Divinities
Kami & Megami, Seven Lucky Gods
List of divinities in Japanese mythology Japanese mythology is an extremely complex system of beliefs. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Amaterasu_cave_wide. ... A deity or a god, is a postulated preternatural being, usually, but not always, of significant power, worshipped, thought holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, or respected by human beings. ... Kami (神) is the Japanese word for deity. The word is used to indicate any sort of god, beings of a higher place or belonging to a different sphere of existence. ... The seven fortune gods (七福神, shichi fukujin) in Japan refer to the seven gods of good fortune in Japanese folklore: ; . They are often the subject of netsuke carvings and other representations. ... This is a list of divinities native to Japanese beliefs and religious traditions. ...

Legendary Creatures & Spirits
Dragons, Obake, Yokai, Yūrei
List of legendary creatures in Japanese mythology For creatures that are wholly fictional creations, see Category:Fictional species. ... A ghost is an alleged non-corporeal manifestation of a dead person (or, rarely, an animal). ... A Japanese dragon is a legendary creature with physical attributes and disposition similar to the Chinese and Korean dragons. ... Obake, also called obakemono, are the traditional ghosts, goblins and monsters from Japanese folklore; the term includes youkai (goblins and monsters) and yuurei (vengeful spirits of the dead). ... Yōkai (also spelled Youkai; Japanese: 妖怪, apparitions, spirits, or demons) are a class of obake (お化け, also called obakemono), creatures in Japanese folklore ranging from the evil oni (鬼) to the mischievous kitsune (狐) or snow woman Yuki-onna (雪女). Some possess part animal and part human features (e. ... Yūrei (幽霊) are Japanese ghosts. ... The following is a list of yokai, obake and yurei which are notable in Japanese mythology. ...

Legendary Figures
Abe no Seimei, Hidari Jingoro, Kintaro, Momotaro, Nezumi Kozo, Tamamo no Mae, Tomoe Gozen, Urashima Tarō A legend (Latin, legenda, things to be read) is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude. ... Abe no Seimei (安倍 晴明 921?-1005?) was a leading specialist of onmyodo during the middle of Heian Period. ... The Famous, the Unrivalled Hidari Jingoro (Meiyo migi ni teki nashi Hidari Jingoro); by Utagawa Kuniyoshi Hidari Jingoro (å·¦ 甚五郎 ; ひだり ジンゴロウ) was a legendary Japanese artist, sculpurer and carpenter, active from 1596-1644. ... Kintaro (Golden Boy) is a hero from Japanese folklore. ... Bisque doll of Momotaro Momotaro (peach boy) is a hero from Japanese folklore. ... Jirokichi the Rat or Nezumi Kozo, (次郎吉 or ねずみ小僧, the latter literally meaning rat boy, ?? - 1832) is a Japanese folk hero, a legendary benevolent outlaw similar to the English Robin Hood. ... A woodblock print of Tomoe Gozen in battle. ... Urashima Tarō ) is a Japanese fairy tale about a fisherman who rescues a turtle and is rewarded with a visit to the RyÅ«gÅ«-jō, the Dragon Palace. ...

Mythical & Sacred Locations
Horai, Mt. Hiei, Mt. Fuji, Rashōmon, Ryugu-jo, Suzakumon, Takamagahara, Yomi A mythical place is a place that does not really exist but is accepted folklore or speculation that it might exist or might have existed in earlier times but its actual location is now lost. ... In various religions, sacred (from Latin, sacrum, sacrifice) or holy, objects, places or concepts are believed by followers to be intimately connected with the supernatural, or divinity, and are thus greatly revered. ... Horai is a place in Japanese mythology. ... Mount Hiei (Jp. ... Mount Fuji (富士山 Fuji-san, IPA: [ɸuʝisaɴ]) is the highest mountain on the island of Honshu and indeed in all of Japan. ... Marker at site of Rashōmon The Rashōmon (羅生門 or 羅城門 Rajōmon;the castle gate) was formerly the grandest of the two city gates of the Japanese city of Kyoto during the Heian period. ... In Japanese legend, Ryūgū-jō (竜宮城) is the undersea palace of Ryujin, the dragon god of the sea. ... The Suzakumon Gate was the main gate of the imperial palace in the Japanese ancient capital of Fujiwarakyō, Nara, and later Kyoto. ... Yomi (黄泉), the Japanese word for underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits, is similar to Hades or hell and is most commonly known for Izanamis retreat to that place after her death. ...

Sacred Objects
Amenonuhoko, Kusanagi, Tonbogiri
Three Sacred Treasures Amenonuhoko (Lit. ... Kusanagi-no-tsurugi (草薙の劍) is a legendary Japanese sword as important to Japans history as Excalibur is to Britains. ... The Tonbogiri is one of three legendary spears created by the famed swordsmith Masazane. ... A representation of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. ...

Writings
Konjaju Monogatari, Kwaidan, Otogizoshi, Yotsuya Kaidan Writing may refer to two activities: the inscribing of characters on a medium, with the intention of forming words and other constructs that represent language or record information, and the creation of material to be conveyed through written language. ... Konjaku Monogatarishū (今昔物語集, kon present + jaku past + monogatari tale + shū collection) is a Japanese collection of over one thousand tales written during the late Heian Period (794-1192). ... This article is about the classical Japanese texts. ...

Shinto & Buddhism
Bon Festival, Tanabata A torii at Itsukushima Shrine Shinto (Kanji: 神道 Shintō) (sometimes called Shintoism) is a native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... A replica of an ancient statue of Gautama Buddha, found from Sarnath, near Varanasi. ... Illuminated by the Albuquerque Bridge, Japanese volunteers place candle lit lanterns into the Sasebo River during the Obon festival. ... People dressed in yukata at Tanabata Tanabata (七夕, meaning Seven Evenings) is a Japanese star festival, derived from Obon traditions and the Chinese star festival, Qi Xi. ...

Folklorists
Glen Grant, Lafcadio Hearn, Shigeru Mizuki Folkloristics is the formal academic study of folklore such as fairy tales and folk mythology in oral or non-literary traditions. ... Glen Grant, looking through the window of his store, the Haunt, in a 2001 photo. ... Lafcadio Hearn, aka Koizumi Yakumo. ... Shigeru Mizuki (水木しげる b. ...