Shinra Myōjin

Shinra Myōjin (Japanese: 新羅明神) is a Buddhist god associated with the Jimon branch of Tendai, a school of Japanese Buddhism. His name is derived from the name of a historical Korean kingdom, Silla. His origin is a matter of debate among researchers. He might have originated in Korea, China or in the historical Ōmi Province in Japan. Initially he was portrayed as a deity who arrived in Japan from abroad to protect Buddhist monks, though later the view that he was a Japanese deity who ventured to Silla developed due to a shift in the perception of Korea. He was regarded as a symbol of Jimon and its institutions, but also as a protector of sea routes and as a mountain deity. He also developed associations with waka poetry and with pestilence. In art, he is typically depicted as an elderly man dressed in the clothes of a Chinese official. Through history, he developed connections with a number of other figures, including Susanoo, Matarajin and Mañjuśrī. He is chiefly worshiped in Onjō-ji.