Onmyodo
Encyclopedia
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese esoteric cosmology
Esoteric cosmology
Esoteric cosmology is cosmology that is an intrinsic part of an esoteric or occult system of thought. It almost always deals with at least some of the following themes: emanation, involution, spiritual evolution, epigenesis, planes of existence or higher worlds , hierarchies of spiritual beings,...
, a mixture of natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
and occultism. It is based on the Chinese philosophies of Wu Xing and Yin and yang
Yin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
, introduced into Japan at the turn of the 6th century, and accepted as a practical system of divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
. These practices were influenced further by Taoism
Taoism in Japan
Taoism is believed to be the inspiration for spiritual concepts in Japanese culture. Taoism is similar to Shinto in that it also started as an indigenous religion in China, although it is more hermetic than shamanistic...
, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and Shintoism, and evolved into present-day onmyōdō around the late 7th century.
Onmyōdō was under the control of the imperial government, and later its courtiers, the Tsuchimikado family until the middle of the 19th century, at which point it became prohibited as superstition
Superstition
Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
.
Development
In the 5th and 6th centuries, the principles of yin-yang and the Five ElementsFive elements (Japanese philosophy)
One may encounter two kinds of five elements philosophy in Japan. One is called, in Japanese, gogyō , having its backgrounds in the Chinese five elements, and the other is called godai . Godai is usually regarded as a Buddhism term in Japan, with certain influences from Hinduism. The following...
were transmitted to Japan from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
along with Buddhism and Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
. Yin-yang and the Five Elements, as well as the divisions of learning to which they were linked – astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, calendar
Calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...
-making, the reckoning of time, divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
, and studies based on observation of nature – were amalgamated into fortune telling. This process of judging auspicious or harmful signs present in the natural world was accepted into Japanese society as a technique for predicting good or bad fortune in the human world. Such techniques were known mostly by Buddhist monks
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
from mainland Asia who were knowledgeable in reading and writing Chinese. Over time demand from members of the imperial court
Imperial Court in Kyoto
thumb|left|350px|Front view of Kyoto imperial palaceImperial Court in Kyoto was the nominal ruling government of Japan from 794 AD until the Meiji Era, in which the court was moved to Tokyo and integrated into the Meiji government....
who believed that onmyōdō divination would be helpful in decision-making made it necessary for the laity to perform the art, and onmyōji began to appear around the middle of the 7th century.
With the implementation of the ritsuryo
Ritsuryo
is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei"...
system law codes in the 7th and 8th centuries, yin-yang techniques were put under the jurisdiction of the in the of the Imperial bureaucracy. The Bureau of Onmyō was responsible for overseeing the divinations of Onmyōdō, astrological observations, and the creation of calendars. Also, by law the Buddhist clergy was forbidden to practice astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
and fortune-telling; hence, government-controlled onmyōji came to monopolize the practice.
From the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
onward, as the ritsuryo system relaxed and the Fujiwara family
Fujiwara family
The Fujiwara clan , descending from the Nakatomi clan, was a powerful family of regents in Japan.The clan originated when the founder, Nakatomi no Kamatari , was rewarded by Emperor Tenji with the honorific "Fujiwara", which evolved as a surname for Kamatari and his descendants...
rose to power, the society of the Imperial court took on a more formal shape, and adherence to to combat the creation of burgeoned. Because onmyōji displayed methods that were believed to avert disasters with their skills of divination and magic, the practice afforded onmyōji influence over the personal lives of the Emperor and the nobility of the court. Consequently, popular awareness of onmyōdō gradually spread from court society to Japanese society as a whole, strengthening its development into a characteristically Japanese art.
Onmyōdō merged with other beliefs and occultism, and evolved from imported Chinese thought into a syncretism
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
found only in Japan. Japanese onmyōdō took in elements from , which was transmitted to Japan at the same time as onmyōdō, including magical elements such as katatagae, monoimi, henbai, and ceremonies to Taoistic gods such as the Taizan Fukunsai. Elements of feng shui
Feng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
and the medical art of jukondō were incorporated as well, and as onmyōdō and Japanese Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
mutually influenced each other, onmyōdō grew more distinctive. From the end of the 8th century onward, it was influenced by the magical elements of esoteric Buddhism
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
and the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n-derived astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
(Sukuyōdō) that were transmitted with it.
During the Heian period the nobility organized their lives around practices recommended by onmyōji. The practice of "lucky and unlucky directions" provides an example. Depending on the season, time of day, and other circumstances, a particular direction might be bad luck for an individual. If one's house was located in that direction, such an individual was advised not to go back directly to his house but had to "change direction" (katatagae), by going in a different direction and lodging there. Such a person would not dare to go in the forbidden direction, but stayed where they were, even if that resulted in absence from the court, or passing up invitations from influential people.
In the 10th century Kamo no Tadayuki and his son Kamo no Yasunori
Kamo no Yasunori
Kamo no Yasunori was an onmyōji, a practitioner of onmyōdō, during the Heian period in Japan. He was considered the premier onmyōji of his time.Yasunori was the son of the onmyōji Kamo no Tadayuki...
made great advancements in onmyōdō, astronomy and calendar science, and from among their students emerged Abe no Seimei
Abe no Seimei
was an onmyōji, a leading specialist of onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan. In addition to his prominence in history, he is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore and has been portrayed in a number of stories and films....
, who displayed superior skills in the divining arts of onmyōdō, by which he gained an uncommon amount of trust from the court society. Tadayuki and Yasunori passed on their skills in astronomy to Seimei while their advances in calendar-making went to Yasunori's son. From the end of the Heian period into the Middle Ages, astronomy and calendar science were completely subsumed into onmyōdō, and the Abe and Kamo families came to dominate the art.
Onmyōji
was one of the classifications of civil servants belonging to the Bureau of Onmyō in ancient Japan's ritsuryo system. People with this title were professional practitioners of onmyōdō.Onmyōji were specialists in magic and divination. Their court responsibilities ranged from tasks such as keeping track of the calendar
Calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...
, to mystical duties such as divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
and protection of the capital from evil spirits
Yurei
are figures in Japanese folklore, analogous to Western legends of ghosts. The name consists of two kanji, 幽 , meaning "faint" or "dim" and 霊 , meaning "soul" or "spirit." Alternative names include 亡霊 meaning ruined or departed spirit, 死霊 meaning dead spirit, or the more encompassing 妖怪 or お化け...
. They could divine auspicious or harmful influences in the earth, and were instrumental in the moving of capitals. It is said that an onmyōji could also summon and control shikigami
Shikigami
Shikigami are a kind of spirit, found in Japanese Mythology summoned to serve a practitioner of onmyōdō, much like a western familiar. Shikigami cannot be seen by most people, but according to the Heian period onmyōji who were said to control them, shikigami often looked something like a...
.
Famous onmyōji include Kamo no Yasunori
Kamo no Yasunori
Kamo no Yasunori was an onmyōji, a practitioner of onmyōdō, during the Heian period in Japan. He was considered the premier onmyōji of his time.Yasunori was the son of the onmyōji Kamo no Tadayuki...
and Abe no Seimei
Abe no Seimei
was an onmyōji, a leading specialist of onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan. In addition to his prominence in history, he is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore and has been portrayed in a number of stories and films....
(921–1005). After Seimei's death the emperor
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
had a shrine
Seimei Shrine
is a Shinto shrine that is located in Kyoto, Japan. It is dedicated to the onmyōji, Abe no Seimei.-History:The Seimei Shrine was founded on the 4th year of the Kankō era by Emperor Ichijō, who ordered the shrine built in memory of Abe no Seimei, after his death in 1005...
erected at his home in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
.
Onmyōji had political clout during the Heian period, but in later times when the imperial court fell into decline, their state patronage was lost completely. In modern day Japan onmyōji are defined as a type of Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
priest, and although there are many that claim to be mediums and spiritualists, the onmyōji continues to be a hallmark occult figure.
Texts
- Kinugyokutoshū (金烏玉兎集/三国相伝陰陽輨轄簠簋内伝金烏玉兎集, "the collection book of the moon and the jade rabbit")
- Senji RyakketsuSenji Ryakketsuis one of the texts written by the legendary Abe no Seimei during the Heian Period in Japan. It is attributed to Seimei since it contains a chapter that clearly bears his name.-Contents:...
(占事略决, "the summary to judgements of divinations") by Abe no Seimei
Cultural references
The air of mystery surrounding onmyōji and onmyōdō make them frequently employed elements in filmFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
.
- Lin Koujo from Ghost HuntGhost Hunt, originally titled , is a light novel series written by Fuyumi Ono. It follows the adventures of the Shibuya Psychic Research Center as they investigate mysterious occurrences all over Japan with a team of other spiritualists and clever assistants. Although the last novel was published in 1994,...
is considered by most to be an onmyōji. He frequently exorcises spirits, summons spirits, controls shikigami, and possesses much expertise in the subject of eastern occultism in general. - The film OnmyōjiOnmyoji (film)is a Japanese movie that was released in 2001 and sent to the US in 2004. Directed by Yōjirō Takita, it tells of the exploits of Abe no Seimei, the Onmyoji from the court of the Emperor. He befriended bungling court noble, Minamoto no Hiromasa, who enlists his aid to defend the Heian emperor...
is a fictitious account of Abe no Seimei based on the novel series of the same name (which also inspired a manga adaptation, also of the same name). - Subaru SumeragiSubaru Sumeragiis a fictional character created by Clamp. He is the protagonist of Tokyo Babylon and one of the Dragons of Heaven in X.An alternate version of the character appears in Clamp's crossover series, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle.- Early life :...
, from CLAMPClamp (manga artists), is an all-female Japanese manga artist group that formed in the mid 1980s. Many of the group's manga series are often adapted into anime after release. It consists of their leader , who provides much of the storyline and screenplay for all their works and adaptations of those works respectively ,...
's Tokyo BabylonTokyo Babylonis a manga series created by Clamp. The series follows Subaru Sumeragi, the head of the Sumeragi clan, and his sister Hokuto as they work to protect Tokyo from a myriad of supernatural perils....
and XX (manga), also known as X/1999, is a Japanese shōjo manga series created by Clamp, a creative team made up by Satsuki Igarashi, Nanase Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi, and Mokona. It premiered in Monthly Asukas May 1992 issue and ran there until the magazine's editors showed concern with the increasingly violent...
, is an onmyōji who protects modern Japan from curses and vengeful spirits. Protecting Japan from the shadows is the onmyouji slash assassin Seishirō SakurazukaSeishiro Sakurazukais a fictional character created by Clamp in their 1990 manga Tokyo Babylon. In Tokyo Babylon, he appears as a kindly veterinarian engaged in a love-hate relationship with the onmyoji Subaru Sumeragi. He is also known as the Sakurazukamori, Japan’s number one assassin...
, Subaru's dark counterpart. - In Shaman KingShaman Kingis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroyuki Takei. Shaman King follows the adventures of Yoh Asakura as he attempts to hone his shaman skills to become the Shaman King in the Shaman tournament....
, onmyōji are a type of high-level shamans. Characters include YohYoh Asakurais the main protagonist in the anime and manga Shaman King. In the original Japanese anime, his name has been inconsistently romanized as Yoh, You or Yō; while in the English adaptations, his name is always romanized as Yoh. His seiyū is Yūko Satō, and his English dub voice is provided by Sebastian...
's grandfather Yohmei Asakura, and Hao. Also, there is a book named Chō Senji Ryakketsu written by Hao, known to contain powerful shamanic techniques, some of which are based on Wu Xing principles. - The character Motoharu Tsuchimikado from the Toaru Majutsu no Index light novel series is a former onmyōji and a descendent of Abe no SeimeiAbe no Seimeiwas an onmyōji, a leading specialist of onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan. In addition to his prominence in history, he is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore and has been portrayed in a number of stories and films....
- Abe no Yasuaki from the game and anime Harukanaru Toki no Naka deHarukanaru Toki no Naka deis an otome adventure game developed by Ruby Party and published by Koei. It is a part of Ruby Party's Neoromance label.Because of Harukanaru Toki no Naka des success, the game has give rise to a franchise including several sequels, numerous drama and music CDs, a manga series, two OAVs, a movie,...
is an onmyōji and a disciple of Abe no Seimei. - Ken AkamatsuKen Akamatsuis a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo.Sailor Moon was his introduction to anime and manga fandom.In his teens, Akamatsu applied himself to Film Study . Eventually, he became famous as an illustrator featured in Comiket . He used the pen name...
's Negima!: Magister Negi MagiNegima!: Magister Negi MagiNegima! Magister Negi Magi, known in Japan as is a manga and anime series by Ken Akamatsu . The manga is currently being published by Kodansha and serialized in Shōnen Magazine in Japan. Del Rey Manga published the English translated version in the United States and Canada prior to Kodansha...
features a sophisticated, secretive culture of onmyōji. - The protagonist of GainaxGainaxis a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as Gunbuster, The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which have gone on to critical acclaim and commercial success, as well as for their association with...
's Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi is drawn to a parallel world where he learns the art of onmyōdō from Abe no Seimei. - Rental MagicaRental Magicais a Japanese light novel series by Makoto Sanda, with illustrations by Pako. It is currently in the midst of serialization in The Sneaker magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten...
's Nekoyashiki is a onmyōji who usually calls upon cat shikigami. - In the novel Teito MonogatariTeito Monogatariis a massive Japanese historical fantasy epic written by Hiroshi Aramata.-Overview:The story is a retelling of the history of Edo from an occultist perspective. The premise is based on the idea that the curse of Taira no Masakado greatly influenced the city's history from its inception to the...
by Hiroshi AramataHiroshi Aramatais a Japanese author, translator, and screenplay writer, as well as a specialist in natural history and cartography.His most popular novel was Teito Monogatari , which has sold over 3.5 million copies in Japan alone. He also wrote Alexander Senki, a novel which eventually evolved into the anime...
, the villain, Yasunori KatoYasunori Katois a fictional character, the antagonist of the Japanese historical fantasy series Teito Monogatari, created by Hiroshi Aramata.Since his first cinematic appearance in 1988, Yasunori Kato has gone on to become a well known and well respected archetype in Japanese popular culture having inspired a...
, is an evil onmyōji who is revived from the angry and resentful souls of the dead mystics. He overthrows the Tsuchimikado family and employs massive onmyō magic to destroy the city of TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. As shown in the film versions of the story, his power supposedly equals, if not surpasses, that of Abe no Seimei. - The anime and manga Onmyō Taisenki revolves almost completely around onmyōdō.
- Ask Dr. Rin!Ask Dr. Rin!is an eight volume manga series by Kiyoko Arai about a young girl named Meilin Kanzaki who is endowed with Feng shui powers which allow her to read people's fortunes and give advice on how to receive good luck. She does this on a website under the pseudonym of "Dr. Rin." She loves her friend Asuka...
features an onmyōji named Tokiwa Takashi. - Keiya Tenpouin is an onmyouji from the Playstation game Evil ZoneEvil ZoneEvil Zone or is a fighting game released for the PlayStation console. It was developed by YUKE's Future Media Creators and published by Titus Software in 1999...
. - Shōnen OnmyōjiShonen Onmyojiis a light novel authored by Mitsuru Yūki and illustrated by Sakura Asagi. The novel is currently serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's The Beans. The light novel currently has 25 volumes, including three short stories and a side story...
chronicles the life of Abe no Seimei’s grandson and his journey in becoming an onmyouji. - Nakahito Kagura, the protagonist of Steel Angel KurumiSteel Angel Kurumiis a manga and anime series following the adventures of its titular character created by Kaishaku. Directed by Naohito Takahashi, animated by Oriental Light and Magic and produced by Pony Canyon with character designs by Yuriko Chiba and Yuji Ikeda and music by Toshihiko Sahashi, it has been...
, belongs to a family on onmyou mystics. - The PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
game Final Fantasy TacticsFinal Fantasy Tacticsis a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
includes a Job called Onmyoji (translated as "Oracle" for the English release of the game). Onmyoji can use "Yin-Yang Magic" to inflict status abnormalities such as blindness, paralysis and sleep on their enemies. - One of the cards in Magic: The Gathering is called Goryo's Vengeance http://magiccards.info/scans/en/bok/67.jpg
- Hazuki(and/or Hazuki's mom) [In "Tsukuyomi's moon phase" anime] can summon a shikigami (Kouheis grandpa's sister made the shikigami)
- The main characters of the survival horror game Kuon are all onmyouji, and great part of the magic, seals and puzzles in the game are based on onmyõdõ.
- Onmyōdō is the name of a footwear company.1
External links
- 占事略決(Big5 Chinese) Online text of Senji Ryakketsu.