Imperial Regalia of Japan
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Japanese mythology |
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The Three Sacred Treasures (三種の神器, Sanshu no Jingi/Mikusa no Kamudakara) are the imperial regalia of Japan and consist of the sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi (草薙劍), the mirror Yata no Kagami (八咫鏡), and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama (八尺瓊勾玉). They represent the three primary virtues: valour (the sword), wisdom (the mirror), and benevolence (the jewel).[1] The actual historical status of these legendary treasures is unknown as they are intentionally kept from public view to symbolize authority.
Representations of the regalia are used in masakaki in many Shinto rituals.[2][3][4]
Legend
According to legend, these treasures were brought to Earth by
At the conclusion of the Genpei War in 1185, the six-year-old Emperor Antoku and the Regalia were under the control of the Taira clan. They were present when the Taira were defeated by the rival Minamoto clan at the Battle of Dan-no-ura, which was fought on boats in the shallow Kanmon Straits. The child emperor's grandmother threw herself, the boy, the sword, and the jewel into the sea to avoid capture. The mirror was recovered, but according to the main account of the battle, a Minamoto soldier who tried to force open the box containing it was struck blind. The jewel was recovered shortly afterwards by divers, but the sword was lost.[8] There are a number of medieval texts relating to the loss of the sword, which variously contended that a replica was forged afterwards, or that the lost sword itself was a replica, or the sword was returned to land by supernatural forces.[9] The importance of the Imperial Regalia to Japan is evident from the declarations made by Emperor Hirohito to Kōichi Kido on 25 and 31 July 1945 at the end of World War II, when he ordered the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan to protect them "at all costs".[10]
Role
Since 690, the presentation of these items to the
When these items are not being used for their ceremonial purpose, their supposed locations are kept off limits to the public.[15] Mikael Adolphson, a professor at Cambridge University, stated that this hidden strategy "adds mystique, and thus, authority, to the objects." He went on to say that Shinto religious tradition is "especially protective" of its symbols.[14] There is a general reluctance in Japan to allow a historical analysis of the regalia as such an assessment could potentially "de-mythologize" the items.[14]
Scholars consider the imperial regalia to represent the fusion of Japan's ancient indigenous groups with new arrivals.[16] The three treasures are a symbol that the emperor should unite the ethnic groups without discrimination.[16]
Cultural references
- The phrase "Three Sacred Treasures" is retrospectively applied to
- In Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, a popular Japanese manga and anime franchise, the three talismans of the Outer Senshi are stylized as a mirror, sword and jewel. When brought together, they manifest the Holy Grail.[19]
- In Yu Yu Hakushoan early episode arc focuses on the theft of three "Artifacts of Darkness" – A soul-stealing jeweled orb, a wish-granting magical mirror, and a demonic sword.
- In the One Piece manga by Eiichiro Oda, the character Kizaru – who has the ability to transmutate into light – has fighting techniques named for each of the Three Sacred Treasures.
- In the popular King of Fightersvideo game series, the regalia form the icons of the three sacred treasures of the Kusanagi, Yagami and Kagura families.
- In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, the three essential items for travelling in the Dark World are the Magic Mirror, the Moon Pearl, and the Master Sword.
- In Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, the Primal Susano was contained in three treasures sacred to the tortoise-like Kojin of the Ruby Sea; the sword Ame no Murakumo, the mirror Yata-no-Kagami, and the gem Yasakani-no-Magatama. When the three treasures were brought together, Susano was restored and challenged the player to battle.
- In Noragami, the shinkis, i.e. spirits that gods use for various tasks and purposes, of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu are called "three sacred treasures"; they are named "Mikagami" (the mirror), "Mitama" (the magatama jewel), and "Mitsurugi" (the sword).
- In Ōkami, Amaterasu uses three types of divine instruments based on the three sacred treasures: Reflectors (the mirror), Rosaries (the jewels), and Glaives (the sword).
- In Naruto, Orochimaru uses the "Kusanagi Blade" against the third hokage. Itachi is seen using attacks utilizing Yasakani beads and the "Yata Mirror." Itachi also uses the "Totsuka Blade" which is said to be a variant of the Kusanagi Blade.
- In Pit uses the "Three Sacred Treasures" to beat Medusa. They are the "Arrow of Light", the "Mirror Shield", and the "Wings of Pegasus".
See also
- Chrysanthemum Throne
- National seals of Japan
- Order of the Sacred Treasure
- Jinnō Shōtōki
- Twelve Ornaments, China's counterparts to the Japanese Imperial Regalia
- Ashtamangala, the eight Buddhist treasures
- Bagua, the eight Taoist symbols
References
- ^ ミニ講話 宮司のいい話 (in Japanese).
- ^ D, John (5 April 2015). "The Colours of Shinto (masakaki)". Green Shinto. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ "What is a Masakaki Offering?". Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ "Sakaki | 國學院大學デジタルミュージアム". 21 September 2021. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ISBN 978-1-4381-2802-3.
- ISBN 978-1-4381-2802-3.
- ISBN 978-1-4381-2802-3.
- ISBN 978-1841769516(pp. 33–38)
- ISBN 978-9004248106(pp. 114–118)
- ^ Kido Koichi nikii, Tokyo, Daigaku Shuppankai, 1966, pp. 1120–1121.
- ISBN 0804705259.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ McCurry, Justin (1 May 2019). "Japan welcomes new emperor Naruhito as Reiwa era begins". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d Oscar Holland & Chie Kobayashi (21 October 2019). "Japan's ancient and mysterious royal regalia". CNN. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ "Searching for the Imperial Regalia of Japan". All About Japan. 2 November 2017.
- ^ a b Anna Jones (27 April 2019). "Akihito and Japan's Imperial Treasures that make a man an emperor". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022.
- ^ "General Policy Speech by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the 156th Session of the Diet". Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet. 31 January 2003. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
(Structural Reform in Lifestyle) From the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, washing machines, refrigerators, and black and white televisions were called the "three sacred treasures" that symbolized the new lifestyle; from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s they were automobiles, air conditioners, and color televisions.
- ISBN 0-553-29215-3.
- ISBN 978-1612620039.