Suijin

An altar to Suijin, located along the Kiso River

Suijin or Mizugami (水神, すいじん, みずがみ, lit. "water god/deity") is a general name for the god of water in Japanese mythology. The term refers to the heavenly and earthly manifestations of the benevolent Shinto divinity of water (mainly freshwater), as well as to a wide variety of mythical and magical creatures found in lakes, ponds, springs, and wells, including serpents (snakes, dragons, eels, fish, turtles), and the flesh-eating kappa. Mizu-no-kamisama, Mizugami, or Suijin is popularly revered and worshipped in temples and continues to influence Japanese culture.[1] Other names of Suijin include Suiten (水天, lit. "water heaven") and Suiō (水王, lit. "water lord/king").

Suijin is often conflated with Ryūjin, the Japanese dragon god associated with water. Fudō Myōō is sometimes called "Suijin" because of his believed association with waterfalls. Suijin appears as a stone plaque or even a small stone set upright near the emergence of a spring.[2]

  1. ^ "Japanese Culture: Everything you need to know | InsideJapan Tours". www.insidejapantours.com. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  2. ^ Ashkenazi, Michael (2003). Handbook of Japanese Mythology. In Handbooks of World Mythology. Santa Barbara, Calif : ABC-CLIO. pp. 255. ISBN 9781576074671.