At the same time interesting and incomprehensible to many is Japanese mythology, which includes a lot of sacred knowledge, beliefs, traditions of Shinto and Buddhism. The pantheon has a huge number of deities who perform their functions. A considerable number of demons are also known, in which people believe.

pantheon of japanese gods

The myths of this Asian country are based on Shintoism - the “way of the gods”, which appeared in ancient times and it is simply impossible to determine the exact date. The mythology of Japan is peculiar and unique. People worshiped various spiritual essences of nature, places and even inanimate objects. The gods could be evil and good. It is worth noting that their names are often complex, and sometimes too lengthy.

Japanese goddess of the sun

The goddess Amaterasu Omikami is responsible for the celestial body and in translation her name is called "the great goddess illuminating the heavens." According to beliefs, the goddess of the sun in Japan is the progenitor of the great imperial family.

1. It is believed that Amaterasu told the Japanese the rules and secrets of the technology of growing rice and obtaining silk through the use of a loom.
2. According to legend, she appeared from drops of water when one of the great gods was bathing in a pond.
3. Japanese mythology tells that she had a brother Susanoo, with whom she married, but he wanted to go to the world of the dead to his mother, so he began to destroy the world of people so that other gods would kill him. Amaterasu was tired of her husband's behavior and hid in a cave, cutting off all contact with the world. The gods managed to lure her out of the shelter by cunning and return her to heaven.

Japanese Goddess of Mercy

One of the main goddesses of the Japanese pantheon is Guanyin, who is also called the "Buddhist Madonna." Believers considered her a beloved mother and a divine mediator, who was not alien to the daily affairs of ordinary people. Other Japanese goddesses were not of such great importance in antiquity.

1. Guanyin is revered as a compassionate savior and goddess of mercy. Her altars were placed not only in temples, but also in houses and roadside temples.
2. According to existing legends, the goddess wanted to enter the kingdom of heaven, but she stopped at the very threshold, hearing the cry of people living on earth.
3. The Japanese goddess of mercy is considered the patroness of women, sailors, merchants and artisans. Women who wanted to get pregnant also sought her help.
4. Often Guanyin is represented with a lot of eyes and hands, which personifies her desire to help other people.

Japanese god of death

Emma is responsible for the other world, who is not only the ruler of the god, but also the judge of the dead, who controls hell (in Japanese mythology - jigoku).

1. Under the leadership of the god of death, there is a whole army of spirits that perform many tasks, for example, they take away the souls of the dead after death.
2. They represent him as a large man with a red face, bulging eyes and a beard. The god of death in Japan is dressed in traditional Japanese attire, and on his head is a crown with the hieroglyph "king".
3. In modern Japan, Emma is the hero of horror stories that are told to children.

Japanese god of war

The famous warlike patron god Hachiman is not a fictional character, as he was copied from the real Japanese warrior Oji, who ruled the country. For his good deeds, loyalty to the Japanese people and love of battles, it was decided to rank him in the divine pantheon.

1. There are several options for how the Japanese gods looked, so Hachiman was portrayed as an elderly blacksmith or, conversely, a child who provided all kinds of help to people.
2. He is considered the patron of the samurai, so he is called the god of the bow and arrows. His task is to protect people from various life misfortunes and wars.
3. According to one legend, Hachiman represents the fusion of three divine beings. It also says that he was the patron of the imperial family, so the ruler Oji is considered his prototype.

Japanese god of thunder

Raijin is considered the patron saint of lightning and thunder in mythology. In most legends, he is represented together with the god of the wind. They depict him surrounded by drums, which he beats, creating thunder. In some sources, he is represented as a child or a snake. The Japanese god Raijin is also responsible for rain. It is considered the Japanese equivalent of the Western demon or devil.

Japanese god of fire

Kagutsuchi is considered responsible for the fire in the pantheon. According to legend, when he was born, he burned his mother with his flame and she died. His father, being in despair, cut off his head, and then divided the remains into eight equal parts, from which volcanoes later appeared. From his blood came the other gods of Japan.

1. In Japanese mythology, Kagutsuchi was held in high esteem and people worshiped him as the patron of fire and blacksmithing.
2. People were afraid of the wrath of the god of fire, so they constantly prayed to him and brought various gifts, believing that he would save their homes from fires.
3. In Japan, many people still observe the tradition of celebrating the Hi-matsuri at the beginning of the year. On this day, it is necessary to bring a torch to the house, lit from the sacred fire in the temple.

Japanese wind god

One of the oldest Shinto deities that inhabited the earth even before the advent of mankind is Fujin. For those who are interested in which god in Japan was responsible for the wind, and what he looked like, it is worth knowing that he was often represented as a muscular man who constantly carried a huge bag full of a huge amount of winds on his shoulders, and they walk on the ground when he opens it.

1. In the mythology of Japan, there is a legend that the first time Fujin released the winds at the dawn of the world to dispel the fogs and the sun could illuminate the earth and give life.
2. Initially, in Japanese mythology, Fujin and his friend, the god of thunder, belonged to the forces of evil that opposed the Buddha. As a result of the battle, they were captured and then repented and began to serve good.
3. The god of the wind has only four fingers on his hands, which symbolize the directions of the light. On his feet he has only two fingers, meaning heaven and earth.

Japanese god of water

The responsibility for the water estates was Susanoo, which was mentioned earlier. He appeared from drops of water, and is the brother of Amaterasu. He did not want to rule the seas and decided to go to the world of the dead to his mother, but in order to leave a mark on himself, he invited his sister to give birth to children. After that, the Japanese god of the sea did many terrible things on earth, for example, he destroyed the canals in the fields, desecrated the sacred chambers, and so on. For his deeds, he was expelled by other gods from the high sky.

Japanese god of luck

The list of the seven gods of happiness includes Ebisu, who is responsible for good luck. He is also considered the patron of fishing and labor, and also the guardian of the health of young children.

1. The mythology of Ancient Japan contains many myths, and one of them tells that Ebisu was born without bones, because his mother did not observe the wedding ritual. At birth, he was named Hirako. When he was not yet three years old, he was swept into the sea and after some time was thrown ashore in Hokkaido, where he grew his bones and turned into a god.
2. For his benevolence, the Japanese called him "the laughing god." A festival is held every year in his honor.
3. In most sources, he is presented in a high hat, with a fishing rod and a large fish in his hands.

Japanese moon god

The ruler of the night and the satellite of the earth is considered to be Tsukiemi, who is sometimes represented in mythology as a female deity. It is believed that he has the power to control the ebb and flow of the tides.

1. The myths of ancient Japan explain the process of the appearance of this deity in different ways. There is a version that he appeared along with Amaterasu and Susanoo during the bathing of Izanagi. According to other information, he appeared from a mirror made of white copper, which was held in his right hand by a majestic god.
2. The legends say that the moon god and the sun goddess lived together, but one day the sister drove her brother away and told him to stay away. Because of this, the two celestial bodies cannot meet, since the moon shines at night. And the sun during the day.
3. There are several temples dedicated to Tsukiyami.

gods of happiness in japan

In the mythology of this Asian country, there are as many as seven gods of happiness, who are responsible for various areas that are important to people. Often they are represented as small figures that float along the river. The ancient Japanese gods of happiness have a connection with the beliefs of China and India:

1. Ebisu is the only god that is of Japanese origin. It was mentioned above.
2. Hotei- the god of kindness and compassion. Many turn to him to fulfill their cherished desire. He is depicted as an old man with a huge belly.
3. Daikoku- the deity of wealth, which helps people fulfill their desires. He is also considered the protector of ordinary peasants. Represent him with a hammer and a bag of rice.
4. Fukurokuju- the god of wisdom and longevity. Among other deities, he stands out with an overly elongated head.
5. Bezaiten- the goddess of luck, who patronizes art, wisdom and learning. Japanese mythology represents her as a beautiful girl, and in her hands she holds the national Japanese instrument - biwa.
6. Dzyurozin- the god of longevity and he is considered a hermit who is constantly in search of the elixir of immortality. They represent him as an old man with a staff and an animal.
7. Bishamonten- the god of prosperity and material wealth. Consider him the patron saint of warriors, lawyers and doctors. He is depicted in armor and with a spear.

Japanese mythology - demons

It has already been mentioned that the mythology of this country is unique and multifaceted. There are also dark forces in it, and many Japanese demons played an important role in the life of ancient people, but in the modern world, both children and adults are afraid of some representatives of the dark forces. Among the most famous and interesting are:

b>Japanese house:
In Japan in the Middle Ages, the design of a traditional Japanese house developed. It was a wooden frame with three movable and one movable walls. They were not a support and could be freely removed. In the warm season, lattice structures pasted over with translucent paper were used as walls; in cold seasons - wooden panels. Since the humidity in Japan is very high, the houses rose about 60 cm above the ground. The house stood on support pillars with stone foundations. The frame of the building was light and flexible, which reduced the destructive force during earthquakes. The roof, tiled or reed, with a large canopy, under which there was a veranda. All details of the latter were carefully polished to protect against moisture. A garden was laid out around the house, symbolizing the unity of man and nature.

Usually the house was divided into two parts: a living room and a room at the entrance, although the size, number and arrangement of rooms could be regulated using internal partitions. An important part of the living room is a small niche arranged in a fixed wall, in which a scroll of painting hung and a bouquet of flowers stands. The place next to her was considered the most honorable in the house. The floor in such a dwelling is wooden, covered with special mats. They sat and slept on the floor - on mattresses, which were put away in the closets during the day. In general, there was almost no furniture in the house.

Japanese food:
The traditions of Japanese cuisine are 1500 years old. The basis of modern Japanese cuisine is vegetables (cabbage, cucumbers, radishes, turnips, eggplants, potatoes, soybeans, various types of legumes), rice, fish, seafood (clams, sea cucumbers, octopuses, crabs, shrimp, seaweed). Fats, sugar, meat, milk are almost completely unpopular.

Meat and milk were allowed on the Japanese menu until about the end of the 7th century. But since Buddhism became one of the main religions (VIII century), the country has introduced severe restrictions on animal products. It was then that the first semblance of sushi (we pronounce it as sushi) appeared on the tables of wealthy Japanese - rice balls with pieces of raw fish.

For the next three centuries, Japan was under the strong influence of China. This is where the art of making tofu came from. It is a cheese made primarily from soy protein and similar in appearance to cottage cheese. An almost ubiquitous breakfast dish. China was also the birthplace of shoyu soy sauce. From China, in the 9th century, the Japanese became addicted to green tea. Like the Chinese, the Japanese court nobility of that time eats at the table and sits on chairs. Everyone uses spoons, although they are of the Japanese type. This, as it were, introduces them to the higher Chinese culture at that time. But the courtiers became not so much gourmets as gluttons, they added numerous intermediate snacks and tea parties to the usual two meals a day for the country.

In the 10th century, national kitchen utensils appeared - bowls for each type of food (tea, rice, soup), sticks. All appliances were purely personal, but the tea bowl could be shared, which brought people together at the table. Again - and now for a long time - chairs, higher tables and spoons disappear from everyday life.

In 1185, the country's government moved to Kamakura, where a harsh, even ascetic lifestyle of samurai warriors reigned. Samurai Zen Buddhism required a much more modest and healthy diet. Buddhist vegetarian cuisine adopted in Chinese monasteries became typical of that time. The wide variety of vegetarian dishes was offset by the fact that such dishes were served in small portions.

In the 15th century, the structure of the Japanese dinner changed again. To the main course - rice - additional are served: soup, marinades. This period is characterized by excessive luxury treats. The abundance of additional dishes had to reach such quantities that it was impossible to eat everything at once. Hot dishes cooled down and lost their taste and attractiveness, for this reason the "art of the table" was again reformed, and the tea ceremony was further developed. It turned into a kind of ritual-philosophical mini-performance, in which every detail, object, order of things had its own unique meaning.

Tea ceremony:
Tea was brought to Japan from China in the 7th century. In China, it was valued as a medicinal plant that helps with fatigue, eye disease, and rheumatism. Then, as a refined pastime. But such a cult of tea as in Japan, perhaps, was not in any country. The Japanese monk Eisai, the founder of the monastery in the samurai residence in Kyoto, introduced the Japanese to the tea ceremony with the support of the emperor himself.
In the 16th century, a game called "tea competition" became fashionable in samurai circles. Tea was brought from different places. While drinking a cup of tea, the participants had to determine his homeland. Since then, the Japanese have fallen in love with tea, tea drinking has become a custom. Permanent tea plantations appeared in the Uji region near Kyoto. Until now, the best teas in Japan are harvested in Uji.
Since the 15th century, Japanese monks have been mastering the technique of the tea ritual, and in the following centuries it reaches perfection. The tea ceremony becomes the art of embodying the grace of Emptiness and the goodness of Peace (cha-no yu). In turn, this ritual gave rise to arts such as ikebana, the wabi style of ceramics, Japanese gardens, and influenced porcelain, painting, and the interior of a Japanese house. The tea ritual influenced the worldview of the Japanese, and, conversely, the worldview of the Japanese of the 16th century brought to life the wabi style, determining the measured way of life, tastes, and the mental warehouse of the Japanese. The Japanese say that anyone who is well acquainted with the tea ceremony should be able to regulate his behavior in all cases of life with ease, dignity and grace. Before marriage, Japanese girls took cha-no-yu lessons in order to acquire a beautiful posture and graceful manners.
There are different schools of the Art of Tea. The nature of the tea ceremony largely depends on the occasion of the meeting and the time of year. Competitors dress in soothing colors: plain silk kimono and special white socks designed for wooden shoes. Everyone has a small folding fan. The whole ritual is divided into two acts.

First action.
Guests (usually five people) first, accompanied by the owner, follow a special path through the twilight of the garden. The closer to the tea house, the more they move away from the bustling world. Approaching a small pool of clear water, they wash their hands and mouth. The entrance to the tea house is low, and guests have to literally crawl through it, subduing their temper.

The small tea house is divided into three parts: tea room, waiting room and utility room. N. S. Nikolaeva in the "Japanese Gardens" perfectly described this ceremony: "Bending low, one after another, they pass through the door, leaving their shoes on a special stone. The last of those who enter closes the door. The owner does not appear immediately. Guests should get used to the lighting rooms, carefully examine the hanging picture, appreciate the refined charm of a single flower, feel inwardly, guess the subtext of the ceremony proposed by the owner. herbs in a bouquet will be a subtle sophistication of the pattern on a ceramic dish.
Only after the guests have become accustomed to the situation, the host appears and greets the guests with a deep bow, silently sits opposite them, by the brazier, over which a pot of boiling water has already been hung in advance. Next to the owner on the mat are all the necessary items: a cup (the most precious relic), a box of green tea powder, a wooden spoon, a bamboo whisk, which is used to churn tea, poured with slightly cooled boiling water. Immediately there are ceramic vessels - for cold water, for rinsing and other items; everything is old, but immaculately clean, and only the water bucket and linen towel are new, sparkling white.

Entering the tea room, where there is a brazier for the teapot, the guest bows politely. Then, holding a folding fan in front of him, he expresses admiration for the scroll hanging in a niche. Having finished the inspection, the grateful guests sit down and greet the host.
All stages of the ritual take place in strict order. Sitting down, the guests proceed to sweets. The owner then invites them into the garden. The start of the ceremony is announced by a gong - five and seven strikes. After the gong, the guests leave the garden and return to the tea room. The room is now brighter, the bamboo curtain outside the window has been moved away, and instead of a scroll in a niche, there is a vase with a flower. The owner wipes the caddy and spoon with a special cloth and washes the stirrer in hot water, which he pours from the kettle with a ladle. Then he puts three spoons of powdered green tea previously ground in a special porcelain mortar into a bowl, pours it with a ladle of hot water and beats the tea with a stirrer until the tea thickens slightly. All movements of the hands, body, special, truly ceremonial, while the face is strict and motionless. End of the first act.
Strong green tea is made from young leaves of tea bushes aged twenty to seventy or more years. The norm of laying tea on average is 1 teaspoon of tea powder per 200 grams of water. An important feature of the Japanese method is that not only the kettle, but the water itself for brewing tea should be from seventy to ninety degrees. The brewing time does not go beyond 3 - 5 minutes.

Action two.
The main guest bows, puts the bowl on the palm of his left hand, supporting with his right. With a measured movement of the hands, the cup is slowly brought to the mouth. Taking a small sip, evaluates the taste of tea; takes a few more sips, wipes the bitten place with special paper and passes the bowl to the next guest, who, after a few sips, sends it further until, having passed in a circle, the bowl returns to the owner.
The tea is extremely tart in taste. Its concentration corresponds to approximately 100 - 200 grams of dry tea per 500 grams of water. But at the same time, this tea is very aromatic. The presence of aroma in tea is very important to the Japanese.
For the whole circle, the cup is drunk completely and this procedure should take no more than ten minutes. There are no conversations in the second act, and everyone is sitting in decorous poses, in strict formal attire. The final. In general, the process of tea drinking itself is a very long ceremony that takes place entirely in front of its participants.
Thus, Japanese tea is presented not as a gastronomic reality, but as a ritual group action that has deep historical and philosophical roots of the national Japanese culture and is one of the Japanese art forms.
Formed in the 16th century, the "Way of Tea" (chado) philosophy is now becoming more and more popular in America and Europe. The author of the book "On the Way of Tea" well-known in the West, K. Iguti, explains the reason for such popularity by saying that "people are tired of mechanical civilization and the frantic rhythm of life. And when life becomes too restless, vain, we seek peace, freedom for the soul. If if we follow etiquette, then the behavior, manners of a person will be balanced, a sense of beauty will return to him. That is why our time cannot do without the Way of tea.
There are four basic rules of tea philosophy according to Rikyu, the famous master of the tea ceremony of the 16th century: Harmony, Reverence, Purity and Tranquility.

Harmony.
Harmony is the very atmosphere of the tea ceremony. When you approach the tea house, you see mossy stones, an overgrown pond - free nature, which man has not imposed himself. With a thatched roof and rough wood or bamboo props, the tea house is a natural extension of the garden. The room is in twilight: the low roof barely transmits light. Not a single extra item, not a single extra color. On the shelf in the tea room are a jug of water, a stand for a ladle, a cup for water. All over the patina of antiquity, the breath of eternity. Time seemed to have stopped. Only a ladle of cut bamboo and a fresh linen tablecloth. The whole atmosphere is designed to distract you from everyday life, to bring the spirit into a state of peace and balance.

Respectfulness.
Respect implies sincere, kind relationships between people. The tea house is not only the abode of simplicity and naturalness, but also the abode of Justice. Respect prescribes that everyone should feel equal and that the noble should not boast of his nobility, and the poor should not be ashamed of his poverty. Whoever enters the tea room must overcome the feeling of superiority.

Purity.
Purity should be in everything: in feelings, in thoughts. The origins of the cult of purity go back to the rite of the Great Purification.

Calm.
Calmness implies complete peace, external and internal, balance, serenity. No wonder the hieroglyph djaku (calmness) is translated as nirvana.
Of course, the tea ceremony in Japan is not a daily ritual, and the Japanese drink tea more often than they do the tea act described above. In these cases, they prefer green tea, rather than black, which is widespread among us, but in everyday life they sometimes use it. It is also noteworthy that the Japanese, like the Chinese, drink tea during the day, before meals, while we drink it after meals. Well, in all other respects we are not much different from the Japanese!

Samurai:
Samurai appeared in Japan during the Middle Ages. That is, Japanese samurai are almost the same as European knights, samurai considered only military affairs worthy of a noble person. However, there is a difference between a European knight and a Japanese samurai. And this difference is in the samurai code of conduct, a collection of rules and traditions called Bushido.
Bushido claims that the main, and only, goal of the samurai is to serve the master. This is how the word "samurai" is translated - "to serve a great man." A warrior brought up in the spirit of bushido had to evaluate his own actions, decide what is right and what is not, and punish himself.

The most famous rite of the Japanese samurai, the legendary hara-kiri, also comes from bushido. Actually hara-kiri is suicide. The samurai had to commit suicide if he violated the rules of honor, to wash away the shame with blood. But not only: since serving the owner is the main goal, in the event of the death of the owner, the samurai also had to commit hara-kiri. By the way, it was for such barbarism that this rite was banned.

Bushido is not a book of rules, it was not studied from textbooks. Bushido mainly exists in the form of legends about samurai who behaved correctly. And by the way, according to this tradition, the samurai had to not only fight, but also learn.

Taiko drums:
Japanese taiko drums are ancient instruments. They have existed for over ten centuries. The drums are made from trees that are at least five hundred years old. A core is hollowed out at the trunk, it is shaped into a drum, and then specially dressed leather is stretched. By the way, the strength of the sound depends on its manufacture. And the height of the sound of the drum is adjustable with the help of mounts.
Such careful work on the sound capabilities of the instrument is understandable. In the old days, with the help of taiko, the Japanese turned to the gods.
Today, many types of Japanese theater still use them, and taiko play a significant role in national festivals.

Traditional costumes:
Kimono(traditional Japanese women's clothing) has a two thousand year history.

In Japan, they are very fond of traditions, so they dressed according to the established rules: first they wrapped their hips with a cloth, then they put on a light tight-fitting robe, then a floral robe over it, followed by a kimono and jacket, and decorated the whole structure with a belt. The number of belts at the waist of the Japanese was always seven, they were tied on the back into an elegant bow, reminiscent of a butterfly sitting down to rest. Nature and animals have a special place among the Japanese, they do not like various decorations, but they richly embroider their clothes using images of trees, flowers, fabulous monsters and dragons.
Few people wear kimonos these days, older people quite often, but young people wear kimonos only on special occasions, such as festivals or chapel weddings (these kimonos are usually white and very expensive).

By the sleeves of a kimono, one can judge the age of a woman and her material wealth. Girls or girls wore colorful kimonos with long, loose sleeves (such kimonos are called furisode). Married women wore kimonos with shorter sleeves.

The summer kimono is called yukata. Mostly yukatas are dark blue or white, but girls and girls like to wear bright yukatas with flower patterns more.

Usually, religious beliefs are understood as ancient religious practices that are not associated with the church hierarchy. This is a complex of ideas and actions based on prejudices and superstitions. Although folk beliefs differ from the temple cult, the connection between them is obvious. Let us turn, for example, to the ancient cult of the fox, which the Japanese have worshiped since time immemorial.

The deity in the form of a fox, the Japanese believed, had the body and mind of a person. In Japan, special temples were built, where people supposedly possessing a fox nature gathered. To the rhythmic sounds of drums and the howling of priests, parishioners with a "fox nature" fell into a trance state. They believed that it was the spirit of the fox that instilled its powers in them. Therefore, people with a "fox nature" considered themselves in some way sorcerers and seers, able to predict the future.

The wolf has long been worshiped in Japan. He was considered the spirit of the Okami Mountains. People asked Okami to protect the crops and the workers themselves from various misfortunes. Japanese fishermen still ask him to send down a favorable wind.

In some areas of Japan, especially on the coast, in ancient times the locals worshiped the turtle. The fishermen considered her the deity of the sea, on which their luck depended. Huge turtles off the coast of Japan were often caught in fishing nets. The fishermen carefully pulled them out, gave them sake to drink, and released them back.

In Japan, there was also a kind of cult of snakes and mollusks. At present, the Japanese eat them without trepidation, but some types of snakes and mollusks are considered sacred. These are tanisi, inhabitants of rivers and ponds. Some scholars suggest that the reverence for them came to Japan from China. According to legend, in the Aizu area, there was once a temple of Wakamiya Hachiman, at the foot of which there were two ponds. If someone caught tanishi in them, then at night he heard a voice demanding her return. Sometimes the sick caught the tanisi on purpose in order to hear the voice of the deity of the pond and demand recovery for themselves in exchange for the release of the tanisi. Old Japanese medical books indicate that tanishi is a good remedy for eye diseases. And, on the contrary, there are legends that only those who do not eat them are cured of eye diseases.

Shark (same) in Japan in ancient times was considered a creature endowed with divine power, that is, kami. There were various legends about the shark. One of them tells that once a shark bit off a woman's leg. The woman's father in prayer asked the spirits of the sea to avenge his daughter. After some time, he saw a large flock of sharks chasing one predator in the sea. The fisherman caught her and found her daughter's leg in her stomach. The fishermen believed that the shark could help to avoid misfortune at sea. According to their beliefs, shoals of fish stretched behind the sacred shark. If the fisherman was lucky enough to meet her, he returned with a rich catch.

The Japanese also idolized the crab. An amulet made from his dried shell protected him from evil spirits and diseases. It was said that once the crabs appeared in the coastal region, where no one had ever seen them. The fishermen caught them, dried them and hung them on trees. Since then, evil spirits have bypassed these places. There is still a legend that the Taira warriors, who were defeated in the war with the Minato clan, plunged into the sea and turned into crabs. Therefore, in some rural areas, it is believed that the belly of a crab resembles a human face.

Along with the veneration of animals in Japan, the worship of mountains, mountain springs, stones, and trees spread. The Japanese peasant deified nature in his ideas. The contemplation of individual stones, trees caused real pleasure among the Japanese. Among the trees in the first place was the willow. The Japanese idolized the weeping willow (yanagi). Many poets have sung from it since ancient times, artists have depicted it on engravings and scrolls. Everything graceful and graceful is still compared by the Japanese with willow branches. Yanagi was considered by the Japanese to be a tree that brings happiness and good luck. Willow was used to make chopsticks, which were used only on New Year's Eve.

The religions that came to Japan from the mainland had a huge impact on the beliefs of the Japanese. This can be illustrated by the example of the Koshin cult.

Koshin (year of the monkey) is the name of one of the years of the old cyclical chronology used in Japan until 1878 (that is, the famous bourgeois Meiji reform). This chronology consists of repeating 60-year cycles. The Koxin cult is associated with Taoism, which came from China. Taoists believed that on the night of the New Year, the kosin, which lives in the body of every person, as some kind of mysterious creature, leaves him and rises into the sky, where he reports to the heavenly ruler about sinful deeds. Based on the report, the lord can take a person's life. Therefore, it was recommended to spend koshin nights without sleep. In Japan, this custom has become widespread, gradually absorbing elements of Buddhism and Shintoism.

Many deities from Buddhism entered the national pantheon by themselves. The Buddhist saint Jizo gained great popularity. In the courtyard of a temple in Tokyo, a statue of him was erected, entangled with straw ropes. If any valuables were stolen from a person, he tied Jizo and promised to release him upon discovery of the loss.

Researchers classify the ancient folk beliefs of the Japanese as follows:

Industrial cults (related to agriculture and fishing),
healing cults (providing cures for diseases),
patronage cults (aimed at protection from epidemics and other troubles),
cult-keeper of the hearth (protected from fire and maintaining peace in the family),
the cult of good luck and prosperity (which gave gains and blessings of life),
a cult of scaring away evil spirits (aimed at getting rid of devils, water, goblin).

Here I would like to especially dwell on the tea ceremony (in Japanese, chanoyu). This ceremony is one of the most original, unique and ancient arts. For several centuries, it has played a significant role in the spiritual and social life of the Japanese. Tyanoyu is a strictly scheduled ritual, in which the “tea master” takes part, brewing tea and pouring it, as well as those who are present at the same time and then drink it. The first is the priest performing the tea action, the second are the participants joining it. Everyone has their own style of behavior, covering both the sitting posture, and all movements, and facial expressions, and manner of speech. Aesthetics of chanoyyu, its refined ritual obeys the canons of Zen Buddhism. According to legend, it originates from China since the time of the first patriarch of Buddhism, Bodhidharma. Once, the legend says, while sitting in meditation, Bodhiharma felt that his eyes were closing and he was falling asleep. Angry with himself, he ripped out his eyelids and threw them to the ground. Soon an unusual bush with succulent leaves grew in that place. Later, the disciples of Bodhiharma began to brew its leaves with hot water - the drink helped them to maintain vigor.

In fact, the tea ceremony originated in China long before the advent of Buddhism. According to sources, it was introduced by Lao Tzu. It was he who in the 5th century. BC, proposed a ritual with a cup of "golden elixir". This ritual flourished in China until the Mongol invasion. Later, the Chinese reduced the ceremony with the "golden elixir" to a simple brewing of dried leaves of the tea course. In Japan, the art of chanoyu has reached its logical conclusion.

Ancient Japan is a chronological layer that some scholars date to the 3rd century BC. BC. - III century. AD, and some researchers tend to continue it until the 9th century. AD As you can see, the process of the emergence of statehood on the Japanese islands was delayed, and the period of the ancient kingdoms quickly gave way to the feudal system. This may be due to the geographical isolation of the archipelago, and although people settled it as early as 17 thousand years ago, connections with the mainland were extremely episodic. Only in the 5th century BC. here they begin to cultivate the land, but the society continues to be tribal.

Ancient Japan left behind extremely little material and written evidence. The first annalistic references to the islands belong to the Chinese and date back to the beginning of our era. By the beginning of the 8th century AD include the first Japanese chronicles: “Kojiki” and “Nihongi”, when the Yamato tribal leaders who stood out in the foreground had an urgent need to substantiate the ancient, and therefore sacred, origin of their dynasty. Therefore, the annals contain many myths, tales and legends, surprisingly intertwined with real events.

At the beginning of each of the chronicles, the history of the formation of the archipelago is described. The “age of the gods”, preceding the era of people, gave birth to the god-man Jimma, who became the founder of the Yamato dynasty. The cult of ancestors, which has been preserved on the islands since the primitive communal system, and new religious beliefs about the Heavenly goddess of the sun Amaterasu became the basis of Shintoism. Also, ancient Japan professed and widely practiced totemism, animism, fetishism and magic, like all agricultural societies, the basis of life of which was favorable weather conditions for the harvest.

Approximately from the II century. BC. ancient Japan begins to forge close ties with China. The influence of a more developed neighbor was total: in the economy, culture, and beliefs. In the IV-V centuries, writing appears - naturally, hieroglyphic. New crafts are born, new knowledge about astronomy and technology comes. Confucianism and Buddhism also penetrate the territory of the islands from China. This creates a real revolution in culture. Particularly important was the impact of Buddhism on the mentality of society: belief in accelerated the decomposition of the tribal system.

But despite the significant superiority of China, Ancient Japan, whose culture was especially influenced by its neighbor, remained an original country. Even in its political structure there were no features inherent in the social structure of society as far back as the 5th century. AD tribal elders and leaders played a significant role, and free farmers were the main class. There were few slaves - they were "domestic slaves" in the families of farmers. The classical slave-owning system did not have time to take shape on the territory of the islands, as tribal relations were rapidly replaced by feudal ones.

Japan, whose culture and traditions are closely connected with Confucianism and Buddhism, has produced many architectural monuments of religious architecture. These include temple complexes in the ancient capitals of Nara and Heian (modern Kyoto). The ensembles of the Naiku shrine in Ise (III century), Izumo (550) and Horyuji in Nara (607) are especially striking in their skill and completeness. The originality of Japanese culture is maximally manifested in literary monuments. The most famous work of this period is "Manyoshu" (VIII century) - a huge anthology of four and a half thousand poems.

The essay was prepared by a student of grade 11 "B"

Simakov A.

Neolithic and the emergence of metals .............................................................. ................................................. ... 3

Decomposition of the generic layer ............................................................... ................................................. ........ 5

Religion in ancient Japan .............................................................. ................................................. ........ 6

Shinto (Way of the Gods).................................................. ................................................. ................... 7

Ancient folk beliefs .............................................................. ................................................. .. 9

Buddhism in ancient Japan .............................................................. ................................................. ..... 12

Confucianism in Japan .............................................................. ................................................. ...... 14

Writing in ancient Japan .............................................................. ............................................. 15

The influence of Chinese civilization and statehood on neighboring countries and peoples was very tangible. It, in particular, stimulated the acceleration of the social, economic and especially political development of China's close neighbors throughout its history, whether they were the ancient nomads of the Xiongnu (Huns) or the Xianbei, the Jurchens, the Mongols or the Manchus. But this affected by no means only nomads, especially those who found themselves in the orbit of its direct influence. This influence was much more significant. Through Nanzhao, it reached the Thais and the Tibeto-Burman tribes, and in Vietnam it simply set the tone, determined the internal organization of the state and society.

Japan is close in this sense to Vietnam. This is not only about borrowing someone else's, even a higher culture, although this also played a role. What is meant is something else: the proximity of a highly developed civilization inevitably had its impact both directly and indirectly, and such an impact played a particularly large role precisely in those periods of the history of a particular country, when the main parameters of the existence of a given society and state were determined. For Japan, which was in the zone of influence of the Chinese civilization, this kind of influence was completely obvious, self-evident. The only question is what role it played in the process of formation of both countries. So how was it.

Neolithic and the emergence of metals.

Japan is an ancient, original state. It can be said without exaggeration that the European reader knows Japan both very well and still very poorly. The latter relates mainly to the spiritual life of the Japanese, their national psychological characteristics.

The history of Japan begins with the Neolithic. Located in an archipelago that stretches from north to south along the eastern coast of the Asian continent (its main islands are Hokkaido (the least populated) in the north, Honshu and Shikoku in the center and Kyushu in the south). Japan contains more than three thousand islands.

Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, mountain collapses and hurricanes have accompanied the life of the Japanese for centuries; last but not least, natural disasters contributed to the development of such national qualities as courage, patience, self-control, dexterity. Is it any wonder that nature evokes in the souls of the Japanese both a sense of doom and at the same time a sense of reverence.

Although the natural conditions of the Japanese islands had a noticeable impact on the formation of the national psychology of the Japanese, the determining factor here, as elsewhere on earth, was certainly the mode of production.

Since ancient times, the Japanese have been engaged in hunting, sea fishing, animal husbandry, but most of the population has been cultivating rice fields for centuries.

The questions of the ethnogenesis of the Japanese still cause controversy, giving rise to the most controversial hypotheses and theories, none of which is able to explain the totality of the facts accumulated by science.

Apparently, already in the 5th - 4th millennium BC, the Neolithic existed in Japan. The oldest Neolithic monuments in Japan are shell mounds, distributed mainly along the Pacific coast. Based on the contents of these heaps, it can be concluded that the population was mainly engaged in gathering and fishing. They contain the remains of edible shells and fish, harpoons, weights and fishhooks. In later heaps, bones of freshwater fish, deer, wild pigs, and birds are often found. Along with tools for hunting (obsidian arrowheads, polished axes and daggers) and fishing, these heaps contain hand-made ceramics, richly decorated with a rope ornament (jomon) typical of early Japan. Clay female figurines indicate the existence of matriarchy. The population lived in settlements in large dugouts and buried corpses right there in shell heaps. The skeletons lie on their backs in a crouched position, they are often sprinkled with red ocher. The Japanese Neolithic is characterized by a relatively high level of cultural development, with a generally slow pace of this development at the last stage.

In more advanced, southern regions in the 1st millennium BC. e. Grinding tools, characteristic of the Late Neolithic, appear in abundance, and metal items are found in the burials. Pottery is well fired, sometimes made on a potter's wheel, most often smooth or with a simple ornament (yayoi type). The population had already settled in the interior of the islands and were familiar with agriculture and the beginnings of cattle breeding.

With the onset of the metal era, property differentiation is outlined, which is indicated by burials in double urns and rich grave goods (bronze mirrors, swords and daggers). This differentiation intensifies in the so-called Kurgan era (Early Iron Age).

The ethnicity of the most ancient population of the archipelago has not yet been finally clarified. As already mentioned, both the Ainu and other southern tribes, and - later - tribes of Mongol-Malay origin, took part in the formation of the Japanese nationality.

From the middle of the first millennium BC. e. the so-called proto-Japanese tribes penetrate the Japanese islands through the Korea Strait from the south of the Korean Peninsula. With their arrival, domestic animals appeared on the islands - a horse, a cow, a sheep, and the emergence of a culture of irrigated rice also belongs to this period. The process of cultural development of newcomer tribes, their interaction with the local Austronesian-Ainu population took place until the 5th century BC. Rice cultivation has finally become the main direction of the economy on the Japanese islands.

In a later period, the island population finally adopted elements of Chinese and Korean culture from Korea, as well as from China. By this time, the assimilation of the remnants of the Aus-Ronesian population was completed in southern Kyushu. At the same time, the process of settling the wooded north of the island of Honshu began. The local Ainu population of this island partly mixed with the newcomers, partly was pushed to the north.

These processes have led to the fact that at present Japan is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world, the basis of the nation (more than 99 percent of the population) is Japanese. The Ainu are now preserved only in Hokkaido, their number does not exceed 20 thousand people.

History of Japan from the 1st c. BC e. known from written sources. The earliest information is contained in Chinese historical monuments: the “History of the Senior Han Dynasty” and “The History of the Younger Han Dynasty” provide information about Japan in the 1st century BC. BC e. - P in. n. e., in the "History of Wei" (Weizhi) and "History of Song" (Sun-shu) - information about Japan II - V centuries. n. e. The Japanese chronicles "Kojiki" (8th century AD) and "Nihongi" (8th century AD) are more detailed than the Chinese in regard to Japan itself, but less accurate. Their chronology is very confused and up to the VI century. n. e. little reliable. In addition, they have many later layers.

According to the Japanese system of beliefs - Shintoism, the Japanese nation originates from the goddess of the sun Amaterasu, whose direct descendant was the legendary Emperor of Japan Jimmu (Jimmu-Tenno), who ascended the throne of the Yamato state in 660 BC. e. and marked the beginning of a continuous dynasty of Japanese emperors. In Japan, it is customary to divide the history of the country into eras of the reign of one or another emperor. The personality of the emperor, the very idea of ​​imperial power has always acted as the most important cementing factor in the national identity of the Japanese.

Decomposition of the generic layer.

At the beginning of our era, Japanese tribes did not inhabit the entire territory of the archipelago, but only part of the islands of Honshu and Kyushu. In the north of Honshu lived the Ainu (ebisu), in the south - kumaso (hayato). It is clear that such cohabitation of tribes on the same territory could not favorably affect the further fate of the weaker ones. While the Japanese tribes were at the stage of a patriarchal clan, prisoners and settlers from the mainland were accepted into the clan and became its full members. Korean and Chinese settlers-artisans were especially willingly accepted. The bulk of the free members of the clan were engaged in agriculture. Rice, millet and beans were sown. Agricultural implements were stone or wooden.

During the II - III centuries. the increase in clans, dividing them into large and small ones, and the resettlement of individual groups in different parts of the country, as well as the development of exchange, contributed to the strengthening of inter-clan and inter-tribal ties. This, together with the struggle against the surrounding non-Japanese tribes, caused a trend towards larger inter-tribal associations. The unification process was carried out not peacefully, but in the course of a fierce inter-clan struggle. The weaker families were absorbed by the stronger ones.

Japanese chronicles report the subordination of a large number of clans that inhabited the central part of the Honshu Peninsula to the most powerful group of clans - Yamato. The same tribal associations arise in Tsukushi.

Significant changes have also taken place within the genus. In economic life, the main unit is the community - mura, which is an association of several consanguineous groups of 15 - 30 people each. Gradually, these consanguineous groups are separated from the Mura into special family communities.

Wars between tribes acquired a different character: the vanquished began to be subject to tribute, the captives were turned into slaves. Slaves were either used within the family community or exported to neighboring countries. The History of the Younger Han Dynasty reports, for example, the dispatch in 107 AD. e. from Japan to China 160 slaves. In an environment of constant wars, the importance of military leaders, the tribal leader (“king”) and the elders of the largest clans grew. Most of the booty and prisoners fell into their hands. At the same time, continuous wars had a heavy impact on the position of ordinary members of the clan and caused significant damage to the economy. The decomposition of the tribal organization was accompanied by further changes in the socio-economic system. Along with slaves, who were mainly used as domestic servants, a new category of unfree appears - be. They were originally simple tributaries of the victorious clan, later Chinese and Korean settlers subjugated by the clans are turned into be.

Despite its insular position, Japan has been constantly influenced by higher Chinese and Korean culture. The beginning of relations between Japan and China traced by historical monuments dates back to the 1st century BC. BC e., and in the III century. n. e. Japan and China exchange embassies from time to time. These connections between Japan and China, and especially with Korea, were of great positive significance for the historical development of Japan in this period.

Religion in Ancient Japan.

Buddhism entered Japan from India through Korea and China in the 6th century. Buddhist preachers immediately appreciated all the benefits of an alliance with Shinto. Where possible, they tried to use Shinto beliefs to promote the ideas of Buddhism. A significant imprint on the psychology of the Japanese was also left by Confucianism, which came to Japan first through Korea - in the 4th - 5th centuries. and then directly from China - in the VI century. It was then that the Chinese language became the language of educated Japanese, official correspondence was conducted in it, and literature was created. If the penetration of Confucianism led to the spread of the Chinese language, then the Chinese language, which took root in the highest spheres of the country, largely served the purposes of propagating Confucian influence. It is not surprising that the Confucian doctrine of the deification of ancestors, the veneration of parents, the unquestioning subordination of the lower to the higher, the most detailed regulation of the behavior of any member of society, firmly cut into all spheres of human psychology. Confucian ideas are well expressed in the following saying: "The relationship between the highest and the lowest is like the relationship between the wind and the grass: the grass must bend if the wind blows."

Buddhism and Confucianism began to play the role of a kind of ideological and moral superstructure in Japan. However, in the system of religious doctrines of Japan, the true Japanese religion of Shinto occupied a dominant place.

Shinto (Way of the Gods).

This is an ancient Japanese religion. Although its origins are admittedly unknown, no one doubts the fact that it originated and developed in Japan outside of Chinese influence.

The Japanese usually do not seek to delve into the essence and origin of Shinto, for him it is history, tradition, and life itself. Shinto is reminiscent of ancient mythology. The practical goal and meaning of Shinto is to affirm the originality of the ancient history of Japan and the divine origin of the Japanese people: according to Shinto, it is believed that the mikado (emperor) is a descendant of the spirits of the sky, and every Japanese is a descendant of the spirits of the second category - kami. For the Japanese, kami means the deity of ancestors, heroes, spirits, etc. The world of the Japanese is inhabited by myriads of kami. The devout Japanese thought that after death he would become one of them.

Shintoism is free from the religious idea of ​​the "central authority" of the Almighty, it teaches mainly the cult of ancestors and the worship of nature. There are no other precepts in Shintoism, except for communal prescriptions to keep cleanliness and adhere to the natural order of things. He has one general moral rule:

"Act according to the laws of nature, while sparing the laws of society." According to Shinto ideas, the Japanese have an instinctive understanding of good and evil, so the observance of duties in society is also instinctive: if it were not so, then the Japanese "would be worse than animals, which, after all, no one teaches them how to act." Information about Shintoism in the ancient books "Kojiki" and "Nihongi" give a sufficient idea of ​​this religion.

In such writings, two ideas are combined - the idea of ​​blood tribal unity and the idea of ​​political power. The reflection of the first is in the expansion of the tribe in time: in relation to the past, in connection with the birth of all things in general; in the inclusion of everything foreign in the composition of the tribe, in subordination to it, in attracting the genealogical line according to the main representatives - gods, leaders, kings - as a manifestation of the unity of the tribe. The reflection of the second is in the representation of political power as the fulfillment by the gods, leaders, kings of the will of the higher gods.

Japanese chronicles claim that initially chaos reigned in the world, but then everything acquired harmony: the sky separated from the earth, the feminine and masculine principles separated: the first - in the person of the goddess Izanami, the second - in the person of her husband Izanagi. They gave birth to the sun goddess Amaterasu; the god of the moon, Tsukiemi, and the god of wind and water, Susanoo, entered into a struggle between themselves. Amaterasu won and remained in heaven, and Susanoo was banished to the land of Izumo on earth. Susanoo's son Okuninushi became the ruler of Izumo. Amaterasu did not accept this and forced Okuninushi to hand over the reign to her grandson Ninigi. Ninigi descended from the sky and took over the government of Izumo. As a sign of power, he was given three sacred objects - a mirror (a symbol of divinity), a sword (a symbol of power) and jasper (a symbol of loyalty to subjects). From Niniga came Jimmutenno (the tenno title means “Supreme Ruler”; it is retained by the reigning house to this day; it is transmitted in European languages ​​by the word “emperor”), the mythical first emperor of Japan is the mikado. Mirror, sword and jasper have long been the emblem of the Japanese imperial house.

The mikado emperor in the minds of the Japanese, due to his “divine” origin, is related to the whole people, he is the head of the nation-family. Even the shoguns who dominated Japan for more than three hundred years called themselves representatives of the mikado. The idea of ​​the mikado, consecrated by Shinto, has not disappeared from the consciousness of the Japanese today, although, of course, its regulatory power has been significantly weakened.

Even modern Japanese, outwardly as if not attaching serious importance to this idea, subconsciously sincerely revere it. Until now, various rituals are performed in Shinto shrines in honor of the imperial family (according to some sources, there are more than a hundred thousand of them).

Shintoism has formed among the Japanese a special view of the world of things, nature, relationships. This view is based on five concepts.

The first concept claims that everything that exists is the result of the self-development of the world: the world appeared on its own, it is good and perfect. The regulating power of being, according to the Shinto doctrine, comes from the world itself, and not from some supreme being, as with Christians or Muslims. The religious consciousness of the ancient Japanese rested on such an understanding of the universe, who was surprised at the questions of representatives of other faiths: “What is your faith?” or even more so - “Do you believe in God?”

The second concept emphasizes the power of life. According to mythology, the first sexual encounter took place between the gods. And that is why sex and moral guilt are never connected in the minds of the Japanese. Everything that is natural, according to this principle, must be respected, only “impure” is not respected, but any “impure” can be cleansed. This is precisely what the rituals of Shinto temples are aimed at, developing in people inclinations towards adaptation, adaptation. Thanks to this, the Japanese were able to accept almost any innovation, modernization after it had been refined, corrected, and harmonized with the Japanese tradition.

The third concept affirms the unity of nature and history. In the Shinto world view, there is no division into living and non-living things; for a Shinto adherent, everything is alive: animals, plants, and things; in everything natural and in man himself lives the deity kami. Some believe that people are kami, or rather, kami are located in them, or eventually they can eventually become kami, etc. According to Shinto, the world of kami is not an otherworldly abode separate from the world of people. The kami are united with the people, so people do not need to seek salvation somewhere in the other world. According to Shinto, salvation is secured by merging with the kami in daily life.

The fourth concept is related to polytheism. Shinto originated from local nature cults, the worship of local, tribal and tribal deities. The primitive shamanic and witchcraft rites of Shinto began to come to a certain uniformity only from the 5th - 6th centuries, when the imperial court began to take control of the activities of Shinto temples. At the beginning of the 8th century a special department for Shinto affairs was created at the imperial court.

The fifth concept of Shinto is connected with the national psychological basis. According to this concept, the gods of Shinto, the kami, did not give birth to people in general, but only to the Japanese. In this regard, from the very first years of life, the idea that he belongs to Shinto takes root in the mind of the Japanese. Two major factors in the regulation of behavior follow from this. First, the assertion that the kami are intimately connected only with the Japanese nation; secondly, the Shinto point of view, according to which it is ridiculous if a foreigner worships kami and practices Shinto - such behavior of a non-Japanese is perceived as absurd. However, Shinto does not prevent the Japanese themselves from practicing any other religion. It is no coincidence that almost all Japanese, in parallel with Shintoism, consider themselves adherents of some other religious doctrine. At present, if you sum up the number of Japanese by belonging to individual faiths, you get a number that exceeds the total population of the country.

In ancient times, the cult action in Shinto was to worship the deity of a particular temple, which, in essence, had nothing to do with other temples. The rituals of Shinto shrines consisted of pleasing the local deity. This simplicity of the ceremony, requiring only offerings and simple ritual actions from the people, was the main reason for the persistence of Shinto over the centuries. For the ancient Japanese who lived in the countryside, his temple, his rituals, his annual colorful festivals became a necessary part of life; this is how his fathers and grandfathers lived, this is how he lived, without making any effort; so it was instituted, so do all relatives and neighbors.

Despite the lack of unity in the veneration of deities, the structure of Shinto shrines is nevertheless uniform. The basis of each temple is a honden (sanctuary) in which a shintai (shrine, deity) is kept. Adjacent to the honden is a haiden, i.e. a prayer hall. There are no images of the gods in the temples, but some temples are decorated with images of lions or other animals. At the temples of Inari there are images of foxes, at the temples of Hie - monkeys, at the temples of Kasuga - an image of deer. These animals are seen as messengers of their respective deities. All this testifies to the connection of Shinto with numerous specific folk beliefs.

Ancient folk beliefs.

Usually, folk beliefs are understood as ancient religious practices that are not associated with the church hierarchy. This is a complex of ideas and actions based on prejudices, superstitions, etc. Although folk beliefs differ from the temple cult, however, the connections here are obvious. Let us turn, for example, to the ancient cult of the fox, which the Japanese have worshiped since time immemorial.

The deity in the form of a fox, the Japanese believed, had the body and mind of a person. In Japan, special temples were built, in which people supposedly possessing a fox nature gathered. To the rhythmic sounds of drums and the howling of priests, parishioners with a “fox nature” fell into a trance state. They believed that it was the spirit of the fox that instilled its powers in them. Therefore, people with a “fox nature” considered themselves to be some kind of sorcerers and seers who predict the future.

The wolf has long been worshiped in Japan. This animal was considered the spirit of the Okami Mountains. People asked Okami to protect the crops and the workers themselves from various misfortunes. So, the fishermen still ask him to send down a favorable wind.

In some areas of Japan, especially on the coast, since ancient times, the locals worshiped the turtle. The fishermen considered the turtle (kame) the deity (kami) of the sea, on which their luck depended. Huge turtles off the coast of Japan were often caught in fishing nets. The fishermen carefully pulled them out of the nets, gave them sake to drink and released back into the sea.

Also in ancient Japan there was a kind of cult of snakes and mollusks. In fact, at present, the Japanese fearlessly eat them, but some types of snakes and mollusks are still considered sacred. These are tanisi, inhabitants of rivers and ponds. Some scholars believe that the reverence for tanishi came to Japan from China. According to legend, the Wakamiya Hachiman temple once stood in the Aizu area, at the foot of which there were two ponds. If someone caught tanishi in these ponds, then at night in a dream he heard a voice demanding her return. Sometimes the sick caught the tanishi on purpose in order to hear the voice of the kami of the pond at night and demand recovery for themselves in exchange for the release of the tanishi. Old Japanese medical books indicated that tanishi was a good remedy for eye diseases; there are, however, legends that only those who do not eat tanisi are cured of eye diseases.

There are places in Japan where people still believe in the sacred fish, the okoze. This baby was given a very large place in ancient legends. She was considered a representative of the kami mountains. The hunters wrapped the okoze in white paper and said something like a spell:

“Okoze, if you send me luck, I will turn you around and let you see the sunlight.” Many fishermen hung dried okodze at the door of their huts in the hope that they would be lucky and that the house would be protected from evil spirits. When the fishermen got into trouble, they promised the kami of the sea to bring a gift to the okodze if he had mercy and saved them.

There were also beliefs that the tombo dragonfly, which was associated with courage and even with the national spirit, would bring good luck and happiness to the Japanese. The dragonfly was perceived as a warlike insect, so it was customary to wear items with the image of a dragonfly. This custom has been preserved to this day; the image of a dragonfly can be seen on things, the boy's clothes. This attitude towards the dragonfly comes from the depths of Japanese history, when Japan was called the “land of the dragonfly”. And now you can still find the word "dragonfly" in the literature as a synonym for Japan.

In ancient times, the shark (same) in Japan was considered a creature endowed with divine power, i.e. kami. There were various legends about the shark. One of them tells that once a shark bit off a woman's leg. The woman's father in prayer asked the spirits of the sea to avenge his daughter. After some time, he saw a large flock of sharks chasing one predator in the sea. The fisherman caught her, killed her, and found her daughter's leg in her stomach.

The fishermen believed that the shark could help to avoid misfortune at sea and could even carry a drowning man to the shore on his back. It was believed that shoals of fish were trailing behind the sacred shark. If the fisherman was lucky enough to meet her, he returned with a rich catch.

The Japanese also idolized the crab. An amulet made from his dried shell, according to legend, protected from evil spirits and diseases. It was said that once the crabs appeared in the coastal region, where no one had ever seen them. The fishermen caught them, dried them, and hung them on trees; since then, evil spirits have bypassed these places. There is still a legend that the Taira warriors, who were defeated in the internecine war with the Minato clan, plunged into the sea and turned into crabs there. Therefore, in some rural areas, it is believed to this day that the abdomen of a crab resembles a human face.

Along with the veneration of animals in Japan, the worship of mountains, mountain springs, stones, trees, etc., has spread. For a peasant, nature has long served as a reliable source of life, which is why he deified it in his ideas. Contemplation of individual stones, trees, etc. caused real pleasure among the Japanese. Among the trees, it is, of course, the willow.

The Japanese idolized the weeping willow (yanagi). Its graceful thin branches, swaying under the slightest breath of the wind, evoke high aesthetic feelings in them. Many poets have sung yanagi since ancient times, artists often depicted it on engravings and scrolls. Everything graceful and graceful is compared by the Japanese with willow branches.

Yanagi was considered by the Japanese to be a tree that brings happiness and good luck. Willow was used to make chopsticks, which were used only on New Year's Eve.

Initially, religions that came to Japan from the mainland had a huge impact on beliefs, as already indicated. This can be illustrated by the example of the Koshin cult.

Koshin (Year of the Monkey) - the name of one of the years of the old cyclic chronology, used in Japan until 1878. This chronology consists of repeating 60-year cycles. The Koxin cult is associated with Taoism brought to Japan from China. Taoists believed that on the night of the New Year's Eve, kosin, a certain mysterious creature that lives in the body of each person leaves him during sleep and rises into the sky, where he reports to the heavenly ruler about sinful deeds. Based on this report, the heavenly lord can take a person's life, so it was recommended to spend nights of koshin without sleep. In Japan, this custom is very widespread. Gradually, he also absorbed elements of Buddhism and Shintoism.

Many deities from the Buddhist pantheon have spontaneously entered the popular pantheon of Japanese deities. So, in Japan, the Buddhist saint Jizo gained great popularity. In the courtyard of one of the temples in Tokyo, a statue of Jizo was erected, entangled with straw ropes. This is the so-called Shibarare Jizo - “bound Jizo”; if any valuables were stolen from a person, he tied Jizo and promised to release him upon discovery of the loss.

Researchers classify the ancient folk beliefs of the Japanese as follows:

· production cults (related mainly to agriculture and fishing);

Cults of healing (providing alleged cures for diseases);

patronage cults (aimed at protection from epidemics and other troubles from the outside);

cult - the keeper of the hearth (protecting the house from fire and maintaining peace in the family);

· the cult of good luck and prosperity (giving acquisitions and blessings of life);

· the cult of scaring away evil spirits (aimed at getting rid of various evil spirits - devils, water, goblin).

Special mention should be made of the so-called tea ceremony (chanoyu in Japanese). This ceremony is one of the most original, unique and ancient arts. It has played a significant role in the spiritual and social life of the Japanese for several centuries. Tyanoyyu is a strictly painted ritual in which a tea master participates - the one who brews tea, pours it, and those who are present at the same time and then drink it. The first one is the priest performing the tea action, the second ones are the participants of the action who join it. Everyone has their own style of behavior, covering both the posture when sitting, and all movements, and facial expressions, and manner of speech. Aesthetics of chanoyyu, its refined ritual obeys the canons of Zen Buddhism. According to legend, it originates from China since the time of the first patriarch of Buddhism, Bodhidharma.

One day, the legend says, while sitting in meditation, Bodhidharma felt that his eyes were closing and against his will he was falling asleep. Then, angry with himself, he tore out his eyelids and threw them to the ground. An unusual bush with succulent leaves soon grew in this place. Later, the disciples of Bodhidharma began to brew these leaves with hot water - the drink helped them to maintain vigor.

In fact, the tea ceremony originated in China long before the advent of Buddhism. According to many sources, it was introduced by Lao Tzu. It was he who in the 5th century. BC e., legends testify, proposed a ritual with a cup of “golden elixir”. This ritual flourished in China until the Mongol invasion. Later, the Chinese reduced the ceremony with the "golden elixir" to a simple brewing of dried leaves of the tea bush.

In Japan, the art of chanoyu has reached its logical conclusion.

Buddhism in Ancient Japan.

This religion penetrated, as already noted, into Japan in the 6th century, when Buddhist monks began to penetrate the Japanese islands. Buddhist scriptures written in Chinese were the first to appear in Japan. The traditional forms of Japaneseized Buddhism have some peculiarities of their own.

As already mentioned, the founder of Buddhism (Buddha) was born in the VI century. BC. in the princely family of Shakiev (Powerful), he was named Siddhartha, and when he came of age, he was given the name Gautama. That is, the Japanese accept the legend of Gautama completely. As well as the fact that Gautama's father kept his son-heir away from worldly affairs, drove him on a gilded chariot, hiding from the eyes of strangers. The young prince did not know worries, bathed in luxury and did not know real life. One day, however, he saw a poor old man, another time a cripple, a third time a dead man, and a fourth time a wandering hermit. What he saw shocked Gautama and changed his fate. He abandoned a rich inheritance, left his wife and son, and at the age of 29 became a wandering ascetic.

According to the Japanese interpretation, Gautama spent six years wandering, living on alms. One night, sitting under the Bo tree (Bodhi, which means “knowledge”) in deep thought, he understood the meaning of life - enlightenment descended on him. Gautama learned the four holy truths: life is fundamentally suffering; the cause of suffering is the passions, needs, desires of people; to get rid of suffering, one must stop all desires; this can only be done by avoiding reality and achieving the “highest enlightenment” - nirvana.

From the time Gautama became a Buddha (Buddha in Sanskrit means “enlightened”, “enlightened”, and the Japanese also borrowed this concept), they began to call him Shakya-Muni (saint from the Shaki family).

The Buddha devoted his later life to preaching his teachings. He died at the age of 80. Followers, including those in Japan, began to endow him with various supernatural abilities: he could be invisible, fly through the air, walk on water, hold the sun and moon in his hands, etc. Gradually, the Buddha acquired other divine qualities in people's ideas .

The main thing in Japaneseized Buddhism is a departure from everyday reality. Buddhism preaches renunciation of passions, proclaims the futility of worldly worries, and calls for peace of mind.

A Buddhist, as follows from the canons, should flee from samsara (the material, sensual world) in order to move into the world of nirvana. According to the teachings of the Buddha, samsara is an illusory world, and nirvana is the real world. Reality, as follows from the tenets of Buddhism, is the movement of specific particles - dharmas. Everything in the world is formed from a combination of dharmas. Buddhist scholastics number from 70 to 100 varieties of dharmas. There are also certain groups of dharmas: the dharmas of being and non-being (that which is born and disappears, and that which exists forever); dharmas of excitement and peace (that which is subject to passion and fuss, and that which strives for calm); dharmas of mental states (feeling of a favorable, unfavorable and indifferent attitude to the environment); cognitive dharmas (sensation, perception, representation); dharmas of consciousness and subconsciousness (abstractions controlled by consciousness and that which is not controlled by consciousness).

Dharmas, according to Buddhism, never disappear, but only combine into various structures. In this regard, human death is understood as the disintegration of one structure of dharmas and the appearance of another in the form of a person, animal, insect, plant, etc. Life, according to Buddhism, is a chain of endless rebirths. To ensure a “good rebirth”, not to be reborn, let’s say , into a snake or an insect, one must observe the precepts of Buddhism. The idea of ​​a person's place in the world is set forth in numerous messages of the Buddha. Their essence is clearly seen in the Buddha's address to his disciples before his death.

“Let the teaching illuminate the path of life for you! Rely on it; don't trust anything else. Be your own light. Rely only on yourself; don't rely on others. Take care of your body, take care of its cleanliness; do not give in to temptations; don't you know that temptations will bring you suffering? Take care of your soul; know; that it is eternal; Are you not convinced that forgetfulness of it, your pride and selfishness will bring you incalculable suffering? Be attentive to everything that surrounds you; don't you see that it's all eternal "self"? Don't you know that all this will eventually fall apart and be dispelled? Do not be afraid of suffering, follow my precepts and you will get rid of them. Do everything with your soul - and you will be my faithful disciples.

My friends... Do not forget that death is only the disintegration of the body. The body was given to us by our parents. It is nourished by food, so sickness and death are inevitable. But you know that Buddha is not a body, it is Enlightenment. The body will disappear, but the wisdom of enlightenment will remain forever. Enlightenment will live with you in the form of Dharma. Anyone who has seen my body has not yet seen me. I was seen by the one who knew my teaching. After my death, my Dharma will be your teacher. Follow this Dharma and you will be faithful to me.”

Of course, early Buddhism was somewhat different from the one that penetrated Japan. So, in early Buddhism, the emphasis was not on worldview issues, but on the norms of human behavior. These norms did not deny what was contained in already tested codes of life acceptable to this or that ethnic group. As a result, Buddhism quickly won numerous adherents. His victorious march from India to South and East Asia began in the 3rd century. BC e. At the turn of the new era, Buddhism spread in China, in the 4th century. in Korea and in the VI-VII centuries. established in Japan.

Naturally, such a huge religion in terms of the number of adherents could not maintain unity and rather soon began to split into sects. The most significant split occurred in the 1st century, when two directions were defined within the framework of Buddhism: Hinayana and Mahayana.

In Japan, many Chinese and Korean monks who brought Buddhism created their own sects. Between the sects, a struggle unfolded on the basis of the doctrines of Hinayana and Mahayana. The latter was perceived by the Japanese as more acceptable, so Mahayanist temples began to appear everywhere.

Mahayana (lit. - a large vehicle) means, in contrast to Hinayana (lit., a small vehicle), "a wide path of salvation." According to the teachings of the Mahayana, not only a monk can be saved, as in the Hinayana, but anyone who follows certain commandments and prescriptions. Buddha is seen not as a teacher, but as a god. It is believed that there were countless Buddhas, that the next Buddha will replace the current one in more than eight million years. There are more than a thousand Buddhas in the Mahayana pantheon who will come to people in the future. There are even more bodhisattvas.

According to Buddhist canons, a bodhisattva is an enlightened person who renounces nirvana in order to help all people achieve enlightenment. Bodhisattvas bring people closer to the Buddha, come to their aid at their call. Bodhisattvas are assisted by arhats, that is, saints who have reached the knowledge of the fundamental truths of being and spread the teachings of Buddhism among the masses of the population.

The number of adherents of Buddhism at the end of the 6th - 7th centuries. AD increased at such a rapid pace that Emperor Kammu, fearing a monastic "invasion", in 794 moved his capital from Nara to Uda County.

Of course, Buddhism in Japan underwent its further and deeper transformation much later. But already at the beginning of this transformation, Japanese Buddhism, focusing on the internal problems of a person, recommended a national approach to experiencing reality. Unlike classical Buddhism, which preaches the renunciation of desires, Japanese promotes a reasonable attitude towards them. According to the canons of Japanese Buddhism, only unrealistic desires are the cause of anxiety and anxiety. “Enlightenment” (Satori in Japanese) is not about giving up the pleasures of life. Having achieved enlightenment, as already follows from the practice of modern sects, the Japanese should enjoy life.

Buddhism for the Japanese ethnos, thus, has been a life-affirming religion since ancient times.

Confucianism in Japan.

Usually, Confucianism is understood as a religious and philosophical system that arose in China 2500 years ago. However, at the time of the victorious spread of this system throughout various countries of Asia, including Japan, there was no separate word in Chinese for the concept of “religion”: the hieroglyph “jiao” (in Japanese “ke”) used in such cases in translated meant both religion and doctrine. It was in this understanding that Confucianism was perceived by the Japanese.

According to the teachings of Confucius, the hieroglyph "jen" consists of two semantic elements: "man" and "two". Confucius believed that a person has an innate sense of humanity, which is manifested in communication with another person. In a broad sense, "jen" means a set of principles of relationships: mercy, restraint, modesty, kindness, compassion, love for people, altruism. Duty, according to Confucius, means the highest law "jen", it combines the amount of moral obligations that a person takes on voluntarily. In the norms of behavior (etiquette, rituals, decency) a sense of duty is realized. In order for all this to manifest itself in the relationship of people without tension, people must have the basics of moral and aesthetic knowledge. Such knowledge is acquired, according to Confucius, only through the assimilation of legal regulations, sayings and imitation. In this regard, fidelity in the sense of humility and unconditional adherence to authority must be unshakable. A special principle that, according to Confucius, permeates the whole society, is "xiao" - filial piety, the love of a son for his parents, and above all for his father.

As in traditional Confucianism, Japanese followers of Confucius believe that, according to xiao, children should not only do the will of their parents and faithfully serve them, but also love them with all their hearts. If a person does not love his parents, and even more so does not recognize his filial duties, he is a worthless creature.

Confucius taught that it is better to die than to refuse to honor one's parents. This position was received in Japan as well as possible. In addition, the ideas of Confucianism were expounded in Japan in special treatises, which were intensively introduced into the minds of people. The state took care of spreading the ideas of "xiao" among the subjects. This was explained by the fact that the principle itself included in its orbit not only the relationship between father and son, but also society as a whole: relations between the emperor and ministers, between local authorities and the population. Filial piety (unconditional obedience to the father) extended to the entire state hierarchy, meaning submission to the existing order. It should be pointed out that if Buddhism can be considered an individual psychological system for regulating behavior, then Confucianism is a moral and ethical system, on the basis of which people's behavior in society is built. In addition, the "Shinto" and Buddhism that dominated Japan turned out to be significant obstacles in the way of the ideas of Confucius. Therefore, in ancient times, Confucianism did not take hold of wide circles of the population. In general, Confucian monuments were translated into Japanese only in the late Middle Ages, after which this teaching became widespread.

Writing in Ancient Japan.

Although the Japanese language is built on the same hieroglyphic basis as Chinese, the commonality of the two languages ​​is limited to writing. The Japanese language itself, its grammar and vocabulary are not analytical languages, like Chinese, but an agglutinative system. Yes, they are genetically different. The Japanese did not have native Japanese writing and wrote down their ancient chronicles in Chinese script. Chinese characters were not adapted to the phonetic structure of the Japanese language, which introduced great difficulties not only in the system of writing and reading, but also in understanding the Japanese text. Chinese characters in the Japanese text were read in the Japanese way and often denoted completely different realities than in the Chinese text. This prompted the Japanese to turn to the syllabary, two phonetic varieties of which - hiragana and katakana - are combined under common name cana. With the help of kan, the Japanese began to write down words for which there were no Chinese semantic hieroglyphs. In addition, kana turned out to be convenient for denoting service verbs and grammatical particles. A unique combination of two writing systems was created - hieroglyphic and phonetic.

References:

1. Fedorov I. A. "Ancient Civilizations"

2. Kabanov S. E. "History of ancient Japan"

3. "Encyclopedia for children"