is a sacred mirror that is part of the Imperial Regalia of Japan

Imperial Regalia of Japan

The , also known as the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, consist of the sword Kusanagi , the mirror Yata no Kagami , and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama...

. It is said to be housed in Ise Shrine

Ise Shrine

is a Shinto shrine dedicated to goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is in fact a shrine complex composed of a large number of Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and ....

 in Mie prefecture

Mie Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....

, Japan

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...

, although a lack of public access makes this difficult to verify. The Yata no Kagami represents "wisdom" or "honesty," depending on the source. Its name literally means "The Eight Hand Mirror," likely a reference to its width. Mirrors in ancient Japan represented truth because they merely reflected what was shown, and were a source of much mystique and reverence (being uncommon items). Japanese folklore

Japanese folklore

The folklore of Japan is heavily influenced by both Shinto and Buddhism, the two primary religions in the country. It often involves humorous or bizarre characters and situations and also includes an assortment of supernatural beings, such as bodhisattva, kami , yōkai , yūrei ,...

 is rich in stories of life before mirrors were commonplace.

In the Japanese mythology this mirror and the Yasakani no magatama were hung from a tree to lure out Amaterasu

Amaterasu

, or is apart of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion. She is the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. the name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning "shining in heaven." The meaning of her whole name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is "the great August kami who...

 from a cave. They were given, with the sword Kusanagi

Kusanagi

is a legendary Japanese sword and one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan. It was originally called but its name was later changed to the more popular Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi .-Legends:...

, to Amaterasu's grandson, Ninigi-no-Mikoto

Ninigi-no-Mikoto

is in Japanese mythology the son of Ame no Oshihomimi no Mikoto, and grandson of Amaterasu, who sent him down to earth to plant rice there. He was the great-grandfather of Emperor Jimmu. His name also appears as .Amaterasu sent him to pacify Japan by bringing the three celestial gifts used by the...

, when he went to pacify Japan. From there the treasures passed into the hands of the Imperial House of Japan

Imperial House of Japan

The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the Yamato Dynasty, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the emperor is the symbol of the state and unity of the people...

.

There are three Yata no Kagami in Japan, one is in Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo, one in Ise Jingu and one in Iheya island in Okinawa.

In popular culture

• In Okami
  Okami
  is an action-adventure video game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. It was released for Sony's PlayStation 2 video game console in 2006 in Japan and North America, and 2007 in Europe and Australia...
  
   the main character wields various weapons inspired by the Yata no Kagami, including the signature weapon of the character.
• In The King of Fighters series, the Mirror of Yata is in possession of Chizuru Kagura, member of the Yata clan that holds one of the three sacred artifacts that originally sealed the serpent monster Orochi 1,800 years ago
• In the manga series Naruto
  Naruto
  is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of...
  
  , Itachi Uchiha
  Itachi Uchiha
  is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. In the series, Itachi is the older brother of Sasuke Uchiha and is responsible for killing all the members of their clan, sparing only Sasuke. Itachi is treated as an antagonist for much of the series,...
  
  uses the mirror Yata no Kagami as part of his Susano'o technique, it takes the form of an indestructible shield
• In the CLAMP manga series xxxHolic, an education student uses a cursed spiritual artifact to obtain a replica of the Yata no Kagami from a store that refused to give it to her.

External links

• Ise Jingu's page on the Yata no Kagami