http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/ The Faith of Japan en-us 2011-03-14T18:45:07+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000245.html Earthquakes in Japanese Religion a photo by timtak on Flickr. Earthquakes - more horrifying than lightening and typhoons - were thought to be caused by the movements of giant catfish. While Typhoons and Lightening have patron gods (Fuujin and Raijin... General timtak 2011-03-14T18:45:07+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000244.html Ernst Mach's Self Portrait may be of Amaterasu's Mirror a photo by timtak on Flickr. At last a realistic self portrait! At last the nose, the nose! Not forgetting the eye sockets, and moustache. This is the first auto-genus... Philosophy timtak 2011-03-11T16:29:52+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000243.html Venus in Dogū - A self-body view? a photo by timtak on Flickr. Proffessor LeRoy McDermott argues that paleolithic female figures (the paleolithic venus shape) was strangely distorted, with extremities particularly small NOT because they have been made to look... Ancient timtak 2011-03-11T13:20:30+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000242.html Gender timtak 2011-03-10T12:05:41+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000241.html The Myth of Susano and Amaterasu contines: "How can I trust you?" asked the goddess Amaterasu. To this, Susano-O replies, "How about if, to divine my intentions, we exchange oaths and make children" Amaterasu says "okay." First she takes... Myth timtak 2011-03-10T11:52:43+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000240.html Amaterasu and Susano as Echo and Narcissus in a Textual Mirror a photo by timtak on Flickr. The part of the myth that I will comment on this time is the following. Susano-o meets Amaterasu by the Well of True... Myth timtak 2011-03-06T20:46:42+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000239.html Echo and Narcissus as Amaterasu and Susano in a Mirror a photo by timtak on Flickr.Painting by John William WaterhouseBefore I go on to talk about the next part of Amaterasu and Suano-o I would like to reiterate the relevance... Myth timtak 2011-03-04T14:22:51+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000238.html Susano, Amaterasu and the Stranger in the Mirror a photo by timtak on Flickr.I did not put the camera a quite the same position as my eyes, so the camera see slightly less of my legs, but if you look... Myth timtak 2011-03-04T12:51:02+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000237.html Amaterasu as Susano's reflection a photo by timtak on Flickr.The Myth of Susano and Amaterasu is probably the most famous in Shinto mythology. In my experience of asking Japanese people what they think about their myth, this episode together with... Myth timtak 2011-03-04T12:50:10+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000236.html Amaterasu and Susano-O a photo by timtak on Flickr.Izanagi comes back from the underworld and closing its rock door on his undead wife, and exchanging an important vow, he washes himself in a river estuary and as he washes his... Myth timtak 2011-03-04T12:49:20+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000203.html The question, "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" is perhaps the most famous Zen Koan. The gist is that if you know the answer then you get a bit of enlightenment. I have heard someone suggest that it... Philosophy timtak 2010-10-10T18:02:23+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000202.html Who are the major figures in Shinto, I was asked perhaps by someone attempting to write a report for their religion class. My answer was Amateras the spirit of the sun. Some would argue that she is not all that... Gender timtak 2010-10-10T17:59:22+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000201.html Fear is the mind killer, said James Herbert. To overcome fear, I guess that perhaps a Shintoist might go to a shrine to have a priest perform a sweeping (harai), purification ceremony, wherein the 'ethereal vampire' which is your fear... General timtak 2010-10-10T17:58:27+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000200.html In Japan one does not say that a room in a house measures "10 by 12" but rather one counts room area in spaces, that is to say the number of tatami mats that would be needed on the floor... Philosophy timtak 2010-10-10T17:57:19+09:00 http://www.nihonbunka.com/shinto/blog/archives/000199.html Generally speaking there is less "coming out" in Japan. I can think of a few possible reasons for this 1) Groupism In the tight knit groupy world which is Japan, coming out will mean that one brands ones family has... Gender timtak 2010-10-10T17:53:37+09:00