Japan - Shrines and Temples

06/03/2020

shinrei spirit legends

Sometimes a dead person can come back to haunt or help others as a bad or good ghost or a divine spirit.

. Shrine Uji Jinja 宇治神社 .
The following persons and their Spirits are venerated here :

大職冠鎌足神霊　（タイショクカンカマタリシンレイ）Taishokukan Kamatari Shinrei / 藤原鎌足 Fujiwara no Kamatari
和気清麿神霊　（ワケノキヨマロシンレイ）Wake no Kiyomaro Shinrei
菅原道真神霊　（スガワラノミチザネシンレイ）Sugawara no Michizane Shinrei
楠正成神霊　（クスノキマサシゲシンレイ）Kusunoki Masashige Shinrei
羽倉東麿神霊　（ハクラアズママロシンレイ）Hakura Azuma Maro Shinrei
岡部真淵神霊　（オカベマブチシンレイ）Okabe Mabuchi Shinrei / 賀茂真淵 Kamo no Mabuchi
本居宣長神霊　（モトオリノリナガシンレイ）Motoori Norinaga Shinrei
平田篤胤神霊（ヒラタアツタネシンレイ）Hirata Atsutane Shinrei

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aramitama 荒魂 / 荒御魂 - nigimitama 和魂
- quote -
This is one of the ways of referring to a spirit (mitama)
by its function or inner workings, placing it in opposition to nigimitama.
Aramitama is recognized and understood as the ferocious, rough, or violent manifestation of a spirit (mitama).
Although the nigimitama is the normal condition of the spirit,
the aramitama appears during times of war or natural disasters.
This aramitama changes back to the nature of nigimitama by receiving ritual attention.
However, using aramitama to refer to the state wherein the spirits of kami (shinrei) or their power become manifest is thought to have been closer to the original usage.
Among shrines, many worship the two aspects of the mitama separately.
For example, Sumiyoshi Shrine in Shimonoseki worships the aramitama of the Sumiyoshi kami,
while Sumiyoshi Taisha in Osaka worships its nigimitama.
- source : kokugakuin - Yonei Teruyoshi -

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

mitama, goryoo 御霊 a spirit
Utsushimi 現御身（うつしみ） is the shinrei 神霊 divine spirit of a kami 神 Shinto Deity in this world.
とは神の現世で御霊であり、御霊とは神霊のことを指す。
御霊実とはご神体のことである。
tama 霊 spirit
is a general term for spirit or soul in ancient times. In addition to human spirit, it also refers to spirit or spiritual force in nature.
A human soul is considered a spiritual entity that comes from outside and dwells in the body, endowing the individual with energy and personality. The word tamashii (spirit, soul) presumably had an original meaning of the "function of tama."
Mitama (御魂、御霊) is an honorific term for tama. When it is written with the characters 神霊 (mitama), it refers to the spirit of a kami.
Later on, the spelling of 御霊 came to be used exclusively for goryō, a spirit that brings hazards to human society.
- reference : d-museum.kokugakuin.ac .. -

.......................................................................　Aichi 愛知県 .....
知多郡 Chita district 南知多町 Minamichita town

shinbatsu 神罰 heavenly punishment
Another name for 神霊 Shinrei is Okutari sama オワタリサマ O-Kutari sama or Ojinjiki sama オジンジキサマ O-Jinjiki

At 八王子社 the Shrine Hachiojisha at Shinojima 篠島 Shino Island
the festival is held once a year on the 3rd and 4th day of January.
From 八王寺社 the Shrine Hachiojisha
- quote -
Shinojima Lord's Procession Festival

This unique festival is one of the trademarks of the small and tranquil island of Shinojima,
located right in the middle of the Mikawa Bay entrance between the Chita and Atsumi peninsulas.
The ritual of the Daimyo Gyoretsu Procession is carried out in order to protect
Ojinjiki-sama, the spirit of Hachioji Shrine, while it is moved to Shinmei Shrine
and brought back on the following day.
It is believed that the power of Ojinjiki-sama will make onlookers go blind,
so all the lights in the road between the two shrines are turned off during the ceremony.
On the next day, after a shamanic dance at the Shinojima Beach,
the crowd of almost-naked men will get in a big brawl in order to decide
who gets the Otanagi-sama of the "Shinboku" Divine Tree.
- reference source : aichi-now.jp ... -
- reference source : shinojima-matsuri ... -

Hachioji Jinsha 八王子神社 Shrine for the 8 Oji Princes
Yahashira Jinja 八柱神社（やはしらじんじゃ）
- reference source : wikipedia -

.......................................................................　Akita 秋田県 .....
秋田市 Akita city

reimu 霊夢 vision in a dream，shinrei 神霊

At the Shrine for the Deity 三吉大明神 Miyoshi Daimyojin at 大平山 Mount Taiheisan
a believer once had a strange dream.
If a man goes to the top of the mountain to worship the deity he will get great profits.
Since the wife of the believer had seen the same dream,
both built a small Shrine and thus had many wishes granted.
After a wish is granted they must make an offering of mochi 餅 rice cakes.
Otherwise they will be cursed.

.......................................................................　Chiba 千葉県 .....
印旛郡 Imba district / Inba / 臼井町 Usui town

. tsue 杖と伝説 Legends about a walking staff .
When 八幡宮 the Shrine Hachimangu was founded in Usui,
the local lord 臼井太郎興胤 Usui Taro Okitane (? - 1313, age 25) placed his walking stick in the ground.
If the staff would stand and grow, this would be the show of shinrei 神霊 a divine spirit.
The staff began to grow and became 樟の神木 the divine Kusunoki camphor tree.

臼井八幡宮 Shrine Usui Hachimangu

.......................................................................　Fukui 福井県 .....
川俣町 Kawamata town

reikoku 霊告 revelation
The Shrine for the Deity 甲太明神 Kotai Myojin was built on a relevation of the Deity.
A muku no ki 椋の木 Muku tree Aphananthe aspera was growing in one night.
The place was then called muku seichi 椋生地 place where the Muku grows.

皇太明神神社 Shrine Kotai Myojin Jinja - Shiga

- reference source : kokesikan.com/zinzya... -

.......................................................................　Fukushima 福島県 .....
いわき市 Iwaki city

At 諏訪神社 the Shrine Suwa Jinja in Iwaki city and 泉崎の八幡神社 the Shrine Hachiman Jinja in Izumisaki
there are ema 絵馬 amulets in rememberance of a pilgrimage to 出羽三山 the Three Mountains of Dewa.
They depict pilgrims at a ritual of the waterfall.
In front of the waterfall is a mirror, which represents 神霊 Shinrei, the divine spirit.

.......................................................................　Hokkaido 北海道 .....
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. 源の義経　Minamoto no Yoshitsune .
At the homes of the Ainu there are two open windows.
One is called 「かもいとの」Kamoitono and
the other one 「ふうくはん」Fuukuhan.
They are venerated with food offerings.
Kamoi represents 神霊 Shinrei, the divine spirit and
Fuukuhan represents the spirit of Yoshitsune

.......................................................................　Hyogo　兵庫県 .....

Konpira Shin reikoku 金比羅神霊験 the miracle of the Konpira Deity
金右衛門 Kinemon was a lumber dealer. He put all his lumber on a ship.
The sailors wanted to steal his money and tried to kill him.
They tied him up and threw him into the sea.
That night in the yard of Kinemon's home, his wife heard a strange sound
and she saw Kinemon tied up and falling down.
Kinemon was a strong believer in 金比羅 the Konpira Deity and had prayed
to Konpira San to save him.
When he went to Konpira and told the story, he got his money back.
He gave all the money to the Shrine to built Kondo 金堂 a Golden Hall there.

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養老町 Yoro town

taki no shinrei 滝の神霊 Shinrei, the divine spirit of a waterfall
People who take ablutions in 鼓ヶ滝 the waterfall Tsuzumigataki or
in 養老の滝 the waterfall Yoro no Taki in Gifu have to keep special taboos.
If they use a gourd to scoop water or eat the fish from the river or cook soy beans with the water,
they will make the deity of the waterfall angry and might die on the spot.

養老の滝 the waterfall Yoro no Taki
- quote -
Yoro falls has been chosen as one of the Top 100 Waterfalls and one of the 100 Best Spring Water Sites in Japan.
It is also famous for a legend that tells the story of a pious son who ladles some water from the waterfall
to give to his ailing father, only to find that it tastes like sake!
- source : visitgifu.com/see-do .. -

.......................................................................　Kumamoto 熊本県 .....

reiken 霊験 a miracle，shinrei 神霊 divine spirit
If the price for rice becomes very high or if there will be a natural disaster
a special star appears above 阿蘇山 Mount Asosan.
On the 13th of May suddenly all the mice left the houses,
on the 17th rain begun to fall and destroyed the fields,
on the 18th birds flew away from 藤崎祇園 Fujisaki Gion.
On that day in the evening there was a huge eruption of the volcano Asosan.

- - - - - 肥後 Higo

shaboku 社木 divine Shinto Shrine tree

The shaboku 社木 divine trees at 肥後の野原八幡 the Shrine Nohara Hachimangu in Higo
had fallen down during a Taifun.
But then there was a large trembling of the ground and all the trees were standing up again.
People think this was not unusual, but due to the shinrei 神霊 divine spirit of the place.
. shinboku 神木, shinju　神樹　sacred tree, divine tree .

one more legend about shaboku

福岡県 Fukuoka 太宰府市 Dazaifu city

shaboku to tatari 社木の祟 the curse of the divine Shrine tree
During the time of 清原岑成 Kiyohara no Minenari (799 - 861) as regend of Dazaifu
the damage to the roof of the Shrine had become great and for repair
the people felled the large tree in the Shrine compound.
But Minenari was cursed by the divine tree and died soon after.
. shinboku 神木, shinju　神樹　sacred tree, divine tree .

.......................................................................　Kyoto 京都府 .....

伏見区 Fushimi ward

. Toba don 鳥羽殿 Honorable Sir Toba - carps .

.......................................................................　Nagano 長野県 .....
松本市 Matsumoto city

. kitsune densetsu 狐と伝説 fox legends .
Foxes are known to bewitch people and make them eat abura-age アブラアゲ / 油揚げ fried Tofu.
Sometimes such a person seems to have become the speaker of 神霊 Shinrei, a divine spirit.
Once a child of 14 years became bewitched and started eading a lot of fried Tofu.
Once the child said "When I become 19, I will stop that!"
And indeed, after his 19th birthday, the child became normal again, after a priest performed a purification ritual.

.......................................................................　Nagasaki 長崎県 .....
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諫早市 Isahaya city

. kaikoo 怪光 mysterious light .
and the divine spirit of Princess . Inadahime 稲田姫 Princess Inada .

.......................................................................　Osaka 大阪府 .....
大阪市 Osaka city 生野区 Ikuno ward

shinrei 神霊 the divine spirit
When 仁徳天皇 Emperor Nintoku Tenno (257 - 399) lived at 高津の宮 Takatsu no Miya,
his archery place was at 岡村 Okamura village.
People later built a Shinto Shrine there and venerated Nintoku Tenno as a divine spirit.

.......................................................................
三島郡 Mishima district

. Emperor Gotoba Tenno 後鳥羽天皇 / 後鳥羽上皇 .
Around 1595, the famous thief 石川五右衛門 Ishikawa Goemon sneaked into 水無瀬殿 the Hall Minase Dono.
But this was a hall to venerate shinrei 神霊 the divine spirit of Emperor Gotoba.
So his body begun to shrink and he could not leave the place any more.
. Ishikawa Goemon (石川五右衛門) .

.......................................................................　Shimane 島根県 .....
隠岐郡 Oki district

takuhi gongen 焼火権現 Takuhi Divine Fire Deity
At night from the sea around 隠岐 Oki Island, shinka 神火 a divine light was seen, believed to be made
by Takuhi Gongen 焼火権現 the Deity of Divine Fire.
This deity could calm down high waves.
When a boat was near shipwrecking, the sailors prayed to this Deity. Then a divine light would show and they were saved.
. shinka 神火と伝説 Legends about　"divine fire" .
shinka 神火 / シンカ "fire of the gods", "light of the gods"
goshinka, go-shinka 御神火 "divine fire" from a volcano

- quote -
焼火神社 Shrine Takuhi Jinja

島根県隠岐郡西ノ島町焼火山
Deity in residence : 大日霊貴尊（おおひるめむちのみこと） Ohirumemuchi no Mikoto
(This is another name for Amaterasu no Okami.)
Takuhi Shrine, which is located on mountain Takuhi (452m above the sea level), is dedicated to deity of safe sea voyages.
The legend says on 30th December of Japanese lunisolar calendar, three fire balls rose from the sea
and entered the cave where the shrine is located today.
This is the origin of Takuhi Shrine.
A Shinto ritual called “Ryutousai” was held on the day where people from every part of the Oki Islands used to gather at the shrine to worship the sacred fire.
Nowadays, this custom continues on the fifth of lunisolar New Year as “hatsumairi” meaning the first shrine visit of the year.
Each village on the two islands has a dedicated date for the village where the village people gather and celebrate.
The building of the shrine was rebuilt in 1732. It is the most ancient construction on the Oki Islands.
It was constructed with method revolutionary at the time.
Each part was built in Osaka and assembled here (similar to prefabricated construction today).
The shrine has been designated as Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1992.
The historic and religious significance and the timeless beauty of the architecture still remain to this date.
The belief in the burning fire shrine is well known throughout Japan,
as evidenced by its depiction in prints by Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige.
- reference source : takuhi-shrine.com ... -

.......................................................................　Tottori 鳥取県 .....
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西伯郡 Saihaku district 大山村 Daisen village

uwanari shinji うわなり神事 / 嫐(うわなり)神事 Uwanari Ritual

10数年前、高杉神社 Shrine Takasugi Jinja のうわなり神事に霊依人として参加した人が、
自分には神霊は憑かないと言っていたのに、神事が始まると取り憑かれた。
Uwanari was a kabuki play of the Kabuki Jūhachiban, first performed in 1699.
The Eighteen Best Kabuki Plays is a set of kabuki plays, strongly associated with
the Ichikawa Danjūrō line of actors ever since their premieres.

.......................................................................　Wakayama 和歌山県 .....
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田辺市 Tanabe city 本宮町 Hongu town

. Legends about Oni Demons .
A demon had been tormenting the farmers for a long time.
They used a long gun, put in a lead bullet with a prayer to Amida Butsu 南無阿弥陀仏 Buddha Amitaba and shot.
Until now no bullet had an effect, but this time,
a special bullet with shinrei 神霊 the spiritual power of Amida was able to hit the demon and kill him.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
神霊 - ok

- reference : nichibun yokai database -

continued here :
. tamashi 魂 the soul .
Watakushi no Shinrei Taiken 私の心霊体験 My Shinrei experience / 鹿目和子 Kaname Kazuko

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- ##shinrei ##spirit #Geist #ghost -
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20/02/2020

- Shinto Shrines and Legends - List

10/02/2020

Shingun heavenly army phenomenon

source : sekiei.nichibun.ac.jp/GAI

- quote -
Dewa Province (出羽国, Dewa no kuni)
was a province of Japan comprising modern-day Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture, except for the city of Kazuno and the town of Kosaka. Dewa bordered on 陸奥国 Mutsu and Echigō Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was Ushū (羽州).
- Early period
Prior to the Asuka period, Dewa was inhabited by Ainu or Emishi tribes, and was effectively outside of the control of the Yamato dynasty. Abe no Hirafu conquered the native Emishi tribes at what are now the cities of Akita and Noshiro in 658 and established a fort on the Mogami River.
In 708 AD Dewa District (出羽郡, Dewa-gun) was created within Echigō Province. The area of Dewa District was roughly that of the modern Shōnai area of Yamagata Prefecture, and was gradually extended to the north as the Japanese pushed back the indigenous people of northern Honshū.
Dewa District was promoted to the status of a province (Dewa Province (出羽国, Dewa no kuni)) in 712 AD, and gained Okitama and Mogami Districts, formerly part of Mutsu Province.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

.......................................................................　Akita 秋田県 .....
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由利本荘市 Yuri Honjo city 矢島町 Yashima machi town

yanone ishi 矢ノ根石，hirekijin 霹靂碪，shingun 神軍
In Dewa no Kuni 出羽国 the Dewa Domain, there is a penomenon called 神軍 Shingun.
After a strong rainstorm there are stones falling from the sky, looking like yanone 矢の根 arrowheads.
At the beach called 矢嶋 Yajima near 鳥海山 Mount Chokaisan there are white clouds over the sea, coming from 松前 Matsumae. These white clouds are not moving and the earth begins to rattle like an earthquake. If people go to the beach a little later they find various yajiri ishi 鏃石 arrowhead stones on the beach.

This phenomenon is also seen in other parts along the coast, in 青森県 Aomori, 岩手県 Iwate, 茨城県 Ibaraki, even in 松前 Matsumae, Hokkaido.

.......................................................................　Miyagi 宮城県 .....
.......................................................................
also told in 石川県 Ishikawa and 茨城県 Ibaragi

神軍，矢の根石
In the old domain of Mutsu no Kuni 陸奥国 there is a place named Tori no Umi 鳥の海 (Sea of the Birds).
Every year during the coldest season there is a phenomenon called shingun 神軍. After a great rainstorm, there are yane 矢根 arrowheads falling from the sky.

.......................................................................　Niigata 新潟県 .....
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佐渡市 Sado city

Iso no kami いそのかみ
Every year on the 10th day of the second lunar month, the deity Isonokami comes walking over the mountains and the sea.
This is called shingun 神軍.
On this day there is usually a great storm and the ground is shaking. On the next day 石の矢の根 arrowhead stones are on the beach. Raifuishi 雷斧石 arrowhead stones can be found in other places too.

. Isonokami Jingu 石上神宮 Shrine in Nara .
one of the oldest extant Shinto shrines in Japan

- - - - -

Kabuse shingun 鹿伏神軍
yanone ishi 矢の根石
At the Shrine for 鹿伏明神社 Kabuse Myojin in Sado there is usually a strong rainstorm on the 9th day of the second lunar month, which gets wore over night. It calms down the next morning and on the 10th day there is fine weather. The local people on this night the shingun 神軍 is there and the people do not dare to go out.
On the next morning there are strange yanone 矢の根 arrowheads on the ground. People collect them and keep them for their protection
ー新潟県佐渡市相川鹿伏 Aikawa, Kabuse

.......................................................................　Yamagata 山形県 .....

shingun no yajiri 神軍の鏃
In 西浜 Nishihama, Tagawa in 出羽国田川郡 Dewa province there are places where there are no stones.
But after a strong rainstorm there are stones like arrowheads and spear heads on the beach, some are white and some are red.

.......................................................................
飽海郡 Akumi district

source : okab.exblog.jp...

Akumi shingun 飽海神軍
At the Akumi Shrine 出羽国庄内飽海社 the deity 大物忌大神 Omonoimi no Kami is venerated.
Once a year there is a strong storm and the weather is very wild. During this time yanone ishi 矢の根石 arrowhead stones fall from the sky.

鳥海山大物忌神社 Shrine Chokaisan Omonoimi Jinja

On the top of the sacred Mount Chokaisan.
1 Fukura, Yuza, Akumi District, Yamagata
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

A similar tale is told at 出羽国福浦村 Fukuura village.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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- #shingun #arrowhead #yanone #yajiri #hekirekichin #神軍 -
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06/02/2020

unohi u no hi legends

hatsu u (hatsu-u) 初卯 (はつう) first day of the rabbit/hare
hatsu-u matsuri 初卯祭（はつうまつり）first day of the rabbit festival
hatsu u mairi 、初卯詣（はつうまいり）visiting a shrine for the rabbit festival
In Edo to the shrine Kameido Tenmangu, in Kyoto to the shrine Iwashimizu Hachimangu, in Osaka to the shrine Sumiyosh Taisha. Also other Tenmangu-Shrines in Japan.
In the year of the rabbit, this visit was especially popular in the Edo period.

u no fuda 卯の札（うのふだ）"rabbit votive tablet" (for this day)
ni no u 二の卯（にのう）second day of the rabbit
san no u 三の卯（さんのう）third day of the rabbit

uzue, warding of evil with a ritual wand 卯杖

..... u no tsue 卯の杖（うのつえ）、hatsu uzue 初卯杖（はつうづえ）、iwai no tsue 祝の杖（いわいのつえ）
uzue no hogai 卯杖の祝（うづえのほがい）. uzue no kotobuki 卯杖の寿（うづえのことぶき）
Used for purification on the first day of the rabbit, u no hi, unohi 卯の日

. Kigo for the New Year .

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. Shrine, Shinto Shrine (jinja　神社) - Introduction .

. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.......................................................................　Gunma 群馬県 .....

. Toshigami Sama 年神様 God of the Year .

.......................................................................　Fukuoka 福岡県 .....
.......................................................................
浮羽郡 Ukiha district // Yoshiimachi

At the Shrine 若宮八幡宮 Wakamiya Hachimangu the ritual of Usokae 鷽替え / ウソ替え comes to an end.
At the same time a large drum is hit and onikura 鬼倉 the storehouse of the demons is opened, to let the red and blue demon out. They swing their iron rod wildly for a while. Then they are driven back by people wwinging taimatsu 松明 torches and go back to their storehouse.
This ritual is called オニフスベ oni fusube.

. usokae うそ替え exchanging bullfinches .
ritual on January 7, at Dazaifu Tenmangu, Fukuoka
at the hour of the rooster

. akaoni, aka-oni 赤鬼伝説　Red Oni Demon Legends .

.......................................................................　Kanagawa 神奈川県 .....
.......................................................................
葉山町 Hayama town

funarei sama 船霊様 / funadama sama 船魂様
Funadama Sama is a female deity protecting boats. Her amulet must be put in a boat on unohi 卯の日 the day of the rabbit.
. funadama 船玉 / 船霊 / 船魂 guardian deity of a boat .

.......................................................................　Niigata 新潟県 .....
.......................................................................
長岡市 Nagaoka city

. Toshitokujin 歳德神 God of the New Year .

.......................................................................　Oita 大分県 .....
.......................................................................
大野郡 Ono district

ta no tatari 田の祟り curse of the fields
If the farmers plant the rice fields on unohi 卯の日 the day of the rabbit, their wives might die.

.......................................................................　Saitama 埼玉県 .....
.......................................................................
北埼玉郡 Kita-Saitama district 騎西町 Kisai town

. Toshigamisama 年神様 God of the New Year .

.......................................................................　Shizuoka 静岡県 .....
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浜松市 Hamamatsu city 龍山町 Tatsuyama town

Miso paste 味噌 should not be made on unohi 卯の日 the day of the rabbit
. miso みそ / 味噌 Miso paste .

.......................................................................　Tokyo 東京都 .....
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府中市 Fuchu city . The Rokusho Deity オロクショウサマ O-Rokusho Sama .

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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- #unohi #dayoftherabbit -
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04/02/2020

Sakura Jingu

- quote
Sakura Jingū Association
The Association was built to enhance the spirit of the deities by thanking them and our ancestors, and to offer a 'healing' and 'connecting’ place, aiming to make people's daily life peaceful, Members of the association have many benefits including a protective talisman offered anually our newsletter subscription, opportunities to pray in the sanctum, participation in meditation before kami, and wedding ceremonies and funerals.　

History and origin
Yoshimura Masamochi, the 65th descendant of Ōnakatomi, was a warrior of the imperial loyalists in Kyoto. During the early Meiji period, he worked at the Department of Shinto Affairs (which later became the Ministry of Religious Education), and took part in policy making for Shinto propagation under the government. Served as chief priest of a shrine, he devoted himself into spreading the teachings of Shinto.
However, when the Meiji government suddenly altered their religious policy, Masamochi decided that it was his mission to lead people to the traditional Shinto values. He founded a religious organization and established a religious facility (a shrine) in Kanda. It became an independent sect called Shinshu-kyō, sanctioned by the Meiji Emperor in 1882.
Masamochi, who was highly favored by Saigo Takamori and Ito Hirobumi as well as other key government officials, spent time with Percival Lowell, an American astronomer and a devout Christian, and taught him Shinto beliefs during his stay in Japan. Introduced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the books of Lowell, more than 200 Westerners visited annual festivals at the shrine during the Meiji period. Masamochi received an oracle just before his death, which resulted in the relocation of the shrine to the current location in the early Taisho period.

Mitamashiro (A physical object of worship)

The mirror (mikagami) of Chrysanthemum of 16 petals is the object of worship. The mirror was enshrined in Edo castle during the Edo period before the buildings of shrine in the castle was destroyed by a fire. After approved by the Imperial court, the mirror was then enshrined in Shin- mei-gū shrine by Keikōin in Reigan-jima island in Fukagawa, Tokyo. The mirror was moved again to a Grand Shrine after the Meiji Restoration. The then supreme priest of the shrine, Kuninomiya Asahiko Shinnō (Prince), who confided Masamochi, he himself divided the spirit of the enshrined deity of the Grand Shrine to the mirror, which was then granted to the shrine when Masamochi left his post.

Rituals (Shinji)
Godō jigoku shiki, or Kamanari (The purifying sound of iron pot)
Chinka shiki (The fire calming ceremony)
Kugatachi shiki or Yutate (The sprinkling of boiling water on the body)

Worshipping via Internet
"Remote" Worship is available for those who live abroad or in a remote place, or those who are unable to come due to their work or health issues, by simply following the guide on our website. We offer inquiries and consultation services as well.
- source : sakura.jingu.net/english

河津桜 Kawazu Sakura
one of the earliest-blooming cherry blossoms in the outskirts of Tokyo.

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- quote -
Percival Lawrence Lowell (1855 – 1916)

was an American businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars. He founded the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona and formed the beginning of the effort that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after his death.
Percival graduated from the Noble and Greenough School in 1872 and Harvard University in 1876 with distinction in mathematics. At his college graduation, he gave a speech, considered very advanced for its time, on the nebular hypothesis. He was later awarded honorary degrees from Amherst College and Clark University. After graduation he ran a cotton mill for six years.
In the 1880s, Lowell traveled extensively in the Far East.
In August 1883, he served as a foreign secretary and counselor for a special Korean diplomatic mission to the United States. He lived in Korea for about two months. He also spent significant periods of time in Japan,
writing books on Japanese religion, psychology, and behavior.
His texts are filled with observations and academic discussions of various aspects of Japanese life, including language, religious practices, economics, travel in Japan, and the development of personality.
Books by Percival Lowell on the Orient include
Noto: An Unexplored Corner of Japan (1891) and
Occult Japan, or the Way of the Gods (1894), the latter from his third and final trip to the region.
The most popular of Lowell's books on the Orient, The Soul of the Far East (1888), contains an early synthesis of some of his ideas, that in essence, postulated that human progress is a function of the qualities of individuality and imagination.
The writer Lafcadio Hearn called it a "colossal, splendid, godlike book."
At his death he left with his assistant Wrexie Leonard an unpublished manuscript of a book entitled Peaks and Plateaux in the Effect on Tree Life.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Noto: An unexplored corner of Japan
Percival Lawrence Lowell (1855-1916) was a businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars, founded the Lowell Observatory and formed the beginning of the effort that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after his death. Percival graduated from Harvard University in 1876 with distinction in mathematics. In 1883, he served as a foreign secretary and counsellor for a special Korean diplomatic mission to the United States. He also spent significant periods of time in Japan, writing books on Japanese religion, psychology, and behavior. His texts are filled with observations and academic discussions of various aspects of Japanese life. Books by Percival Lowell on the Orient include Noto: An Unexplained Corner of Japan (1891) and Occult Japan (1894).
The most popular of Lowell's books on the Orient, The Soul of the Far East (1888) contains an early synthesis of some of his ideas, that in essence, postulated that human progress is a function of the qualities of individuality and imagination.
Amongst his other books are Mars (1895) and The Genesis of the Planets (1916)

.......................................................................

Occult Japan: Shinto, Shamanism and the Way of the Gods
Shinto, or The Way of the Gods, is the oldest religious faith of the Japanese people. Based on the aboriginal worship of nature and ancestors, it is a religion of innumerable deities and rituals. As Buddhism established itself in Japan, it absorbed many of the Shinto beliefs while assigning them an inferior status. Officially unrecognized by the Buddhist state, ancient Shinto practices have been kept alive to this day as an occult tradition embodying the magical, primeval, and shamanic rites central to the Japanese culture.
'Occult Japan'
was originally published in 1894 and is still unrivaled in its detailed descriptions of Shinto 'miracles, possessions, and incarnations.' Percival Lowell, an explorer and author of several other works on the Far East, drew these descriptions from his own observations and experiences during his travels throughout Japan at the end of the 19th century. Unlike other accounts written on the subject by religious missionaries, his are startling in their frankness and objectivity, neither underestimating nor romanticizing the Shinto religion, but presenting its many contradictions with candor and literary grace.
- wikipedia -

Occult Japan: The Way of the Gods
"Occult Japan" is a wonderful collection of lore compiled from the Shinto path, dating to an important era in which the nation of Japan was rapidly changing; the Meiji period which had begun several decades before was erasing traditional technology even as it changed cultural and behavioral norms- this work then is both about the traditional spiritual system and the effects of then-modern reform on the same. It is as much a work about culture in the secular as the religious sense.It ought to be noted that some trappings of ethnocentrism were applied in the study here.
- wikipedia -

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- Reference : 桜神宮
- Reference : Tokyo Sakura Jingu

. Shrine, Shinto Shrine (jinja　神社) - Introduction .

. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

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- #sakurajingu #sakurashrine -
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24/01/2020

Ametsuchi Tenchi Heaven Earth

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Shinto Shrines (jinja　神社) - Introduction .
. kami　神　Shinto deities .
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Ametsuchi 天地 Tenchi - Heaven and Earth
the world, the universe

A quote from 古事記 the Kojiki
自天地開闢始、以訖于小治田御世。故、天御中主神以下、日子波限建鵜草葺不合尊以前、爲上卷、神倭伊波禮毘古天皇以下、品陀御世以前、爲中卷、大雀皇帝以下、小治田大宮以前、爲下卷、幷錄三卷、謹以獻上。臣安萬侶、誠惶誠恐、頓首頓首。

ほろびのほのお　湧きいでて
つちとひととを　つつめども
こはやすらけき　くににして
ひかりのひとら　みちみてり
ひかりにみてる　あめつちは

. zooka no sanshin (sanjin) 造化の三神 three Deities of creation .
Kotoamatsukami 別天津神

Ame no minaka nushi no kami
天之御中主神（あめのみなかぬしのかみ）
- 至高の神

Takamimusuhi no kami 高御産巣日神
（たかみむすひのかみ）
- 征服や統治の神

Kami musuhi no kami 神産巣日神（かみむすひのかみ）
- 生産の神

. Tenjin Sama, Tenshin Sama 天神様 Honorable Deity of Heaven .
The Kami of the Sky, as expressed in 天神地衹 Tenshin Chigi.

.......................................................................

天の神と地の神 the Deity of Heaven and the Deity of Earth
天津神・国津神（あまつかみ・くにつかみ）
「つ」は現代語の「の」のことで、天の神・国の神という意味
- wikipedia

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- quote -
Amenominakanushi (天御中主 or 天之御中主神,
"Heavenly Ancestral God of the Originating Heart of the Universe")
is, according to the Shinto Kojiki, the first kami and the source of the universe. In Japanese mythology, Amenominakanushi is described as a "god who came into being alone" (hitorigami), the first of the zōka sanshin ("three kami of creation"), and one of the five kotoamatsukami ("distinguished heavenly gods").
- Origin
Amenominakanushi had been considered a concept developed under the influence of Chinese thought, but now most scholars believe otherwise. With the flourishing of kokugaku the concept was studied by scholars. The theologian Hirata Atsutane identified Amenominakanushi as the spirit of the North Star, master of the seven stars of the Big Dipper. The god was emphasized by the Daikyōin[clarification needed] in the Meiji period, and worshipped by some Shinto sects.[2] There are also scholars who believe that the Amenominakanushi concept was introduced in Japan sometime in the 7th or 8th century by the Nestorian or the Keikyo believers, underpinning its Christian origin.
- Kami concept
The god manifests in a duality, a male and a female function, respectively Takamimusubi and Kamimusubi. In other mythical accounts the originating kami is called Umashiashikabihikoji ("God of the Ashi [Reed]") or Kuninotokotachi (the "God Founder of the Nation"), the latter used in the Nihon Shoki. Some sources identify these deities as the three Kamis called (three creator-Kami", a conceptualization that also reflect the so-called Kami of the threefold whirl (Amatsu uzu-uzushiyatsunagi) in Yamakage Shinto. These three gods, identified as a third of the three versions of the cosmogonic myths involving the kami, appeared in Takamanohara or the "domain of heaven" during the birth of the cosmos.
According to The Ancient Shinto Deity Ame-no-minaka-nushi-no-kami Seen in the Light of Today, by Professor Katō Genchi, no authentic shrines dating from antiquity were dedicated to this deity, though two "recent" shrines, Wada-jinja (founded in A.D. 1659) and Okada-jinja, are allegedly dedicated to this god. Shinsen Shōjiroku mentioned only two families as descendant of Ame-no-Minaka-Nushi-no-Kami: Hattori-no-muraji and Miteshiro-no-Obito.
With the shinbutsu bunri separation, the deity of Buddhist origin Myōken, the "North Star", which was worshiped at many shrines, was changed to Amenominakanushi.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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天之御中主神（あめのみなかぬしのかみ、あまのみなかぬしのかみ）
Ame no Minakanushi no Kami
日本神話において最初に登場する神。天地開闢の際に、別天津神・造化三神の初めの1柱として宇宙に生成された存在であるとされる。
神名は
天の真中を領する神を意味する[1]。『古事記』では神々の中で最初に登場する神であり、別天津神にして造化三神[2]の一柱。『日本書紀』の正伝には記述がなく、異伝（第一段の第四の一書）に天御中主尊（あめのみなかぬしのみこと）として記述されている。『古事記』『日本書紀』共にその事績は何も記されていない。そのため天之御中主神は中国の思想の影響により創出された観念的な神であるとされるが、これに否定的な論もある。
平安時代の
延喜式神名帳』には天之御中主神を祀る神社の名は記載されておらず、信仰の形跡は確認できない。この神が一般の信仰の対象になったのは、近世において天の中央の神ということから北極星の神格化である妙見菩薩と習合されるようになってからと考えられている。現在、天之御中主神を祀る神社の多くは、妙見社が明治期の神仏分離・廃仏毀釈運動の際に天之御中主神を祭神とする神社となったものである[3]。また水天宮も天之御中主神を主祭神の一つとしている。
天之御中主神は
哲学的な神道思想において重要な地位を与えられることがあり、中世の伊勢神道では豊受大神を天之御中主神と同一視し、これを始源神と位置づけている。江戸時代の平田篤胤の復古神道では天之御中主神は最高位の究極神とされている。 ...
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

- quote -
天地初発之時 - - 天地初めて発りし時に、
高天原に成る神の名は、
- reference source : kojiki.kokugakuin.ac.jp... -

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Another meaning is given in
- Kotobank -

書物・荷物などの、上と下。「紙の天地」
the top and bottom of things, for example books or parcels.

大辞林第三版の解説
① 大空と大地。宇宙。てんち。「－のともに久しく言ひ継げと／万葉集 814」
② 天の神と地の神。「－の堅めし国そ大和島根は／万葉集 4487」
① 天と地。空と大地。
② 宇宙。世界。「－創造」
③ 自分の存在・活動の場として認識している、限られた範囲。「新しい－を求める」
④ 本や紙の上と下。また、荷物などの上面と下面。
⑤ 相違のはなはだしいこと。「実力の差は－ほどもある」「以前に替る事－也／浮世草子・桜陰比事 1」

〘名〙
① 天と地。乾坤(けんこん)。宇宙、世界の全体。
※万葉（８Ｃ後）五・八一四「阿米都知(アメツチ)の共に久しく言ひ継げとこの奇御魂(くしみたま)敷かしけらしも」
② 天の神と地の神。天地の神。天神地祇。
※万葉（８Ｃ後）二〇・四四八七「いざ子どもたはわざなせそ天地(あめつち)の固めし国そやまと島根は」
※古今（905‐914）仮名序「ちからをもいれずして、あめつちをうごかし、めに見えぬ鬼神をも、あはれとおもはせ」
③ 「あめつち（天地）の詞(ことば)」の略。
※口遊（970）書籍門「大為爾伊天奈徒武和礼遠曾〈略〉衣不禰加計奴謂之供名文字、今案世俗誦阿女都千保之曾、里女之訛説也、此誦為勝」
④ 天地の詞を書くのに主として用いた字体の意か。万葉がな字体とも、行書体ともいわれ、諸説がある。
※宇津保（970‐999頃）国譲上「青き色紙に書きて松に書きたるはさうにてなつの字。赤き色紙に書きて卯の花につけたるはかな。はじめにはをとこにてもあらず、をんなにてもあらず、あめつちぞ。そのつぎにをとこで、はなちがきに書きて」
[1] 〘名〙
① 天と地。あめつち。天壌。また、天の神と地の神。
※大仏殿西曼荼羅銘（756）「等二日月一而貞明、同二天地一而長久」
※源氏（1001‐14頃）明石「ここら、横ざまなる波風には、おぼほれ給はむ。天地、ことわり給へ」〔礼記‐曲礼〕
② 宇宙。世界。世の中。
※太平記（１４Ｃ後）二九「三間芳屋千株松風、ことに人間の外の天地也けりと」
③ ある限られた生活の場を比喩的にいう。
※油地獄（1891）〈斎藤緑雨〉一「下宿屋秋元の二階を、登って左りへ突当りの六畳敷を天地(テンチ)とする」
④ 天と地ほどの大きな差違があること。天地の相違。天地懸隔。
※蔭凉軒日録‐延徳二年（1490）閏八月一七日「月翁事者、西山与二東京一相隔天地也」
⑤ 紙、本、荷物などの上部と下部。うえした。
※洒落本・通言総籬（1787）一「ひゃうぐもようござりやした。天地はやっぱりふとじけだが」
⑥ (━する) 上下をひっくりかえすこと。
※滑稽本・早変胸機関（1810）「裾廻しは天地(テンチ)するだよ」
⑦ 算盤の桁より上の玉が一個ある所（天）と、その下の玉が五個ある所（地）。江戸時代、上方でいった語。
※新板なぞづくし（1830‐44）五「天地の大算用（とかけて）あづさみこ（ととく心は）くちをよせる」
⑧ 雑俳の折込みの一種で、同一の漢字を頭と尾に置くもの。たとえば、「戸」の題で、「戸袋は戸隠山か引く雨戸」の類。
[2] 「てんちまる（天地丸）」の略。
※雑俳・柳多留‐六六（1814）「和歌のみか天地の動く御船唄」

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. Shrine, Shinto Shrine (jinja　神社) - Introduction .

. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

. Tenjin Sama - Sugawara Michizane Legends 天神菅原道真伝説 .
天神様 Tenjin Sama refers to a shrine for Michizane.
Legends about his shrines are collected here.

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.......................................................................　Fukui 福井県 .....
Tenshin chigi天神地衹 The Kami of the Sky 天の神
During the New Year he comes down from heaven and is venerated as Toshigami 年神.

. toshigami 年神 God of the Year .

.......................................................................　Hokkaido 北海道 .....
.......................................................................

. kaminari 雷と伝説 Legends about Thunder and Lightning .
The trees Chisakini チサキニ (Chikisani) and Ohyo (Atoni) おひょう（アトニ).
akadamo あかだも（チサキニ chisakini）

.......................................................................　Kagoshima 鹿児島県 .....
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大島郡 Oshima district // Ten no Kamisama 天の神様

hijama 火玉 / ヒジャマ ball of fire - in local dialect
Once 天の神様 got an order and went to burn a home with a hijama ヒジャマ（火玉）fire ball.
But the qheen of the house was very careful and did not get burned.
She never left the lid on the water jar outside and when it begun to make a strange sound, she kenw that a hijama would fall down soon.

. hinotama, hi no tama 火の玉と伝説 Legends about fire balls / 火玉 .
- - - - -
天の神様 Ten no Kamisama
On special days people are not allowed to thatch a roof. If they do Ten no Kamisama will come and cause fire or a flash of lightning.
Once this happened to a home and a blue fire came fallilng from the sky, burning the roof.

.......................................................................　Kochi 高知県 .....
.......................................................................
香美郡 Kami district 物部村 Monobe village

tachi 太刀 long sword
During 天の神の祭 the festival for Ten no Kami they use tachi 太刀 a long sword during a dance where a mortar is hit by it. Sometimes this causes sparks and a fire starts.
Once a man stole this long sword but his home burned down and he brought the sword back to the owner.

.......................................................................　Nara 奈良県 .....
.......................................................................
吉野郡 Yoshino district 上北山村 Kami-Kitayama village

oni 鬼 demon / Yamanokami 山の神
A fisherman named 六兵衛 Rokubei came to get some material for a new net. At night to came to the cave 大蛇嵓 Daijagura and lit a fire. There came a woman of about 40 years, ate rice with him and drunk his sake 酒 rice wine. They met there regularly until a 天地鳴動 loud sound from heaven and earth was heard and Rokubei lost conciousness.
When he came back to his senses, there was the woman and an old man with white hair.
The woman turned out to be the local Oni and the old man the Yamanokami of Odaigahara.

Odaigahara 大台ケ原

This spectacular hiking course features a moss-draped forest, a beech forest, wild animals including deer and views as far as the sea. Some have compared the views to the scenery in the movie “Avatar."
From the summit is a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside that in the autumn bursts with the rich colour of turning leaves. The best time to visit is mid-October to early November when the various tree species are at their most brilliant.
- source : vill.kamikitayama.nara.jp/kanko... -

. 山の神 Yamanokami in Nara .

. Oni densetsu 鬼伝説　Regional Demon Legends .

.......................................................................　Oita 大分県 .....
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東国東郡 Higashi-Kunisaki district 安岐町 Aki town

. Yamanba, Yamauba 山姥 the Mountain Hag .

.......................................................................　Yamagata 山形県 .....
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. tenaga ashinaga 手長足長 "long arms, long legs" Yokai .
and the island 飛島 Tobishima.

.......................................................................　Yamanashi 山梨県 .....

sanshichuu 三尸虫 / サンシチュウ the thre worms
. san-shi no mushi, sanshi no mushi 三尸の虫 The Three Worms .

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
天の神 OK
22 地の神
30 天地 collecting

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