The following creatures displayed on this page are based on the Japanese Shinto Mythology.
The two major religious structures influence Japanese mythology are Shinto and the Buddhist religion. Shinto is a term used to distinguish its region from Buddhism, and it is the equivalent of the Japanese kami-no-michi, which means the ways of the gods. Shinto is a community-based religion and celebrates life. It focuses on kami (sense of the sacred), which is the essence or soul of anything that inspires awe (respect combines with fear or wonder). Shinto places of worship are shrines, which are based on belief and worship of kami. An example of a shrine is the Meiji Jungu Shrine and it features a torii, or Gateway as a classic icon of Japanese architecture. Find more information about the shinto mythology here and more on kami here. A discussion about torii’s can be follow here and here.
This creature represents elements from the animé film Princess Mononoke
One of traditional Shinto images I plan to use is the face of Amaterasu. The core of Shinto mythology revolves around her tales (the formation of Japanese islands and the foundation of human society). She was the ancestress of the Imperial household. Read more about Amaterasu here.
The face-image from Amaterasu came from the webpage ‘Temple Illuninates’ and can be found here. Read more about this princess and other information in this article.
Linda | Digital Artist 