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AMATERASU
Amaterasu (alternately called Amaterasu Omikami) is a central figure in the native
Japanese religion known as Shinto. Though deliberately written to be a genderless
character in the game, Amaterasu is portrayed as a woman in the context of Shinto
mythology.
She finds her origin as the sun goddess in a story concerning Izanagi (shortened
to “Nagi” in the game) when he washes his face after having returned from the
underworld on a quest to visit his recently deceased beloved, Izanami (shortened
to “Nami” in the game).
According to this legend, the act of washing himself in a purification ritual gave birth
to numerous deities, with Amaterasu being born from his left eye, Tsukuyomi
(portrayed as Nagi’s sacred sword in the game) from his right, and Susano
(a storm-based deity) from his nose.
In her role as sun goddess, Amaterasu is associated with warmth and light
and is said to have a strong link with the Japanese Imperial family of old.
FAIRY TALES & TRADITI ON AL STORIES
The game draws much of its imagery and characterizations from established Japanese
legends and stories. A wealth of further information on these tales can be accessed
via the internet or at your local library or bookstore. Here, we attempt
to compile a list of some of these legends referenced within the game.
URASHIMA TARO
This colorful character who appears in the North Ryoshima Coast is from a story
that is often called the Japanese version of Rip Van Winkle thanks to its “man out
of time” theme.
KAGUYA
The “Moonlight Beauty” and her relationship to the kindly Bamboo Cutter
as portrayed in the game is very close to her fairy tale origins.
THE HAKKENSHI AND THE SATOMI HOUSE
This tale is woven over the course of 106 volumes, making it the longest novel in
the pantheon of classical Japanese literature. In the novel, the Hakkenshi (Canine
Warriors) are the human incarnations of eight spiritual sons born to Princess Fuse
of the Satomi House. They are associated with dogs due to the fact that their
spiritual father is said to be a dog spirit. As portrayed in the game, they are the
embodiment of the eight virtues of Confucianism.
SHITAKIRI SUZUME
This rather frightening tale tells of a horrible old woman who cut the tongue
from the mouth of a singing sparrow.
ISSUN BOUSHI
This tale concerns a tiny adventurer whose name should sound familiar.
Also appearing in this tale is the size-altering “Lucky Mallet” that shows up
in the game.
OF RA BB ITS, MO ONS, AND RICE PASTE
Some of the imagery portrayed in the game, while being very familiar to the Japanese
audience, may be rather confusing to Western audiences with a differing cultural
background.
Perhaps the most striking of these may be the scene in which the god Yomigami
makes its auspicious debut. While Americans have a tendency to see a human face
on the surface of the moon, the Japanese see the distinct image of a rabbit. What’s
more, this rabbit is not merely standing still. It is pounding rice into the delectable
paste known as “mochi.” The mochi pounding process generally involves two people
— one to pound the mass of rice into a paste with a wooden mallet, and the other
to turn and knead the lump in between strikes. This helps to explain Amaterasu’s paw
gestures in this scene.