Kappa
Kappa ALSO KNOWN AS: Kawako (River Child) ORIGIN: Japan CLASSIFICATION: Suijin Kappa are Japanese water spirits who live in family groups near sources of fresh…
Category: Japanese Mythology
Kamui
Kamui ORIGIN: Ainu (Japan) The Kamui are the spirits of the Ainu people, an indigenous ethnic group of Japan. The word Kamui is very similar…
Ugajin
Ugajin is the lord of prosperity, wealth, destiny, and having enough to eat. He has dominion over food, especially rice. Ugajin is venerated beside Benten…
Tsukiyomi
Tsukiyomi : His Augustness; Moon Night Possessor After the primordial mother Izanami died while giving birth to the fire kami, her brother/lover/ alter ego Izanagi…
Sukunahiko
SUKUNAHIKO : THE SMALL MAN OF RENOWN; SHORT MAN SPIRIT One of the most powerful Japanese deities is about the size of Tom Thumb. Sukunahiko…
Kami
Kami are the indigenous spirits of Japan and the basis of the Shinto religion. The word kami encompasses a very wide variety of spirit beings…
Fukurokuju
Fukurokuju is Lord of Wealth, Happiness, and Longevity. He is believed to derive from a Chinese Taoist spirit but is now considered the kami of…
Dosojin
Dosojin : Road Blocking Spirits Dosojin are roadside deities and spirits of the crossroads. There is not one spirit named Dosojin; instead this is a…
Jingu, Empress
Jingu is a legendary Japanese empress now venerated as a kami. There are varying versions of her life; little documentation exists regarding this era in…
Jizo
Jizo : Earth Treasure;Womb of the Earth The Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha arrived in Japan with Buddhism in the eighth century but became exceedingly popular in the…