Amatsukami (Japanese: 天津神, 天つ神, 'Kami of heaven') is a category of kami in Japanese mythology. Generally speaking, it refers to kami born in, or residing in, Takamagahara.
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Amatsukami is one of the three categories of kami, along with their earthly counterpart Kunitsukami (国津神, 国つ神), and yaoyorozu-no-kami (八百万の神).[1]: 56
Modern Shinto no longer makes the distinction between Amatsukami and Kunitsukami.[2] According to Yijiang Zhong the distinction was made by the writers of the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki to formulate a political discourse.[3]
In the time of Ninigi the ownership of land was moved from Kunitsukami to Amatsukami
Ogasawara Shozo proposed a system justifying Japanese Imperialism where Japanese people in the colonies were seen as Amatsukami and natives were seen as Kunitsukami,[4] however he was later censored as his position was considered too supportive of the rights of colonized peoples.[4]
Mythology
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Amatsukami refers to kami residing in Takamagahara, along with kami who were born in Takamagahara but later descended to Japan.[5] In the mythological event of kuni-yuzuri, the descendants of amatsukami descended to pacify the world, which was occupied by the kunitsukami.[6][7] In Shinto practice, there is no clear distinction between amatsukami and kunitsukami, as their definitions change with time and in different source materials.[5][6][8]
Susanoo-no-Mikoto, who was cast out of Takamagahara, and his descendants, such as Ōkuninushi, are considered to be Kunitsugami.
List of amatsukami
edit- Kotoamatsukami
- Kamiyonanayo
- Shusaishin
- Others
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Yamakage, Motohisa; Gillespie, Mineko S.; Gillespie, Gerald L.; Komuro, Yoshitsugu; Leeuw, Paul de; Rankin, Aidan (2007). The Essence of Shinto: Japan's Spiritual Heart (1st ed.). Tokyo: Kodansha International. ISBN 978-4770030443.
- ^ "kami | Definition, Translation, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
- ^ Zhong, Yijiang (2016-10-06). The Origin of Modern Shinto in Japan: The Vanquished Gods of Izumo. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4742-7109-7.
- ^ a b Kōji, Suga; 𨀉𠄈 (2010). "A Concept of "Overseas Shinto Shrines": A Pantheistic Attempt by Ogasawara Shōzō and Its Limitations". Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. 37 (1): 47–74. ISSN 0304-1042. JSTOR 27822899.
- ^ a b Endō, Jun. "Amatsukami, Kunitsukami". 國學院デジタルミュージアム. Kokugakuin University. Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ a b Brian Bocking (30 September 2005). A Popular Dictionary of Shinto. Routledge. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-135-79739-3.
- ^ Kobori, Keiko. "Kuniyuzuri". Encyclopedia of Shinto. Kokugakuin University. Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ Institute for Japanese Culture and Classics (1985). Basic Terms of Shinto. Kokugakuin University. p. 26.