Michizane was one of the Heian Court's high-ranking members, with enemies in the Fujiwara clan - the most influential family at that time. He was a human turned Japanese god due to his posthumous wrath over Japan and those who caused his death. In Japanese folktales, Tenjin is a Shinto deity of literature, learning, intelligentsia, and scholarship. He was a prominent poet, politician, and scholar of 8 th century Japan. Surprisingly, this kami was once a common man known as Sugawara-no-Michizane. Tenjin is the kami of literature, scholarship, and education. It is usual for couples to visit and hang pink ema or ring love bells together. Moreover, Benzaiten's Enoshima shrine is one of the most famous shrines of Japan. Couples visit the shrine to post a pink ema (wooden plaques) with hearts on it to wish for a happy love life. Benzaiten is the deity of love and compassion in Japanese folktales and stories. Her shrines are usually considered romantic spots for Japanese couples. In the common fantasy, she is a goddess of love as well. She is among the seven lucky kami of Japan and has many similarities with the Hindu deity, Saraswati.īenzaiten is a goddess of everything that flows, such as water, emotion, knowledge, and music. Benzaitenīenzaiten or Benten is the Shinto god borrowed from the Buddhist belief. While visiting the shrines of Inari, people offer aburaage, Japanese food, to these foxes. You will often see the statues of foxes around the shrines of Inari-Okami. It is right to say this kami is among the most revered Shinto deities.Īccording to Japanese folktales, Inari was very passionate about foxes and even used them to deliver earthly messages. This god has approximately 40,000 shrines devoted to it, making up one-third of all shrines in Japan. Inari is a Shinto deity of prosperity, agriculture, finance, and industry. Tradespeople, merchants, and sword-smiths frequently visit this shrine. In Japanese myths, Inari is known precisely for protecting rice cultivation, ensuring prosperity across age and gender. Inari Inari shrine is one of the most famous shrines among the Japanese. Raijin has three fingers, each denoting the present, past, and future, while Fujin has four fingers representing north, south, east, and west (cardinal directions). Every visitor is subject to their watchful gaze before entering. In Japanese stories, they are the most feared kami because of the damage storms and typhoons have caused to Japanese islands throughout the centuries.Īs a playful anecdote, parents in Japan would tell their kids to hide their bellybuttons during storms so Raijin wouldn't consume their bellies.Īs frightening deities, Raijin & Fujin often appear at the entrances of shrines and monuments as guardians. Together, Raijin and Fujin are the deities of weather and storms and often appear as a team. Raijin is a kami of lightning, storms, and thunder, who is portrayed holding hammers and surrounded by drums, whereas, Fujin is a god of wind pictured with a pouch of wind.
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