SaiōA 斎王 or itsuki no miko was an unmarried female member of the Japanese Imperial Family, sent to Ise to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century until the 14th century. The saiō's residence, Saikū, was about north-west of the shrine. The remains of Saikū are situated in the town of Meiwa, Mie Prefecture, Japan. According to Japanese legend, around 2,000 years ago the divine Yamatohime-no-mikoto, daughter of the Emperor Suinin, set out from Mount Miwa in Nara Prefecture in search of a permanent location to worship the goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami.
OfudaIn Shinto and Buddhism in Japan, an お札/御札 is a talisman made out of various materials such as paper, wood, cloth or metal. Ofuda are commonly found in both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples and are considered to be imbued with the power of the deities (kami) or Buddhist figures revered therein. Such amulets are also called 護符. Certain kinds of ofuda are intended for a specific purpose (such as protection against calamity or misfortune, safety within the home, or finding love) and may be kept on one's person or placed on other areas of the home (such as gates, doorways, kitchens, or ceilings).
RaijinRaijin, also known as Kaminari-sama, Raiden-sama, Narukami Raikou, and Kamowakeikazuchi-no-kami is a god of lightning, thunder, and storms in Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion. He is typically depicted with fierce and aggressive facial expressions, standing atop a cloud, beating on den-den daiko drums with tomoe symbols drawn on them. Iconography of Raijin are often found in Japanese temples and shrines. He is usually depicted alongside Fūjin, the god of wind. The name "Raijin" is derived from the Japanese words 雷 and 神.
Ne-no-kunior Soko-tsu-ne-no-kuni in the Nihon Shoki, also called Ne-no-kata-su-kuni or Haha-no-kuni in the Kojiki, refers to a netherworld in Japanese mythology. It is sometimes considered to be identical to Yomi, another netherworld in the myths as well as Tokoyo-no-kuni. There is no clear consensus on the relationship between these three realms. The god Susanoo is described as the ruler of Ne-no-kuni.
The Three Treasuresis a 1959 Japanese epic religious fantasy film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced by Toho as their celebratory thousandth film, it was the most expensive Japanese film ever made upon its release and is based on the legends Kojiki and Nihon Shoki and the origins of Shinto. The film was the highest-grossing film of 1959 for Toho and the second highest grossing domestic production in Japan for the year.
