Ame-no-Minakanushi

Ame-no-Minakanushi is a god in Japanese mythology. They were one of the earliest gods, who appeared when the world was made. They are also called "Lord of the August Center of Heaven".

 Mythology 
According to the Kojiki, Ame-no-Minakanushi was the first deity to emerge in the heavenly realm of Takamagahara after the creation of heaven and earth from the primeval chaos.

In the main narrative of the Nihon Shoki and in many of its variant accounts, the first kami is identified as Kuni-no-Tokotachi, and Ame-no-Minakanushi only appears briefly in one of these variants.

 Analysis 
It is unknown whether people actually worshipped him, as there was no direct evidence historically. Some scholars believe the lack of evidence of worship is not enough to say he wasn't worshipped.

 Worship 
In Japan, the Buddhist deity Myōken has been worshiped since the 7th century. During the early modern period, Myōken became associated with the Big Dipper and the northern pole star, which led to its conflation with Ame-no-Minakanushi. When the Meiji government required the separation of Buddhism and Shinto, many shrines dedicated to Myōken became shrines to Ame-no-Minakanushi. Ame-no-Minakanushi was also a patron deity of the , which aimed to fuse Buddhism and Shinto under a state-sponsored initiative after the initial separation policy was deemed too divisive.

 Related pages 
 Kuni-no-Tokotachi
 Yin and yang

Counterparts of Ame-no-Minakanushi in other cultures

 Para Brahman, the Hindu counterpart
 Jade Emperor, the Chinese counterpart
 Adi Buddha, the Esoteric Buddhist counterpart
 Yuanshi Tianzun, the Taoist counterpart
 Monad, the Gnostic counterpart
 Yahweh or Jehovah (referred as Allah ("the god") in Arabic), the Abrahamic counterpart
 Haneullim, the Korean counterpart
 Ông Trời, the Vietnamese counterpart

 References 

 Sources 
 Joseph Mitsuo Kitagawa. On Understanding Japanese Religion. Princeton University Press, 1987. ISBN 0691102295

 Other websites 
 Encyclopedia of Shinto
 Amenominakanushi on the Japanese History Database.

Category:Japanese mythology
Category:Pages with unreviewed translations
Category:Amatsukami