Japan's Imperial Family: Amaterasu

1063 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Western influence in Japanese culture

Jingū , is a complex of shrines, most importantly including the inner shrine, Naikū, believed to have been built as early as the first century, and the outer shrine, Geku. The location of the shrines is a location that the nature was worshipped previous to these being built, so the land is considered sacred on it’s own. This shrine was created by the Imperial family of Japan, who have a long history of lineage, said to go back to the Shinto deity, Amaterasu-ōmikami. According to ancient legends and what is written in the Kojiki, or Japan’s Record of Ancient Matters, Amaterasu, often referred to as the Sun Goddess, is the ancestor of, and responsible for the existence of the Imperial Family . In honor of the Sun Goddess, the inner western shrine Naikū at Ise was built and to this day, the Imperial Family keeps the shrine in pristine condition to honor her. Many architectural elements of this shrine are specific and may not be copied, several of the elements are symbolic and it was built in a divine light style. The neutral style of the shrine and it’s surroundings are clearly connected to Shintoism, the belief that anything from nature can become a god, such as stones, water and trees, which are largely present at the shrine .

Amaterasu has a very impactful influence on the story of how the Imperial Family came to be. While there are many different versions of where Amaterasu came from, she is recognized as being a beautiful deity who brought happiness and beauty to the world around her. It is said that her brother, Susanoo caused her great sadness and she retreated into a cave, causing darkness across the land. Finally, the deities came to the cave and in efforts to lure Amaterasu out, one of the females danced for the others ...

... middle of paper ...

...erself.

Works Cited

Mizue, Mori. "Encyclopedia of Shinto - Home : Shrine Architecture : Torii." Encyclopedia of Shinto - Home : Shrine Architecture : Torii. N.p., 2 June 2005. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. .

Mori, Dr. Barbara L. "Amaterasu Omikami (the Sun Goddess)." AMATERASU OMIKAMI (the Sun Goddess). N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. .

Rujivacharakul, Vimalin. "Sacred Spaces of Shinto." Sacred Spaces of Shinto. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. .

Stanley-Baker, Joan. Japanese Art. New York, NY: Thames and Hudson, 2000. Print.

Thomas. "Tower of Air." Tower of Air. N.p., 27 Feb. 2014. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. Images. .

Show More
Related

  • The Guardian King Fudo Myo-o: The Immovable One

    1671 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Art Institute of Chicago houses a sculpture that epitomizes Shingon Buddhism in Japan. Born from an influence of Chinese esoteric Buddhism and the Indian God Shiva, the deity Fudo Myo-o, or “The Immovable One”, is one of the most important figures in Japanese Buddhism. The deity first appears in the Heian Period during the ninth century and is made to help followers of Buddhism with any adversity faced. During the Kamakura Period from the 12th-14th centuries the figure of this guardian king developed into a more realistic sculptural form. Fudo Myo-o is unique to the Shingon Buddhism of Japan with qualities that distinguish him from most any other deity, qualities that embody his vicious compassion, wisdom, and wrath.

    Read More

  • Shinto The Way Home Analysis

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shinto: The Way Home written by Thomas Kasulis is a book designed to inform the reader of Shinto traditions and history, but how does his work stand on its own as a scholarly source. Kasulis uses simple organization strategies to control the flow of the work the simplest method is the separation of the book into six chapters as well as a two prefaces one from the editor and one from the author. The first chapter discusses Shintoism in the terms of a western audience while the second chapter confers the connection with normal Japanese culture with Shinto traditions. The third, fourth, and the fifth chapter canvases the history of Shinto traditions in chronological order from prehistory to 2002. Chapter 6 explains Issues with Shinto in a modern

    Read More

  • Traditional Religion of Japan: Shintoism

    984 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shinto is the traditional religion of Japan. It means “the way of the kami”. Shintoism is mainly focused on beliefs in, and worships of Kami. Kami are spiritual or divine beings. They are sometimes referred to as the ‘gods’ in Shinto. But rather than the powerful and supernatural beings seen in Western religion, Kami is more like a mystical and sacred spirit that exist in the creative forces of nature. Shintoism follows the belief of animism, which is the belief that natural, material objects possess souls. These sacred spirits, called Kami are able to take the form of different things in nature. Kami not only exists as spiritual beings, but also takes the form of plants and animals, mountains and seas, and all natural phenomena.

    Read More

  • Shintoism in History

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Shinto in History."Shinto in History: Ways of the Kami. Ed. John Breween and Mark Teeuwen.

    Read More

  • Athena Goddess Of Wisdom

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    She is stil worshiped to this day by the Indian people. Her story is quite different from Athena’s, she was not the goddess of war and had nothing to do with violence. Instead she was also the goddess of knowledge helping people learn things such as the Alphabet. The Indian people hold a festival every year in her honor on the fifth day of spring in which the Hindu children are given their first lesson in reading and writing (Das).

    Read More

  • Meiji Restoration

    1968 Words  | 4 Pages

    The inception of the Tokugawa Shogunate around 1600 would reduce the impact of foreign relations throughout Japanese society. This bulwark helped resist change and development in Japan, although it continued throughout the western world. Following two hundred years of self imposed seclusion from the rest of the world, the forceful re-entry of the foreigner brought about considerable change in Japan. While managing the foreign threat, there was also an imbalance of power in the current feudal system of the Tokugawa Shogunate. This imbalance created uncertainty for Japan and the imperialistic foreigners. This imbalance and uncertainty would lead to the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the emergence of the Meiji Restoration. However, to understand the transition between the current Shogunate government and the modernization through the Meiji Restoration, it is imperative to realize not only the necessity of modernization but also difficulties modernizing presented. To achieve modernization, Japan would have to abandon or modify various traditional cultural institutions and ideologies which were weakening the Japanese Nation.

    Read More

  • Athena Essay

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    also the goddess of war and the patroness of arts and crafts. Which led her to be a great leader

    Read More

  • Respect Religion

    619 Words  | 2 Pages

    Emptiness Of Sacred Space." Southern Quarterly 47.3 (2010): 91-97. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Apr. 2014. .

    Read More

  • Athena's Impact on the Lives of Ancient Greeks

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    Athena was the Greek Goddess of many ideas, but she was famous mostly for her superior wisdom, her cunning skills in times of war, and her implausible talent for household tasks, such as weaving and pottery. She was celebrated more than any other God in ancient mythology, was the supposed inventor of countless innovations, and her figure gave reason for Greek woman to gain rights long before others of their time. The goddess of war, the guardian of Athens, and the defender of Heroes; Athena’s impact on the lives of Ancient Greeks is outstanding.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Shinto And Judaism

    1118 Words  | 3 Pages

    The origins of Shinto and Judaism are rich in history, yet it is the steadfast strength of their belief systems that are most fascinating. While the beliefs of most religions will evolve with time, the core beliefs of these two religions seem impervious to the cultural and generational changes in modern times. In fact, their belief systems seem to be the very foundations of which their cultures were originally built upon In exploring the completely diverse beliefs of Shinto and Judaism, an appreciation for the longevity of each is undeniable.

    Read More

  • Religions and Japanese Culture

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shinto is a polytheistic native Japanese religion. Followers believe that much of nature is sacred; spirits animates everything in the nature. For example, Japanese still believe that Mount. Fuji is sacred. They believe something that big and great exists only because "Kami," or spirit, resides within the mountain. In this fashion, they give great respect to nature. These Shinto beliefs have great influence on the ways Japanese today do things and their values. Japanese garden designs also reflect Shinto beliefs. Careful arrangements of rocks and plants are attempts to create a miniature universe or attempts to move a piece of nature into their house. Similarly, the principles of floral design show their interest in nature. They focus on the importance of light and shadow, and the fullness versus the void, instead of focusing on the symmetry. The reason? Flowers and plants do not grow symmetrically in nature. They lean towards the sun creating a void in the shadow. Japanese respect and seek to bring the beauty of nature closer to them, therefore, a lot of Japanese arts are...

    Read More

  • Princess Mononoke Analysis

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke is a development of Japanese animation that can be seen as a romantic fable of two characters that were brought together through one cause; however, Miyazaki’s film can be seen as a Japanese cultural production. It is seen as a cultural production because it shows elements of Shinto through the Kami and the use of water for purification, as well as the female stereotype reversal that was quite dominant in the time of the Heian period. The characters in Princess Mononoke interact with the kami (gods or spirits) when they are in sacred sites or areas that assist in the contact. In Princess Mononoke, the mountain is the place where the characters make contact with the kami, which is their Shinto shrine because “originally there was no shrine building; rather, a shrine was simply a sacred precinct set apart in a certain area or around a sacred object such as a tree or stone” (Earhart, 1982, 34-35).

    Read More

  • Buddhism Essay

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    We live in a world full of different religions and all of them have, for the most part, a lot of similarities between them. Some of said similarities include beliefs or practices, art, statuary and architecture or buildings such as temples or churches. They serve as reminders of teachings or beliefs and also a place to gather and worship. The architecture or structures are so revered by the people who build them that they themselves become intricate works of art. Another form in use is statues. Most religions use some form of statuary as shrines to visit or pray to, also as a representation of the image portrayed by their chosen religion. A religion with a strong representation of this practice is Buddhism. Today, Buddhism is recognized as one of the world’s major religions.

    Read More

  • Chinese Mythology Essay

    572 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Japanese were strongly influenced by a belief in ghosts, demons and supernatural spirits. The roots of Japanese mythology come from their Shinto Religion, in Taoism and in Zen Buddhism. The main religion in Japan is Shinto, and the Shinto religion’s gods and spirits make up most of Japanese myt...

    Read More

  • Shinto Religion

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Shinto religion is an extremely important aspect of the Japanese culture and for many, a way of life. Shinto is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people and is Japan’s oldest religion. It incorporates the ways of ancient Japan with the practices of modern Japanese society. The values and customs of the Shinto religion are connected to those from the Japanese culture. Because ritual rather than belief is the main focus of Shinto, Japanese people do not usually think of Shinto as just a religion, it is more of an aspect of Japanese life.

    Read More

More about Japan's Imperial Family: Amaterasu

Open Document