Japanese mythology is one of the rarest known in the world, because it has more than 800,000 deities, based on what is called in their culture, Shintoism «the voices of the gods». This is the second most influential religion in the eastern region, various studies estimate that there are more than 110 million people faithful to these beliefs, which is only surpassed by the ancient traditions of Buddhism.
Likewise, It has a fundamental characteristic, which is considered strange by many, and is related to how difficult it is to understand that it is considered a myth or not for the Japanese. The best known Japanese gods are Raijin, «God of Thunder»; Fujin, «Wind God»; Amaterasu, who is credited with creating the world. In addition to them, the Japanese also believe in the mystical creatures of dragons, as well as yokai or apparitions, spirits and demons, among others.
This mythology is part of a large complex system, where there is a place for the gods known as the great Shinto pantheon and a collection of more than 8 million gods or spirits, called «Kami», is calculated. Experts say that the influence of Chinese culture has not been able to reach the Japanese because of their deep-rooted customs.
The believers of this mythology, normally, follow traditions of Shintoism and Buddhism, being the conventional beliefs based on the Kojiki, the Nihonshoki and other complementary texts of this culture. The literal translation of the Kojiki is that of «record of ancient things» and is considered the oldest known book on Japanese legends and history, while the Nihonshoki is the second oldest focused on Buddhist culture.
The origin of the imperial family and what has represented them for years as divine descendants, is where the word Emperor is derived, whose meaning translated into Spanish is that of «Celestial Sovereign».
Much could be written about Japanese mythology, but one of the most interesting things about it is the belief in legendary creatures known as Chinese and Korean dragons. The Ryu is one of the four divine beasts and is often used in the emblems of emperors and heroes for the respect and meaning they carry. In it there are marked differences from the Chinese dragons that are called «Long», it has a snake body, crocodile head, cat-eyed lizard scales, salamander nose, eagle claws, lizard claws, lion’s mane and whiskers. of catfish
Despite its relevance, it is interesting that within the texts of Japanese mythology, dragons are rarely mentioned. However, they are recognized, especially among the famous are Yamata-no-Orochi, a terrible eight-headed monster. Knowing mythology is the beginning of beliefs in every part of the worldbut it is about choosing, in Japanese culture there are different options to choose what to believe.