![Yata no Kagami, artist impression](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Yata_no_Kagami%2C_artist_impression.png)
is a sacred
bronze mirror
Bronze mirrors preceded the glass mirrors of today. This type of mirror, sometimes termed a copper mirror, has been found by archaeology, archaeologists among elite assemblages from various cultures, from Etruscan art, Etruscan Italy to Japan. T ...
that is part of the
Imperial Regalia of Japan
The are the imperial regalia of Japan and consist of the sword , the mirror , and the jewel . They represent the three primary virtues: valour (the sword), wisdom (the mirror), and benevolence (the jewel). .
Name and significance
The represents "wisdom" or "honesty," depending on the source.
Its name literally means "The Eight
Mirror," a reference to its size. Mirrors in ancient Japan represented truth because they merely reflected what was shown, and were objects of mystique and reverence (being uncommon items).
According to Shinsuke Takenaka at the Institute of Moralogy, is considered the most precious of the three sacred treasures.
History
In the year 1040 ( 1, 9th month), the compartment which contained the Sacred Mirror was burned in a fire. Whether that mirror was irrevocably lost or not, it is said to be housed today in
Ise Grand Shrine
The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and .
The Inn ...
, in
Mie Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture to ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, although a lack of public access makes this difficult to verify. Presently, a replica is enshrined in
Three Palace Sanctuaries
The are a group of structures in the precincts of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Japan. They are used in imperial religious ceremonies, including weddings and enthronements.
The three sanctuaries are:
* ''Kashiko-dokoro'' (賢所) – the centra ...
of the
Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
Mythology
In
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
, the mirror was forged by the deity
Ishikoridome; both it and the were hung from a tree to lure out
Amaterasu
Amaterasu, also known as Amaterasu Ōmikami () or Ōhirume no Muchi no Kami (), is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. One of the major deities (''kami'') of Shinto, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the ''Kojik ...
from a cave. They were given to Amaterasu's grandson,
Ninigi-no-Mikoto
is a deity in Japanese mythology. Grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, Ninigi is regarded according to Japanese mythology as the great-grandfather of Japan’s first emperor, Emperor Jimmu. The three sacred treasures brought with Ninigi from ...
, when he went to pacify Japan along with the sword . From there, the treasures passed into the hands of the
Imperial House of Japan
The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the House of Yamato, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the Emperor i ...
.
The researcher Shinsuke Takenaka said according to the legends, Amaterasu told
Ninigi
is a deity in Japanese mythology. Grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, Ninigi is regarded according to Japanese mythology as the great-grandfather of Japan’s first emperor, Emperor Jimmu. The three sacred treasures brought with Ninigi from ...
: "Serve this mirror as my soul, just as you'd serve me, with clean mind and body."
See also
*
References
External links
Ise Jingu's page on the Yata no Kagami
Japanese mythology
Japanese words and phrases
Mirrors
Tourist attractions in Mie Prefecture
Buildings and structures in Mie Prefecture
Ise Grand Shrine
{{Japan-myth-stub