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The Namazu, also called the Onamazu, is a creature in Japanese mythology and folktales. The Namazu is a gigantic catfish said to cause earthquakes and tremors. Living in the mud under the Japanese isles, the Namazu is guarded by the protector god Kashima, who restrains the catfish using the <i>kaname-ishi</i> rock. Whenever Kashima lets his guard down, Namazu thrashes about and causes violent earthquakes.<br/><br/> The Namazu rose to new fame and popularity after the Ansei great earthquakes that happened near Edo in 1855. This led to the Namazu being worshipped as a god of world rectification (<i>yonaoshi daimyojin</i>), sent by the gods to correct some of the imbalances in the world.<br/><br/> Catfish woodblock prints known as <i>namazu-e</i> became their own popular genre within days of the earthquake. They were usually unsigned and often depicted scenes of a namazu or many namazu atoning for their deeds. They were quickly squashed by the Tokugawa Shogunate, the prints censored and destroyed, with only a handful surviving to this day.
The Namazu, also called the Onamazu, is a creature in Japanese mythology and folktales. The Namazu is a gigantic catfish said to cause earthquakes and tremors. Living in the mud under the Japanese isles, the Namazu is guarded by the protector god Kashima, who restrains the catfish using the <i>kaname-ishi</i> rock. Whenever Kashima lets his guard down, Namazu thrashes about and causes violent earthquakes.<br/><br/> The Namazu rose to new fame and popularity after the Ansei great earthquakes that happened near Edo in 1855. This led to the Namazu being worshipped as a god of world rectification (<i>yonaoshi daimyojin</i>), sent by the gods to correct some of the imbalances in the world.<br/><br/> Catfish woodblock prints known as <i>namazu-e</i> became their own popular genre within days of the earthquake. They were usually unsigned and often depicted scenes of a namazu or many namazu atoning for their deeds. They were quickly squashed by the Tokugawa Shogunate, the prints censored and destroyed, with only a handful surviving to this day.
The Namazu, also called the Onamazu, is a creature in Japanese mythology and folktales. The Namazu is a gigantic catfish said to cause earthquakes and tremors. Living in the mud under the Japanese isles, the Namazu is guarded by the protector god Kashima, who restrains the catfish using the <i>kaname-ishi</i> rock. Whenever Kashima lets his guard down, Namazu thrashes about and causes violent earthquakes.<br/><br/> The Namazu rose to new fame and popularity after the Ansei great earthquakes that happened near Edo in 1855. This led to the Namazu being worshipped as a god of world rectification (<i>yonaoshi daimyojin</i>), sent by the gods to correct some of the imbalances in the world.<br/><br/> Catfish woodblock prints known as <i>namazu-e</i> became their own popular genre within days of the earthquake. They were usually unsigned and often depicted scenes of a namazu or many namazu atoning for their deeds. They were quickly squashed by the Tokugawa Shogunate, the prints censored and destroyed, with only a handful surviving to this day.
Vaisravana, sometimes spelt as Vaishravana or Visravana, is a Buddhist god and 'chief' of the Four Heavenly Kings, four deities who each protect one of the world's cardinal directions. Vaisravana is guardian of the north, and is derived from the Hindu deity Kubera. He makes his home on the lower half of the sacred Mount Meru, where he lords over all of <i>yaksha</i> (guardian spirits) who dwell there.<br/><br/> Vaisravana is the ruler of rain, and thus is symbolically armed with an umbrella or a pagoda, while wearing heavy armour. The colours most associated with him are yellow or green, which is why he is often portrayed with a yellow face. Vaisravana is sometimes also portrayed with a mongoose ejecting jewels from its mouth, representing its generosity and antithesis to the snake, a common symbol of greed and hatred.<br/><br/> In Theravada Buddhism, he is known as Vessavana, one of the Four Guardian Kings, while he is known as Bishamonten or just Bishamon - sometimes called Tamonten - in Japan, where he is portrayed as an armour-clad god of war and righteousness, as well as being one of the Seven Lucky Gods.
In Japan, Jurojin is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune - or Shichifukujin - and is based on the Taoist deity of the Old Man of the South Pole. Jurojin was considered the god of longevity, and is the personification of the Southern Polar Star, and may have been based on a historical figure from the Northern Song Dynasty.<br/><br/> Jurojin is often depicted as an old man with a very tall, bald head and a long white beard, wielding a staff and a fan. Tied to his staff is a scroll, sometimes identified as a Buddhist sutra, with the lifespan of all living things written on it. He is sometimes accompanied by a deer, which is a symbol of longevity alongside other long-lived animals such as the crane and tortoise.<br/><br/> While there are many paintings and statues of him, which are considered auspicious, he never developed a strong independent following like some of the other Seven Gods of Fortune.