The kami (deity or deities)

The kami (deity or deities)
The origin of Iwato-Kagura
Mythology is important to the Japanese people as Greek mythology was important in the beginning of Western culture. However, there is a big difference between the two. In Greek mythology, the king Agamemnon was a grandchild of the god Zeus, but his descendants do not reign anymore as the kings of Greece. In the case of Japan, however, the descendants of kami as described in Japanese mythology are the ancestors of many ancient clans including the Imperial Family.
The concept Japanese have about their deities is quite different from the one Christians, Muslims and Jews have of their God. Amaterasu Omikami is thought to be central among the deities of Japan, but never thought to have the power of an absolute or omnipotent God. This might be due to the influence of the natural environment, and the character of the Japanese as cultivators of rice. Amaterasu Omikami is considered to be a gentle harmonizing presence and symbol of the myriads of kami. She blesses everybody indiscriminately with serene light. It can be said that Japan is one of the few countries in the world where modernization and great economic growth have been achieved while the traditional deities, with Amaterasu Omikami as spiritual center remain important in people's lives.	copyright2001 (c)Meiji-jingu(Enlarged photo)
Japanese mythology
The Japanese mythology is contained in the chapters covering the age of the kami in both Kojiki (The Record of Ancient Matters) compiled in 712 and Nihonshoki (The Chronicles of Japan) compiled in 720. These stories vividly describe the beginning of heaven and earth, the birth of the land of Japan, the birth of various deities, the genealogical relations between the deities and people. Among the deities mentioned, Amaterasu Omikami, the deity enshrined at Ise Jingu is the most prominent. However, Amaterasu Omikami does not have the character of the absolute God of Christianity. She is described as a symbol for the myriads of kami, and as the one who brought great harmony to heaven and earth.

Kojiki copyright 2001 Jingu Administration Office

Nihonshoki copyright 2001 Jingu Administration Office