Handbook of Japanese Mythology

396 Pages·2003·4.5 MB·English

by  Michael Ashkenazi

Handbook of
Japanese Mythology

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HANDBOOKS OF WORLD MYTHOLOGY
Handbook of
Japanese Mythology

Michael Ashkenazi

Santa Barbara, California • Denver, Colorado • Oxford, England

Copyright © 2003 by Michael Ashkenazi

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a
review, without prior permission in writing from the publishers.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ashkenazi, Michael.
Handbook of Japanese mythology / Michael Ashkenazi.
p. cm. — (Handbooks of world mythology)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Mythology, Japanese—Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series.
BL2203.A86 2003
299'56—dc21
2003008649

ISBN 1-57607-467-6; 1-57607-468-4 (e-Book)

07 06 05 04 03 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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This book is printed on acid-free paper I .
Manufactured in the United States of America

To Zaf,
for,among many things,
first getting me interested in Japan

CONTENTS

Preface, xv

1 Introduction, 1
Transliteration of Japanese Terms, 2
Mythology and the Japanese World, 3
Great Tradition and Little Traditions, 4
Little Traditions and Great Tradition in the Japanese Context, 5
External Sources of Japanese Traditions, 5
The Myth of Japan, 7
Japanese Topography and Geography, 8
Population, 10
Japanese History and Traditions, 12
Archaic Period: Jo¯mon, Yayoi, and Kofun (Approximately
1000 B.C.E. to 650 C.E.), 12
The Roots of Empire (Approximately 500–781 C.E.), 14
The Aristocratic Period (Approximately 650 C.E.–1185), 16
The Medieval Period (1185–1600), 19
The Premodern and Modern Periods (1615–), 21
Social History, 22

The Powerful, 23
The Powerless, 24
Outsiders and Rovers, 24
Japanese Family Relations, 25
The Mythic Traditions, 26
Shinto¯, 27
Buddhism, 36
Demons, Goblins, Witches, Ghosts, Hermits, and Wizards, 55
Humans, 56
Non-humans, 56

vii

Shugendo¯, 57
Outlying Myth Complexes, 58
Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands, 59
Ainu, 61
Japanese Myth in the Modern World, 64
Sources of Japanese Mythology, 65
The Shinto¯ Canon, 66
Buddhist Literature: The Sutras and Commentaries, 67
Ainu Yukari, 68
Ryukyuan Myths, 69
Language and Writing, 69
Interpreting Japanese Myth, 70
Universal Types, 71
Structuralist Interpretations, 71
Diffusion, 71
Interpretation on the Basis of Archaeo-Anthropology:
The Attempt to Extract Prehistory from Myth, 72
Japanese Uniqueness Myths, 73

2 Mythic Time and Space, 75
Creation and Consolidation: The Foundation Myths, 76
Susano-wo’s Crimes and the Sun Goddess, 77
The Creation of Food for Humankind, 79
Susano-Wo and the Eight-Tailed Dragon, 80
O¯ kuninushi and His Eighty Brothers, 80
O¯ kuninushi Is Tested by Susano-wo, 81
O¯ kuninushi and Sukunabikona Finish Creating the Land, 82
The Heavenly Deities Subdue the Land: First Attempt,
with Weak Son, 83
The Heavenly Deities Subdue the Land: Second Attempt,
with Pheasant, 84
The Heavenly Deities Subdue the Land: Third Time Lucky, 85
The Heavenly Grandson Descends to Take Possession
of the Central Land of the Reed Plains, 86
Ho-ori Loses His Brother’s Fish-Hook, 87
Jimmu Tenno, the First Emperor, 88
Yamato-takeru, the Hero of Yamato, 90
The Empress Jingu¯ Subdues Korea, and the Kami Hachiman Is Born, 93
The Age of Heroes, 94
Tawara Toda, the Archer, 95

Contents
viii

Raiko¯ and His Band of Heroes, 96
Woman Heroes, 96
Benkei and Yoshitsune, 96
Buddhist Myths, 98
The Life of Shakyamuni and the Formation of Buddhism, 99
The Arrival of Buddhism in Japan, 99
Morality Tales, 100
Mythical Spaces, 100
Buddhist Spaces, 101
Shinto¯ Spaces, 102

3 Deities, Themes, and Concepts, 109
Ae-oina Kamui (Ainu), 109
Aizen-Myo¯-o¯, 110
Ajishikitakahikone-no-kami, 110
Ama-no-uzume, 111
Amaterasu-o¯-mikami, 112
Amenominakanushi-no-kami, 113
Ame-no-wakahiko, 114
Amida Nyo¯ rai, 115
Animals, 115
Apasam Kamui (Ainu), 120
Assembly of the Gods, 121
Atago-gongen, 122
Bakemono, 123
Battabara-bosatsu, 123
Benkei, 123
Benzaiten, 126
Bimbogami, 126
Binzuru-sonja, 126
Bishamon-ten, 128
Central Land of the Reed Plains, 128
Chikap Kamui (Ainu), 128
Chimata-no-kami, 128
Chiseikoro Kamui (Ainu), 129
Chu¯jo¯-hime, 129
Chu¯shingura, 130
Daigenshuri-bosatsu, 131
Daikoku, 132
Dainichi Nyo¯rai, 132

Contents
ix

Daitoku Myo¯-o¯ (-bosatsu), 133
Dakiniten, 133
Daruma, 134
Datsueba, 135
Divination, 135
Divine Descent, 137
Divine Rulership, 137
Do¯ jo¯-ho¯shi, 138
Doso¯ jin, 139
Dπzoku-shin, 140
Earthly Kami (Kunitsu-kami), 141
Ebisu, 142
Emma-o¯, 144
En-no-Gyo¯ ja, 144
Fii Nu Kang (Ryukyuan), 145
Food Deities, 146
Fox, 148
Fu-daishi, 151
Fudo¯ Myo¯-o¯, 151
Fugen-bosatsu, 153
Fujin, 154
Fukurokuju, 155
Futsunushi-no-kami, 155
Gama-sennin, 156
Gekka-o¯, 156
Ghosts, 156
Gongen, 158
Go-shintai, 158
Gozu-tenno, 159
Gut Length, 159
Hachidai Ryu¯ -o¯, 159
Hachiman, 160
Hashinau-uk Kamui (Ainu), 161
Heavenly Floating Bridge, 161
Heroes, 161
Hidarugami, 164
Hiruko, 165
Hitokotonushi-no-kami, 166
Hoderi-no-mikoto, 166
Ho-ori-no-mikoto (Hikohohodemi), 167

Contents
x

Ho¯ tei, 168
Hotoke, 168
Ida-ten, 169
Imperial Regalia, 169
Inari, 170
Izanagi and Izanami, 172
Izumo, 177
Japanese Uniqueness, 179
Jewels, 180
Jimmu Tenno, 181
Jinushigami, 183
Jizo¯, 183
Jurojin, 185
Ju¯rokurakan, 185
Kagutsuchi-no-kami, 186
Kamado-gami, 186
Kami, 187
Kamikaze, 188
Kamimusubi, 190
Kamui Fuchi (Ainu), 191
Kandakoro Kamui (Ainu), 192
Kannon (Kanzeon-bosatsu), 193
Kappa, 195
Kasuga Daimyo¯jin, 196
Kawa-no-kami, 197
Kenash Unarabe (Ainu), 197
Kim-un Kamui (Ainu), 198
Kinashut Kamui (Ainu), 199
Kintoki (also Kintaro¯), 199
Kishimo¯ jin, 200
Ko¯bo¯ Daishi, 201
Kojaku Myo¯ -o¯, 205
Kokka Shinto¯, 206
Koku¯ zo¯-bosatsu, 207
Koma-inu, 207
Kongo¯, 209
Ko¯ no¯ hanasakuya-hime, 210
Konpira-daigongen, 211
Kotankor Kamui (Ainu), 211
Kotoshironushi-no-kami, 212

Contents
xi

Koyasu-gami, 213
Kuraokami-no-kami, 213
Kuyebiko, 213
Marebito, 214
Marishi-ten, 215
Miroku-bosatsu, 215
Mirror, 216
Miyazu-hime, 216
Mizuhame-no-mikoto, 217
Monju-bosatsu, 217
Moshirikara Kamui (Ainu), 218
Mountains, 218
Myo¯gen-bosatsu, 220
Nai-no-kami, 220
Namazu, 220
Nihonjin-ron, 222
Ninigi-no-mikoto, 222
Ni-o¯, 223
Nusakoro Kamui (Ainu), 225
Okamutsumi-no-mikoto, 226
Okikurmi (Ainu), 226
O¯ kuninushi, 228
Oni, 230
Orihime and Kengyu¯ , 232
O¯ toshi-no-kami, 233
Owatatsumi-no-kami, 233
Oyamatsumi-no-kami, 234
Oyashima-kuni, 234
Pauchi Kamui (Ainu), 234
Pure Land, 235
Raiden (also Raijin), 236
Raiko¯, 236
Renge, 238
Repun Kamui (Ainu), 238
Rokuji Myo¯-o¯, 239
Rusugami, 239
Ryu¯jin (also Ryu-o¯), 240
Ryu¯ju (Nagarjuna), 241
Sae-no-kami, 241
Sages (Buddhist and Daoist), 241

Contents
xii

Sanbo¯-Ko¯jin, 244
Sarutahiko-no-kami, 244
Seishi-bosatsu, 245
Sengen, 245
Shaka (Shakyamuni, sage of the Shakya clan), 246
Shi Tenno, 247
Shichi Fukujin, 247
Shiramba Kamui (Ainu), 249
Sho¯ki, 249
Sho¯-ten, 250
Sho¯toku Taishi, 250
Shozuka-no-baba, 251
Shumisen (Mt. Meru, Sumeru), 252
Snakes, 252
Stones, 254
Suijin (also Mizu-no-kami), 255
Suitengu, 256
Sukunabikona, 256
Sumiyoshi, 257
Susano-wo, 259
Swords, 261
Taira, 263
Takamagahara, 264
Takamimusubi-no-kami, 265
Takarabune, 266
Takemikazuchi-no-kami, 266
Takeminakata-no-kami, 267
Ta-no-kami, 268
Tawara Toda (Toda Hidesato, Fujiwara Hidesato), 268
Tengu, 270
Tenjin, 272
Tenson (Ryukyus: Okinawa), 273
Thunder Deities, 274
Toyoashihara-no-chiaki-no-nagaioaki-no-mizuho-no-kuni, 277
Tsukiyomi-no-mikoto, 277
Ugajin, 277
Uminai-gami and Umikii-gami (Ryukyus), 278
Underworld, 278
Urashimataro¯, 281
Ususuma Myo¯-o¯, 282

Contents
xiii

Waka-ush-kamui (Ainu), 283
Weapons, 284
Yakushi Nyo¯rai, 286
Yama-no-kami, 287
Yamato, 287
Yamato-takeru, 288
Yama-uba, 290
Yaoyorozu-no-kamigami, 291
Yoshitsune, 291
Yuki-onna, 293
Yushkep Kamui (Ainu), 294
Zao¯-gongen, 295
Table of Minor Deities, 295

4 Annotated Print and Nonprint Resources, 299
Books and Articles, 299
Videos, 303
Websites, 304
General Japan, 304
Buddhism, 305
Shinto¯, 305
Mythology in Art and History, 306
Myths and Glossaries, 307

Glossary, 311
Appendix: Primary Sources, 319
Index, 331
About the Author, 377

Contents
xiv