Yata no Kagami
Yata no Kagami (八咫鏡?) is a sacred mirror that is part of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. It is said to be housed in Ise Shrine in Mie prefecture, Japan, 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 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 from a cave. They were given, with the sword Kusanagi, to Amaterasu's grandson, Ninigi-no-Mikoto, when he went to pacify Japan. From there the treasures passed into the hands of the Imperial House of Japan.
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 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, Itachi Uchiha 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.
- The Yata no Kagami appears as an accessory in Tales of Symphonia along with the other three Imperial Regalia of Japan. The items are obtained upon the defeat of a powerful demon known as the Sword Dancer. The Yata no Kagami (Known as the Yata Mirror in-game) is the first obtained, followed by the Yasakani no Magatama (Magatama Jewel) and the Kusanagi no Tsurugi (Kusanagi Blade). Of the three, the Kusanagi no Tsurugi is the only one not treated as an accessory, being a weapon.
See also
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