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Daidarabotchi
was a gigantic yōkai in Japanese mythology, sometimes said to pose as a mountain range when sleeping. Mythology The size of a Daidarabotchi was so great that his footprints were said to have created innumerable lakes and ponds. In one legend, a Daidarabotchi weighed Mount Fuji and Mount Tsukuba to see which was heavier, but he accidentally split Tsukuba's peak after he was finished with it. The ''Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki'', a recording of the imperial customs in the Hitachi Province compiled in the 8th century, also told of a Daidarabotchi living on a hill west of a post office of Hiratsu Ogushi who fed on giant clams from the beach, piling the shells on top of a hill. ''Izumo no Kuni Fudoki'' also mentions a legendary king of Izumo, Ōmitsunu, who was the grandson of Susanoo and a demi-god. Having the strength of a giant, he performed Kuni-biki, pulling land from Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean k ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daidarabocchi 1
was a gigantic yōkai in Japanese mythology, sometimes said to pose as a mountain range when sleeping. Mythology The size of a Daidarabotchi was so great that his footprints were said to have created innumerable lakes and ponds. In one legend, a Daidarabotchi weighed Mount Fuji and Mount Tsukuba to see which was heavier, but he accidentally split Tsukuba's peak after he was finished with it. The ''Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki'', a recording of the imperial customs in the Hitachi Province compiled in the 8th century, also told of a Daidarabotchi living on a hill west of a post office of Hiratsu Ogushi who fed on giant clams from the beach, piling the shells on top of a hill. ''Izumo no Kuni Fudoki'' also mentions a legendary king of Izumo, Ōmitsunu, who was the grandson of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Susanoo and a demi-god. Having the strength of a giant, he performed Kuni-biki, pulling land from Silla with ropes, to increase the size of his territory. See also *Regigigas Japanese fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yōkai
are a class of supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore. The word is composed of the kanji for "attractive; calamity" and "apparition; mystery; suspicious." are also referred to as , or . Despite often being translated as such, are not literally demons in the Western sense of the word, but are instead spirits and entities. Their behavior can range from malevolent or mischievous to benevolent to humans. often have animal features (such as the , depicted as appearing similar to a turtle, and the , commonly depicted with wings), but may also appear humanoid in appearance, such as the . Some resemble inanimate objects (such as the ), while others have no discernible shape. are typically described as having spiritual or supernatural abilities, with shapeshifting being the most common trait associated with them. that shapeshift are known as or . Japanese folklorists and historians explain as personifications of "supernatural or unaccountable phenomena to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Mythology
Japanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in the islands of the Japanese archipelago. Shinto and Buddhist traditions are the cornerstones of Japanese mythology. The history of thousands of years of contact with Korea, Ainu, and Okinawan myths are also key influences in Japanese mythology. Japanese myths are tied to the topography of the archipelago as well as agriculturally-based folk religion, and the Shinto pantheon holds countless ''kami'' (Japanese for " god(s)" or "spirits"). This article will discuss cosmogony, important deities, modern interpretations, cultural significance, and the influence of these myths. Two important sources for Japanese myths as they are recognized today are the ''Kojiki'' and the '' Nihon Shoki''. The ''Kojiki'', or "Record of Ancient Matters," is the oldest surviving account of Japan's myths, legends, and history. Additionally, the ''Shintōshū'' describes the origins of Japanese deities from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Fuji
, or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highest peak of an island on Earth. Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano that last erupted from 1707 to 1708. The mountain is located about southwest of Tokyo and is visible from there on clear days. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone, which is covered in snow for about five months of the year, is commonly used as a cultural icon of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and photography, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers. Mount Fuji is one of Japan's along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku. It is a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and one of Japan's Historic Sites. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mount Tsukuba
is an mountain located at the northern-end of Tsukuba, Japan. It is one of the most famous mountains in Japan, particularly well known for its double peaks, and . Many people climb the so-called "purple mountain" every year for the panoramic view of the Kantō plain from the summit. On clear days the Tōkyō skyline, Lake Kasumigaura and even Mount Fuji are visible from the summit. Japanese mountains are mostly volcanic, but Mount Tsukuba is non-volcanic granite and gabbro in origin. Renowned beautiful granites are produced in the northern quarries even today. Etymology The , a national geography completed in 721 AD, says Mount Tsukuba was named after a noble called . According to this account, the area around Mount Tsukuba was once called . Under the reign of (Emperor Sujin), Tsukuha no Mikoto from the was appointed as its governor. He had a strong desire to leave his name in history, so he renamed the area "Tsukuha", which is now pronounced Tsukuba. History As leg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fudoki
are ancient reports on provincial culture, geography, and oral tradition presented to the reigning monarchs of Japan, also known as local gazetteers. They contain agricultural, geographical, and historical records as well as mythology and folklore. ''Fudoki'' manuscripts also document local myths, rituals, and poems that are not mentioned in the ''Kojiki'' and the '' Nihon Shoki'' chronicles, which are the most important literature of the ancient national mythology and history. In the course of national unification, the imperial court enacted a series of criminal and administrative codes called ''ritsuryō'' and surveyed the provinces established by such codes to exert greater control over them. Kofudoki In the narrower sense, ''Fudoki'' refer to the oldest records written in the Nara period, later called (Old-Fudoki). Compilation of ''Kofudoki'' began in 713 and was completed over a 20-year period. Following the Taika Reform in 646 and the Code of Taihō enacted in 701 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hitachi Province
was an old provinces of Japan, old province of Japan in the area of Ibaraki Prefecture.Louis Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hitachi fudoki''" in . It was sometimes called . Hitachi Province bordered on Shimōsa Province, Shimōsa (Lower Fusa Province, Fusa), Shimotsuke Province, Shimotsuke, and Mutsu Province, Mutsu (Iwase Province, Iwase -1718-, Iwashiro Province, Iwashiro -1869-, Iwaki Province (718), Iwaki -1718- and Iwaki Province (1868), -1869-) Provinces. Generally, its northern border was with Mutsu. History The ancient provincial capital (Hitachi Kokufu) and temple (Hitachi Kokubun-ji) were located near modern Ishioka, Ibaraki, Ishioka and have been excavated, while the chief shrine was further east at Kashima, Ibaraki, Kashima (Kashima Shrine). The province was established in the 7th century. In the Sengoku period the area was divided among several ''daimyōs'', but the chief castle was usually in the Mito Castle of the modern city of Mito, Ibar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Susanoo-no-Mikoto
__FORCETOC__ Susanoo (; historical orthography: , ) is a in Japanese mythology. The younger brother of Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and mythical ancestress of the Japanese imperial line, he is a multifaceted deity with contradictory characteristics (both good and bad), being portrayed in various stories either as a wild, impetuous god associated with the sea and storms, as a heroic figure who killed a monstrous serpent, or as a local deity linked with the harvest and agriculture. Syncretic beliefs that arose after the introduction of Buddhism to Japan also saw Susanoo becoming conflated with deities of pestilence and disease. Susanoo, alongside Amaterasu and the earthly Ōkuninushi (also Ōnamuchi) – depicted as either Susanoo's son or scion depending on the source – is one of the central deities of the imperial Japanese mythological cycle recorded in the ( CE) and the (720 CE). One of the gazetteer reports () commissioned by the imperial court during the same peri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silla
Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Founded by Hyeokgeose of Silla, of the Park family, the Korean dynasty was ruled by the Gyeongju Gim (Kim) (김, 金) clan for 586 years, the Miryang Bak (Park) (박, 朴) clan for 232 years and the Wolseong Seok (석, 昔) clan for 172 years. It began as a chiefdom in the Samhan confederacies, once allied with Sui China and then Tang China, until it eventually conquered the other two kingdoms, Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668. Thereafter, Unified Silla occupied most of the Korean Peninsula, while the northern part re-emerged as Balhae, a successor-state of Goguryeo. After nearly 1,000 years of rule, Silla fragmented into the brief Later Three Kingdoms of Silla, Later Baekje, and Taebong, handing over power to Goryeo in 935. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Folklore
Japanese folklore encompasses the informally learned folk traditions of Japan and the Japanese people as expressed in its oral traditions, customs, and material culture. In Japanese, the term is used to describe folklore. The academic study of folklore is known as . Folklorists also employ the term or to refer to the objects and arts they study. Folk religion Men dressed as namahage, wearing ogre-like masks and traditional straw capes (''mino'') make rounds of homes, in an annual ritual of the Oga Peninsula area of the Northeast region. These ogre-men masquerade as kami looking to instill fear in the children who are lazily idling around the fire. This is a particularly colorful example of folk practice still kept alive. A parallel custom is the secretive ritual of the Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa which does not allow itself to be photographed. Many, though increasingly fewer households maintain a kamidana or a small Shinto altar shelf. The Shinto version of the kitchen go ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Giants
''Japanese Giants'' was a kaiju (giant monster) fanzine with an emphasis on Japanese monsters, such as Godzilla. History ''Japanese Giants'' was inspired by the fanzine '' Japanese Fantasy Film Journal'' (JFFJ), edited and published by Greg Shoemaker. Shoemaker has been credited with founding American Godzilla fandom. ''Japanese Giants'' was the second fanzine to be published on the genre. Fifteen year-old Stephen Mark Rainey published the first issue of ''Japanese Giants'' in 1974. Rainey was also the editor. Offset printed, the 18 page issue revolved around the first half of a filmbook of ''Destroy All Monsters''. Other articles included Ultraman, Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot by Tom Murdock, as well photos and art by Rainey, Chuck Neely, and Robert Cox. ''Japanese Giants'' issue one was a clear expression of Rainey's love of the genre, but was not financially successful. Brad Boyle took over the fanzine with issue two. Also 15, he had previously published other fanzines i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
