation (Vipassana / Zazen), Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Japan, in the Zen zazen traditionThe Princeton Dictionary of Buddhismtier 1Robert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr., Princeton University Press, 2014Originated Here: Soto, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Echizen province, JapanOriginated Here: Shingon, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Mount Koya and Toji, JapanOriginated Here: Nichiren Shoshu, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Japan, at Taisekiji at the foot of Mount Fuji.Originated Here: Todai-ji, Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Mount Koya (Koyasan), Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanView the SourceSoka Gakkai's Human Revolution: The Rise of a Mimetic Nation in Modern Japantier 1Levi McLaughlin, University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, 2019Originated Here: Soka Gakkai, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Japan.Shinto: The Kami Waytier 2Sokyo Ono with William P. Woodard, Tuttle, 1962Originated Here: Folk Shinto, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Japan (diffuse, local and household practice throughout the country)Shugendo (Wikipedia)tier 3WikipediaOriginated Here: Shugendo, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Yoshino and the Kii mountain range, Nara Prefecture, JapanView the SourceA New History of Shintotier 1John Breen and Mark Teeuwen, Wiley-Blackwell, 2010Originated Here: Mount Fuji, Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanUNESCO World Heritage Listtier 2United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO World Heritage CentreOriginated Here: Koyasan, Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Kumano Sanzan and the Kumano Kodo, Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanView the SourceEncyclopedia of Shinto (Shinto Jiten)tier 2Kokugakuin University, Kokugakuin University, 2006Originated Here: Atsuta Shrine (Atsuta Jingu), Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Tsuzumi, Stored origin-region property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanView the SourceBuddhas and Kami in Japan: Honji Suijaku as a Combinatory Paradigmtier 1Mark Teeuwen and Fabio Rambelli (eds), RoutledgeCurzon, 2003Originated Here: Mount Kurama, Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanKinpusen-ji and Ominesan-ji (Wikipedia)tier 3WikipediaOriginated Here: Kinpusen-ji (Mount Yoshino), Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Yoshino, Nara Prefecture, JapanView the SourceDewa Sanzan (Wikipedia)tier 3WikipediaOriginated Here: Dewa Sanzan (Haguro, Gassan, Yudono), Stored region property on this entity, cited to this source: Yamagata Prefecture, JapanView the SourceNew Religions: A Guide, New Religious Movements, Sects and Alternative Spiritualitiestier 1Christopher Partridge (ed.), Oxford University Press, 2004Originated Here: Tenrikyo, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Shoyashiki, in what is now Tenri, Nara prefecture, JapanOriginated Here: Omoto, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture, JapanHayachine Kagura (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage)tier 2UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, UNESCO, 2026Originated Here: Hayachine Kagura, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Hayachine Shrine, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, JapanView the SourceAncestor Worship in Contemporary Japantier 1Robert J. Smith, Stanford University Press, 1974Originated Here: Bon Odori, Stored origin-region property on this entity, cited to this source: Japan, performed nationwide during the midsummer Obon season.Izanami & Izanagi (World History Encyclopedia)tier 3World History EncyclopediaOriginated Here: Izanami and Izanagi Creating the Japanese Islands (Kobayashi Eitaku, MFA Boston), Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanView the SourceAmaterasu Emerging From Exile (World History Encyclopedia)tier 3World History EncyclopediaOriginated Here: Origin of Iwato Kagura Dance (Utagawa Kunisada, 1856), Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanView the SourceYamata no Orochi (Wikipedia)tier 3WikipediaOriginated Here: Gozu Tenno (Susanoo) Slaying Yamata no Orochi (Utagawa Kuniteru I, MFA Boston), Stored country property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanView the SourceOkami (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026Originated Here: Okami, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanView the SourceGenshin and the Ojoyoshu (Wikipedia and Harvard Undergraduate Art History Journal)tier 3Wikipedia contributors; Harvard Undergraduate Art History Journal, Wikipedia and sites.harvard.edu, 2026Originated Here: Ojoyoshu (Essentials of Birth in the Pure Land), Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Yokawa, Mount Hiei, JapanView the SourceSeimei no Jisso (Truth of Life)tier 2Masaharu TaniguchiOriginated Here: Seimei no Jisso (Truth of Life), Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanWikipedia, "Oku no Hosomichi"tier 3WikipediaOriginated Here: Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: Japan; the journey ran from Edo through northern Honshu to OgakiView the SourceThe Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folkloretier 1Michael Dylan Foster, University of California Press, 2015Originated Here: Jikininki, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Kappa, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanOriginated Here: Nekomata, Stored origin-place property on this entity, cited to this source: JapanMahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundationstier 1Paul Williams, Routledge, 1989Originated Here: Jodo Shinshu, Opening sentences of the entity descriptionQuote, Originated Here: Jodo Shinshu, Opening sentences of the entity descriptionJodo Shinshu, the True Pure Land school, is a tradition of Pure Land Buddhism founded in Japan by Shinran and today among the most widely followed forms of Buddhism in that country.Konkokyo (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationOriginated Here: Konkokyo, Opening sentences of the entity descriptionQuote, Originated Here: Konkokyo, Opening sentences of the entity descriptionKonkokyo is a Japanese new religious movement founded by Kawate Bunjiro in 1859, one of the oldest of the "new religions" that proliferated in Japan from the nineteenth century onward and, before the Second World War, one of the officially recognized Sect Shinto groups.View the SourceLotus Sutra (Saddharmapundarika Sutra)tier 1AnonymousOriginated Here: Nichiren, Opening sentences of the entity descriptionQuote, Originated Here: Nichiren, Opening sentences of the entity descriptionA Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism founded by the monk Nichiren in the thirteenth century, who taught that the Lotus Sutra alone holds the full and final truth of the Buddha and that other teachings are inferior or outdated for the present age.Izanagi (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026Originated Here: Izanagi, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Izanagi, Lead sectionthe creator deity (kami) of both creation and life in Japanese mythology.View the SourceIzanami (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026Originated Here: Izanami, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Izanami, Lead sectionis the creator of both creation and death in Japanese mythology, as well as the Shinto mother goddess.View the SourceAmaterasu (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026Originated Here: Amaterasu, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Amaterasu, Lead sectionŌhirume no Muchi (大日孁貴), is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology.View the SourceTsukuyomi-no-Mikoto (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Tsukuyomi, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Tsukuyomi, Lead sectionnó̞ mʲí.kó̞.tó̞]), is the moon kami in Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion.View the SourceSusanoo-no-Mikoto (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Susanoo, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Susanoo, Lead section([sɨ̥.sä́.nó̞ò̞ nò̞ mʲì.kò̞.tò̞]), is a kami in Japanese mythology.View the SourceAme-no-Uzume (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026Originated Here: Ame-no-Uzume, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Ame-no-Uzume, Lead sectiondawn, mirth, meditation, revelry and the arts in the Shinto religion of Japan, and the wife ofView the SourceSarutahiko Ōkami (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Sarutahiko, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Sarutahiko, Lead sectionpronunciation: [sa.ɾɯ.taꜜ.çi̥.ko]) is a deity of the Japanese religion of Shinto; he is the leader of the earthlyView the SourceNinigi-no-Mikoto (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Ninigi, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Ninigi, Lead sectionNinigi (瓊瓊杵) or Ninigi-no-Mikoto (瓊瓊杵尊), is a god in Japanese mythology. (no-Mikoto here is an honorific titleView the SourceToyotama-hime (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Toyotama-hime, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Toyotama-hime, Lead sectionToyotama-hime (Japanese: 豊玉姫) is a goddess in Japanese mythology who appears in Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.View the SourceKonohanasakuya-hime (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026Originated Here: Konohanasakuya-hime, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Konohanasakuya-hime, Lead sectionis the kami of Mount Fuji and all volcanoes in Japanese mythology; she is also the 'blossom princess' andView the SourceOmoikane (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026Originated Here: Omoikane, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Omoikane, Lead sectionOmoikane (思兼 or 思金) is a Shinto Kami of wisdom and intelligence.View the SourceSukunabikona (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Sukunabikona, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Sukunabikona, Lead sectionas Sukuna-biko, Sukuna-biko-na, Sukuna hikona) is the Shinto kami of the onsen (hot springs),View the SourceWatatsumi (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026Originated Here: Watatsumi, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Watatsumi, Lead sectionspirit), Japanese dragon and tutelary water deity in Japanese mythology. Ōwatatsumi no kami (大綿津見神; "great deity ofView the SourceHoori (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Hoori, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Hoori, Lead sectionknown as Hikohohodemi no Mikoto (彦火火出見尊), is a god in Japanese mythology, the third and youngest son of Ninigi andView the SourceShinran (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Shinran, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Shinran, Lead sectionMay 21, 1173, January 16, 1263) was a key Japanese Buddhist figure of the Kamakura Period who isView the SourceTendai (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Tendai, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Tendai, Lead sectionBuddhist tradition with significant esoteric elements that was officially established in Japan in 806 by the JapaneseView the SourceEmperor Ōjin (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Emperor Ojin, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Emperor Ojin, LeadEmperor Ōjin (応神天皇, Ōjin Tennō; Japanese pronunciation: [oː.(d)ʑiɴ, -(d)ʑin ten.noꜜː]), also known as Hondawake no Mikoto (誉田別尊; alternatively written 譽田別命, 誉田別命, 品陀和気命, 譽田分命, 誉田別尊, 品陀別命) or Homuta no Sumeramikoto (譽田天皇), was the 15th (possibly legendary) Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.View the SourceDōgen (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Dogen, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Dogen, LeadDōgen Zenji (道元禅師; Japanese pronunciation: [doꜜː.ɡeɴ, -ŋeɴ], 26 January 1200-22 September 1253) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist monk, writer, poet, philosopher, and founder of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan.View the SourceHōnen (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Honen, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Honen, LeadHōnen (法然; Japanese pronunciation: [hoꜜː.neɴ], May 13 (April 7), 1133, February 29, 1212), also known as Genkū, was the founding figure of the Jōdo-shū (浄土宗; "Pure Land School"), the first independent branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism.View the SourceHakuin Ekaku (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Hakuin, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Hakuin, LeadHakuin Ekaku (白隠 慧鶴; January 19, 1686, January 18, 1769) was one of the most influential figures in Japanese Zen Buddhism, who regarded bodhicitta, working for the benefit of others, as the ultimate concern of Zen-training.View the SourceEmperor Shōmu (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Emperor Shomu, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Emperor Shomu, LeadEmperor Shōmu (聖武天皇, Shōmu-tennō; September 22, 701, June 4, 756) was the 45th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.View the SourceBowl with Face of Uzume, accession 36.120.627 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 1Metropolitan Museum of ArtOriginated Here: Bowl with Face of Uzume (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 36.120.627), Collection record: culture, country and region fieldsQuote, Originated Here: Bowl with Face of Uzume (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 36.120.627), Collection record: culture, country and region fieldsJapanView the SourceFireman's Jacket with a Susanoo-no-mikoto Deity Scene, accession 1983.158a to c (Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 1Metropolitan Museum of ArtOriginated Here: Fireman's Jacket with a Susanoo-no-mikoto Deity Scene (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1983.158a to c), Collection record: culture, country and region fieldsQuote, Originated Here: Fireman's Jacket with a Susanoo-no-mikoto Deity Scene (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1983.158a to c), Collection record: culture, country and region fieldsJapaneseView the SourcePortrait of Dengyo Daishi (Saicho), accession 2020.396.6 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 1Metropolitan Museum of ArtOriginated Here: Portrait of Dengyo Daishi (Saicho) (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2020.396.6), Collection record: culture, country and region fieldsQuote, Originated Here: Portrait of Dengyo Daishi (Saicho) (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2020.396.6), Collection record: culture, country and region fieldsJapanView the SourcePortrait of Xuanzang (Genjo) with Attendant, accession 29.160.29 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 1Metropolitan Museum of ArtOriginated Here: Portrait of Xuanzang (Genjo) with Attendant (Japan, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 29.160.29), Collection record: culture, country and region fieldsQuote, Originated Here: Portrait of Xuanzang (Genjo) with Attendant (Japan, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 29.160.29), Collection record: culture, country and region fieldsJapanView the Source"The God Izanagi and Goddess Izanami," accession 2015.300.115 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 1Metropolitan Museum of ArtOriginated Here: "The God Izanagi and Goddess Izanami" (Nishikawa Sukenobu, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015.300.115), Object record: CultureQuote, Originated Here: "The God Izanagi and Goddess Izanami" (Nishikawa Sukenobu, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015.300.115), Object record: CultureCulture: JapanView the SourceSariputra, Master of Wisdom, accession 2017.245.10 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 1Metropolitan Museum of ArtOriginated Here: Sariputra, Master of Wisdom (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017.245.10), Object record: CultureQuote, Originated Here: Sariputra, Master of Wisdom (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017.245.10), Object record: CultureCulture: JapanView the SourceThe Sixth Patriarch of Zen at the Moment of Enlightenment, accession 2006.174 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 1Metropolitan Museum of ArtOriginated Here: The Sixth Patriarch of Zen at the Moment of Enlightenment (Kano Tan'yu, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2006.174), Object record: CultureQuote, Originated Here: The Sixth Patriarch of Zen at the Moment of Enlightenment (Kano Tan'yu, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2006.174), Object record: CultureCulture: JapanView the SourceEma of Empress Jingu, Her Minister Takenouchi no Sukune, and an Infant (the Future Emperor Ojin), accession 1985.396.2 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 1Metropolitan Museum of ArtOriginated Here: Ema of Empress Jingu and the Future Emperor Ojin (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1985.396.2), Object record: CultureQuote, Originated Here: Ema of Empress Jingu and the Future Emperor Ojin (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1985.396.2), Object record: CultureCulture: JapanView the SourcePortrait of Zhu Xi, accession 2023.583.27 (Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 1Metropolitan Museum of ArtOriginated Here: Portrait of Zhu Xi (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2023.583.27), Object record: CultureQuote, Originated Here: Portrait of Zhu Xi (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2023.583.27), Object record: CultureCulture: JapanView the SourceJizo, Bodhisattva of the Earth Store, the Burke Jizo (Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 1Metropolitan Museum of ArtOriginated Here: Jizo, Bodhisattva of the Earth Store, the Burke Jizo, Object record: CultureQuote, Originated Here: Jizo, Bodhisattva of the Earth Store, the Burke Jizo, Object record: CultureCulture: JapanView the SourceBenzaiten and Fifteen Attendants, Museum Record (Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 1The Metropolitan Museum of ArtOriginated Here: Benzaiten and Fifteen Attendants, Object record: CultureQuote, Originated Here: Benzaiten and Fifteen Attendants, Object record: CultureCulture: JapanView the SourceKannon by a Lotus Pond, accession 2025.91 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)tier 2The Metropolitan Museum of Art, catalogue entry, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2026Originated Here: Kannon by a Lotus Pond (Hakuin Ekaku, Metropolitan Museum of Art), Object record: CultureQuote, Originated Here: Kannon by a Lotus Pond (Hakuin Ekaku, Metropolitan Museum of Art), Object record: CultureCulture: JapanView the SourceNihon Shoki (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Nihon Shoki, Leadis the second-oldest book of classical Japanese historyOriginated Here: Nihon Shoki, Lead sectionThe Nihon Shoki (日本書紀; Japanese pronunciation: [ɲ̟ì.hó̞ɰ̃́ ɕó̞.k̟ʲì]) or Nihongi (日本紀), sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history.View the SourceKogo Shui (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Kogo Shui, Leadis a historical record of the Inbe clan of JapanOriginated Here: Kogo Shui, Lead sectionKogo Shūi (古語拾遺) is a historical record of the Inbe clan of Japan written in the early Heian period (794-1185).View the SourceKonkokyo Kyoten (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Konkokyo Kyoten, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Konkokyo Kyoten, Leada Shinto-derived Japanese religion founded in 1859View the SourceOmamori (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Omamori, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Omamori, Leadare Japanese amulets commonly sold at Shinto shrines and Buddhist templesView the SourceOfuda (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Ofuda, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Ofuda, LeadIn Shinto and Buddhism in Japan, an ofudaView the SourceOmikuji (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Omikuji, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Omikuji, Leadat Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in JapanView the SourceMikoshi (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Mikoshi, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Mikoshi, Leadserves as the vehicle to transport a deity in JapanView the SourceKamidana (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Kamidana, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Kamidana, LeadThey are most commonly found in Japan, the home of kami worshipView the SourceButsudan (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Butsudan, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Butsudan, Leadcommonly found in Japanese Buddhist homesView the SourceGohonzon (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Gohonzon, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Gohonzon, Leadreligious object in Japanese BuddhismView the SourceSaicho (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Saicho, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Saicho, Leadwas a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with founding the Japanese Tendai schoolView the SourceHirohito (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Hirohito, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Hirohito, Leadwas Emperor of Japan from 25 December 1926View the SourceHachiman (Wikipedia)tier 3WikipediaOriginated Here: Hachiman, Seated Statue (Tokyo National Museum, Lent by Akana Hachimangu), LeadQuote, Originated Here: Hachiman, Seated Statue (Tokyo National Museum, Lent by Akana Hachimangu), Leadis a syncretic Japanese deityView the SourceWikipedia: Kojikitier 2WikipediaOriginated Here: Kojiki, Lead sectionQuote, Originated Here: Kojiki, Lead sectionThe Kojiki (古事記; Japanese pronunciation: [kó̞.(ɟ̟͡)ʑì.k̟ʲì, kò̞.(ɟ̟͡)ʑí.-], "Records of Ancient Matters" or "An Account of Ancient Matters"), also sometimes read as Furukotofumi or Furukotobumi, is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts dating as far back as 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the kami, and the Japanese imperial line.View the SourceCleveland Museum of Art Open Access API: Cleveland Museum of Art object record 1988.119Cleveland Museum of Art Open Access APIOriginated Here: Twelve Buddhas and Kobo Daishi (Jusanbutsu) (Cleveland Museum of Art, 1988.119), cultureQuote, Originated Here: Twelve Buddhas and Kobo Daishi (Jusanbutsu) (Cleveland Museum of Art, 1988.119), culture"Japan, Edo period (1615-1868)"View the SourceAinu language (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Ainu, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Ainu, LeadAinu, also known as Hokkaido Ainu (Japanese: 北海道アイヌ語), is a language native to the Ainu people of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.View the SourceRissho Kosei Kai (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026Originated Here: Rissho Kosei Kai, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Rissho Kosei Kai, LeadRisshō Kōsei Kai (立正佼成会) (until June 1960, Dai-Nippon Risshō Kōsei Kai (大日本立正交成会)) is a Japanese Buddhist religious movement founded in 1938 by Nikkyō Niwano and Myōkō Naganuma.View the SourceWikipedia: Japanese mythologyWikimedia FoundationOriginated Here: Japanese, LeadQuote, Originated Here: Japanese, LeadJapanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in the islands of the Japanese archipelago.View the SourceKukai (Wikipedia)tier 3Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026Originated Here: Kukai, Lead paragraph, originated-inQuote, Originated Here: Kukai, Lead paragraph, originated-inKūkai (空海; Japanese pronunciation: [kɯꜜː.kai], 27 July 774-22 April 835), born Saeki no Mao (佐伯 眞魚) posthumously called Kōbō Daishi (弘法 大師; [koː.boː daꜜi.ɕi], lit. 'the Grand Master Who Propagated the Dharma'), was a Japanese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and poet who founded the esoteric Shingon school of Buddhism.View the SourceJapanese language (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Japanese, Lead paragraph, originated-inQuote, Originated Here: Japanese, Lead paragraph, originated-inJapanese (日本語, Nihongo; [ɲihoŋɡo] ) is the principal language of the Japonic language family spoken by the Japanese people.View the SourceClassical Japanese (Wikipedia)Originated Here: Classical Japanese, Lead paragraph, originated-inQuote, Originated Here: Classical Japanese, Lead paragraph, originated-inThe classical Japanese language (文語, bungo; Japanese pronunciation: [bɯŋ.ɡo, -ŋo]), also called "old writing" (古文, kobun) and sometimes simply called "Medieval Japanese", is the literary form of the Japanese language that was the standard until the Shōwa period (1926-1989).View the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. 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