Amaterasu

Throughout its history, Japan has striven to define its national identity not by its own means, but by those predefined by foreign, and most recently, Western powers. Despite legends of the island archipelago being created by the sun goddess Amaterasu, Japan seems to

The Yamato state incorporated the significance of the Shinto religion into the genealogies within their mythistory. The Nihongi and Kojiki claimed the imperial line was descended from the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu and Susa-o-no, the unruly storm god. Furthermore, the emperors relied on the Shinto belief of “kami” which signifies a deity of heaven or earth. The current emperor was said to be a “distant kami” symbolizing the emperor was worthy of reverence and

The feature distinguishing man most from animals would probably be the ability to create stories, with the help of our imagination. These stories, with the passage of time can change depending on how they were transmitted and lose some key factors they had had. If they had been transmitted orally, every new orator would add their own narrative or metaphorical twist to them, or just tell the stories in a new light. These stories are one of the oldest mechanisms which keep us connected to our past

This documents reflects how people should respect their gods and their elders, reflecting the family practices found in confucianism. Elements of Buddhism are reflected in them saying that the Buddha and his teachings are one of the main three elements that should be “sincerely reverenced”. Legalist thinking can be found when it states that “When you receive the Imperial commands, fail not scrupulously to obey them. The lord is Heaven, the vassal is Earth”. This quote shows how they should follow

Embracing Defeat by John Dower John Dower's "Embracing Defeat" truly conveys the Japanese experience of American occupation from within by focusing on the social, cultural, and philosophical aspects of a country devastated by World War II. His capturing of the Japanese peoples' voice let us, as readers, empathize with those who had to start over in a "new nation." The initial terms of surrender were laid out in the Potsdam Declaration of July 26, 1945, in which the United States, Great

“Agent Ravi are we there yet?” Sam gave the driver an expectant look as if the agent behind the wheel could pull a platypus out of his ass. “I’m bored as a bull’s tits.” He looked at Jacob’s deadpan face. “You guys got no sense of humor. Must be a real joy having you guys around at the family feast.” The SUV turned onto Umbra Street. The agent continued straight down until he reached towards the end of the street. Before them, stood a row of brick houses, all connected to each other. They saw the

This source discusses some of the traditional gender differences between men and women in the Japanese and Chinese cultures. In early Chinese and Japanese culture the idea of balance was key. Characteristics tending to be assigned to a specific gender, but one was not necessarily seen as better than another. The qualities where simply different. In both China and Japan women’s work remained largely domestic, such as weaving, and men plowed the fields. The traditional Japanese religion of Shintoism

connect with them. For example, most of these rituals involve purification, (says Littleton, “Shinto”) which is the cleansing of the person and the object being used to communicate with. The other most important Kami, (most communicated with) are Amaterasu, the “sun goddess”, also the greatest of all Kami. There’s also Benten, another goddess involved in the arts, Ebisu, who brings prosperity, Hachiman, God of archery and war, Konpira, god of safety of the sea, and Susanoo, the god of the wind. There

Inter-War Totalitarian Leaders In result of unstable conditions created by the WWI and the Great Depression, Italy, Japan, and Germany were forced to change their government. These countries were willing to do anything to gain control of the failing economy, famine, and unemployment that plagued the Post-WWI countries. Global trade declined due to the collapse of the American government. The citizens of these countries turned to totalitarian leaders, a dictator who controls all aspects of the subjects’

The Effect of Mythology on Ancient Civilizations Mythology has existed for countless centuries, people have used myths and stories to explain natural phenomenons and other things - like the weather, morality, the reason for life, death, after death, and other philosophical questions that are still questioned today. The reason for this is that people have always been curious about things they couldn’t explain, so they found ways to understand it. In today's world, a parent might explain certain things