For questions about Japanese myths and legends.
Questions tagged [japanese]
46 questions
19
votes
1 answer
Do we know of the existence of Japanese mythological texts that predate the Kojiki?
The Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) is the oldest surviving work of Japanese mythology (and, indeed, the oldest surviving work in the Japanese language, period), and as I understand it, much of our understanding of early Japanese mythology (the…
senshin
- 2,962
- 2
- 21
- 39
11
votes
1 answer
How are Japanese emperors related to Amaterasu?
Japanese Emperors are said to be direct descendants of the Sun-goddess Amaterasu. As far as I know, Amaterasu married the Moon-god, her brother, but later on, she left him. But they did not have any children. In that case, how did Amaterasu become…
user1385
8
votes
1 answer
Which Kamuy are the 'bad ones'?
Chamberlain, in 'Aino folk-tales', reports the following tale, referred to as 'How it was settled who should rule the World', from the Ainus (Hokkaido, Japan):
When the Creator had finished creating this world of men, the good and the bad gods were…
plannapus
- 3,549
- 14
- 47
8
votes
2 answers
Storybooks about Japanese Mythology?
I've been wanting to read a bit about japanese myths and legends, kamis and yokais, and the main reference I found was Handbook of Japanese Mythology, which seems quite complete. However, my understanding is that it has quite a "scholar" approach to…
LilianC
- 83
- 2
5
votes
1 answer
Japanese god of tea
Is there a Japanese god or goddess of tea?
I’ve read that Inari is a god of various things, such as rice, sake, and tea... But is there a deity that is god of tea in particular?
TeachMe
- 443
- 2
- 9
4
votes
1 answer
Why isn't Ninigi considered the first emperor of Japan?
Most references indicate that Amaterasu decided that Japan needed an emperor and she sent her grandson, Ninigi, to rule; however, they always refer to his grandson (great-grandson), Jimmu, as the first emperor.
edited: Further research shows that he…
Shin Bikkuriman
- 135
- 5
1
vote
0 answers
Should "obake" be understood to refer to shapeshifters, or rather to things that have been transformed?
In the tvtropes article on Youkai, the following remark is made on the meaning of "obake":
Obake is another Japanese word that can indicate some type of monster. Derived from the word for "to change", it generally covers the subset of youkai that…
Southfar
- 11
- 1