Revisiting Shinto’s View on Women in Modern Times: An Interview with Chief Priest Kenji Kaji of Ichigaya Kamegaoka Hachimangu
(Noriaki Tada)
It is said that one of the reasons behind President Trump’s landslide victory in the U.S. presidential election was the backlash among the American public against the excesses of gender ideology under the Democratic administration. Now that LGBT issues are also becoming politicized in Japan, we sought to return to the basics by asking Chief Priest Kenji Kaji of Ichigaya Kamegaoka Hachimangu about Shinto’s view on women—a perspective that dates back to the Jomon period.
― In the models for Jomon-period clay figurines, most figures are female—often depicting pregnant women.
That is because there was profound respect for women who give life, a reverence that has been carried forward in Shinto’s view of women. Even the Shinto concept of the impurity associated with blood may have its roots in the careful practices surrounding menstruation and childbirth, intended to prevent uncleanliness and adverse health.
― In the Kojiki’s creation myth, it is said that the female deity Izanami mistakenly acted because she addressed the male deity Izanagi first—could this be an influence of the male-dominant Chinese tradition?
In Japan, respect for women was ingrained even if it wasn’t overtly displayed; for example, a wife might be referred to as a “mountain god.” This enduring sentiment appears in texts such as The Tale of the Heike and Taiheiki. Through the Sengoku period and into the Edo period—with added philosophical nuances—protecting women became a matter of male honor. Even today, the success or failure of a household is often attributed to the wife, and many thriving establishments are run by capable female proprietors.
― What I found interesting in last year’s historical drama Hikaru Kimi e was how Akiko, daughter of Fujiwara no Michinaga, initially responded to her father and the Emperor in a subservient manner like “at your command” when she was young, but as she bore an imperial prince and became the mother of the nation, she began to assert herself strongly.
There is an argument that women cannot hold power or approach authority, but that is not the case. Even within the imperial lineage—where patrilineal males were predominantly venerated—there were empresses. The absence of empresses from the maternal line is rather a separate issue related to the preservation of the imperial line. Physically, women may be weaker than men; consequently, men ventured out to fight in the public sphere while women safeguarded the home. In Japanese history, the element of female subordination has been minimal.
― During the great upheaval of the Wa nation in the latter half of the 2nd century, historical records tell of shamanic figures like Himiko emerging to unite male tribal leaders. Could it be that, while the imperial family inherited this tradition, the emperor assumed the role of officiating priest and the shaman’s role was passed on to figures such as Yamatohime-no-mikoto or the Saiō?
In essence, the formation of ancient Japanese statehood can be seen as arising from the relationship between the female shamans—who engaged in spirit possession and divination—and the “Saniwa” (divination priest), whose interpretations were applied to governance. This structure, in one form or another, persists even today.
― In Isao Tokoro’s recent work Tennōgaku Seminar (Fujiwara Shoten), it is explained that the various local deities, long venerated since the Jomon period based on animistic beliefs among regions, tribes, and professions, were unified around imperial rites. This unification occurred through the merging of the Amatsuyashiro (heavenly shrine) and the Kunitsuyashiro (national shrine) by Emperor Sujin, thereby laying the foundation for Japan as a family-based state. At that time, following the legacy of Emperor Sujin’s princess Toyokusaireihime, and entering the land of Ise via various provinces as the earthly representative of Amaterasu, it is said that Empress Jingu established the Imperial Grand Shrine (Naiku of the Jingu) through divine oracle. Similar narratives about the union of heavenly and earthly deities appear in many shrines.
Japan, as the terminus of the Silk Road—the terminus which is also a starting point—gathered cultural treasures from around the world, along with the souls of its people. It is women who give birth to these souls, and thus women have borne tremendous hardship for that very purpose.
In the creation myth, it is Izanami who endures suffering—she dies after giving birth to the fire deity, endures humiliation at the hands of Izanagi from the land of the dead, and is pelted with peaches when she pursues him.
Yet, Izanami is the only female deity subjected to such harsh treatment; given that Japanese mythology cherishes creation, there are few stories that belittle or neglect women.
Recently, LGBT issues have become contentious, but historically the Japanese have been relatively tolerant regarding matters of sexuality. High-ranking monks even kept young boys in their care to tend to their daily needs. By the Edo period, establishments such as “Kagemachaya,” where women “purchased” young men, emerged. Homosexuals were acknowledged as a minority; however, when they began asserting their rights as is seen in recent times, acceptance in society became ironically more difficult.
― This year’s historical drama Berabou is set in Yoshiwara, where the protagonist, Shigesaburō Tsutaya, came to be known as the media king of Edo due to his success in publishing books and ukiyo-e prints.
At that time, visiting Yoshiwara required not only money but also a significant degree of cultural refinement. The proprietors—guardians of Edo culture—were patrons of haikai, kyōka, kouta, and kyogen, as well as supporters of kabuki actors. They also ensured that the courtesans received education in traditional arts such as the shamisen, as well as in poetry and calligraphy. In particular, top-tier courtesans were expected to possess such refined arts and culture that people were willing to pay vast sums just to be close to them; Yoshiwara essentially functioned as a cultural salon attended by many literary figures. Had women been looked down upon, such a cultural phenomenon would not have flourished.
In the era of the samurai, women did not have inheritance rights within the household. However, beginning in the Kamakura period, they amassed their own assets. As their children grew, they came to be respectfully addressed as “Mother,” and later, upon having grandchildren, as “Grandmother,” thereby gradually elevating their status within the family. While their rights may have been inferior to those of their husbands, in terms of status and role, they often surpassed them—a situation that persists even today.
― Empirically, women seem to grow stronger after giving birth.
That is the power to create life. In Shinto, this is referred to as “musuhi”—the spiritual force that generates, develops, and completes heaven, earth, and all things—a power inherent in women. Men who truly appreciate the sanctity of a woman who gives her life for the sake of life have historically built shelters and made extensive preparations.
― One of the most moving episodes in the Kojiki myth is the story of Konohanasakuya-hime. Accused of having become pregnant through a one-night pact with Ninigi-no-Mikoto, she set the birthing hut ablaze during childbirth to prove her innocence.
This is one of the “ukehi” (contractual) narratives in the Kojiki that underscores the strength of the woman who gives birth. Such stories likely reflect the widespread Earth Mother myths found across Asia. Because childbirth is so perilously close to death, it was sanctified—evolving into the creation myth of the union between man and woman. It is believed that the fetus houses a divine spirit, which in itself becomes an object of reverence.
― At a Jomon archaeological site in Hakodate, clay tablets bearing the footprints of infants who died young have been unearthed. At the very beginning of the mythological era in the Kojiki, there is an expression describing the gods as having “sprouted like reed shoots from the mud.”
This imagery hints at the cyclical view of life held by the Jomon people. In Shinto, people are sometimes called “ao hitogusa” (blue grass), a term likely inspired by the mysterious quality of grass that, even when cut, regrows. Observing how withered grass turns green again in spring, they witnessed the power of regeneration.
In Taoism, there is a myth in which Fuxi and Nüwa—sibling deities among the ancient Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of China—are regarded as the progenitors of humankind. This myth bears a resemblance to Japan’s creation myth. In fact, it might be argued that it was Confucianism, intertwined with imperial power, that fostered a male-dominant, female-subordinate ideology.
― Is it now that respect for women, as bearers of life, is gradually being lost?
A photographer friend who covered the U.S. presidential election over an extended period noted that even among Democratic supporters, there was strong backlash against policies related to LGBT issues—and he sensed growing support for Trump in various states.
In Japan, the decline of the traditional spirit—rooted in the age of the gods—is one factor contributing to the falling birthrate. While it is necessary to correct the discriminatory aspects of sexual division of labor stemming from physical differences, the idea of eradicating gender differences altogether clearly goes too far. On the other hand, it is also true that many women today prefer to spend more time with their children during the child-rearing period, indicating that we are in a transitional phase. For this reason, it is crucial that political leadership guide us in preserving a nation that reflects the Japanese spirit.
Kenji Kaji
Born in 1965 in Tokyo, Kenji Kaji hails from a family traditionally associated with the Suwa Taisha. After graduating from the Department of Japanese Literature at Hosei University, he went on to complete his studies in Shinto at Kokugakuin University, ultimately becoming a Shinto priest. At the age of 27, he succeeded his father as the chief priest of Ichigaya Kamegaoka Hachimangu—a shrine that enshrined a branch spirit of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, revered as the guardian deity of Edo Castle by Ota Dokan during the Muromachi period. He actively works on the preservation of gagaku traditions among his parishioners, and he is also engaged in innovative practices such as creating unique talismans and offering prayers. He is the author of A Guide to Invoking Good Fortune Through Shinto (Mikasashobo).
