Zuijin

This article may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards. You can help. The talk page may contain suggestions. (July 2024)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Zuijin" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

In Shinto, Zuijin (随身, lit. "Obeying-Orders Being" or "Attendant Deity") - are Kami warrior-guardian figures, Kami that guard over shrine gates are considered to be Kado-Mori-no-Kami or Kadomori-no-Kami, the gods who watch over the gates. They're often depicted as holding bows and arrows or wearing three silver rings. It appears on glass-like materials. The name was originally applied to the bodyguards of the Emperor of Japan. Statues of Zuijin are now often placed flanking shrine gates, similar to the Niō and Gozu and Mezu. The Zuijin are also associated with Dosojin, protector of crossroads and other boundary areas.

Zuijin (also called as zuishin) was a government official in Konoefu (近衛府, the Headquarters of the Inner Palace Guards) during and after the Heian period; zuijin followed nobles to guard them when they went out.

Yadaijin is one of the two deity statues in Zuijin (Imperial guards during the Heian period) costumes that are placed at the both sides of Zuijin-mon gate, holding bows and arrows on the observer's left. Kadomori, a guardian deity at the shrine gate. He is dressed in Kettekino-ho (open sleeve seams outer robe), putting on Kenei no kanmuri (headdress) with Oikake (accessories for the headdress), wearing a sword, holding bows and arrows. He is called Yadaijin (Minister with arrows) after his arrows, and Zuijin-mon gate is sometimes called Yadaijin-mon gate. However, he is not a Daijin (minister) but a Zuijin (attendant) called Kadono-osa (public officer).

Also, he is referred as Amanoiwatowake no Kami (one of the deities from Japanese mythology). Or it is said that the image of Yadaijin comes from Amenooshihi no Mikoto and Amatsukume no Mikoto in the lead, removing Amenoiwahagi (big rocks), holding Kabutsuchi-no-tachi (the ancient sword), 天波十弓 (bows), and 天真児矢 (arrows) at the time of Tensonkorin (the descent to earth of the grandson of the sun goddess).

This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Zuijin" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2023)

This section may contain excessive or inappropriate references to self-published sources. The source in dispute is: Hall. Please help improve it by removing references to unreliable sources where they are used inappropriately. (January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

On the right of the observer is Sadajin (左大臣), the elder left hand man. His attire is similar to Yadajin’s, with the same Kenei no kanmuri (headdress), Oikake (accessories for the headdress), and weapons, including a large bow and arrows.

The main difference between the two guardian deity statues is that Sadajin’s mouth is open, while Yadajin’s is closed. This is meant to symbolize the first breath in and the first breath out, a concept borrowed from Budhhist traditions.

^{[1] [failed verification]}

• Dogū
• Haniwa
• Hōko (doll)
• Shikigami
• Terracotta Army
• Totem