Abe no Seimei

Abe no Seimei
Abe no Seimei as drawn by Kikuchi Yōsai (菊池容斎), a popular painter in Japan.
Personal
BornFebruary 21, 921 A.D.
– Abemonju-in Temple in Sakurai, Nara, Japan[1]
DiedOctober 31, 1005 (aged 84)
ReligionOnmyōdō
Senior posting
Based inJapan
PostOnmyōji – adviser to the Emperor on the spiritually correct way to deal with issues.

Abe no Seimei (安倍 晴明, February 21, 921 A.D. – October 31, 1005) was an onmyōji, a leading specialist of Onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian period in Japan.[2] In addition to his prominence in history, he is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore. He has been portrayed in several stories and films.

Seimei worked as an onmyōji for emperors and the Heian government, advising on the spiritually correct way to deal with issues. He prayed for the well-being of emperors and the government and advised on various issues. He was also an astrologer and predicted astrological events. He enjoyed an extremely long life, free from any major illness, contributing to the popular belief that he had mystical powers.

The Seimei Shrine, located in Kyoto, is a famous shrine dedicated to him. The Abeno train station and district in Osaka are named after him, as it is one of the locations where legends place his birth.

  1. ^ "Seimei Shrine". The Tale of Genji. 2007. Archived from the original on 21 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  2. ^ Miller, Laura. "Extreme Makeover for a Heian-era Wizard". Mechademia 3: Limits of the Human. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2008. 33.