Sukuyōdō

Shukuyodo is an esoteric buddhist tradition based on astrology in Japan. ja:宿曜道

Deities

This category contains the deities Category:Sukuyōdō deities

Onmyōdō as a religion and the deification of onmyōji in the Heian period

After the assassination of Fujiwara no Tanetsugu in 785, the Emperor Kanmu was frightened by a vengeful spirit of Prince Sawara, his younger brother, due to the frequent incidents of personal disasters and mourning. The relocation of the capital from Nagaoka-kyō to Heian-kyō (present-day Kyoto) by him triggered a sudden spread of belief in noble ghost to appease vengeful spirits, especially in the Imperial court, and the tendency to seek more powerful benefits from spellcasting to dispel evil spirits became stronger. Against this backdrop, in addition to the ancient Shintoism, religious beliefs in the stars and Taoist spells, such as those using sacred symbols, came to be the focus of attention. Doctor of Spellcasting and spellcasters were in charge of spellcasting, which had elements of prophecy, Taoism, Buddhism, and especially esotericism, and belonged to the Bureau of Pharmacy of the Ministry of the Imperial Household, which had been established as an institution to offer prayers as medical treatment. However, Fujiwara no Kamatari, who was a researcher of onmyōdō, abolished them, and they were integrated into the Bureau of Onmyō. In this way, onmyōdō began to have elements of various colors, from Taoism or Buddhism (especially esoteric Buddhism introduced in the Nara and Heian periods (end of the 8th century)), astrology called sukuyōdō, which was introduced along with them, to ancient Shintoism. With the advent of the noble ghost faith, the onmyōdō became even more diverse. For example, spells such as changing the direction for good fortune and self-consecration, rituals such as the Festival of the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East, and Uho steps (hempai), which were often seen in onmyōdō practices, originated from Taoism, and rice scattering and liturgical incantations originated from ancient Shinto. Furthermore, in the process of the Hokke of the Fujiwara clan's expansion and establishment of power in the Imperial court, political conflicts among nobles intensified, and there were many occasions when onmyōdō was used for slander and defamation aimed at the downfall of rival forces.

This trend became more pronounced with the rise of Fujiwara no Yoshifusa during the reigns of Emperors Ninmyō and Montoku (in the middle of the 9th century). Emperor Uda himself was well versed in the art of I Ching, and Fujiwara no Morosuke even wrote his own books "Kujō Dono Ikai" and "Kujō Nenchū Gyōji," and presented a guide that incorporated many taboos and manners based on the yin-and-yang philosophy. This environment produced charismatic onmyōji such as Shigeoka no Kawahito and Yuge no Koreo, and also led to the introduction of a regnal year following disasters as predicted by the Chinese classics scholar Miyoshi Kiyotsura, which became a regular event after 901. As a result, onmyōdō became more and more important to the Imperial court. In addition, the fact that people outside the Bureau of Onmyō, such as Fujiwara no Morosuke and Miyoshi Kiyotsura, had mastered astrology, onmyōdō, I Ching, and calendars shows that the classified information policy under the ritsuryō system, which prohibited the leakage of onmyōdō outside the Bureau of Onmyō, had already practically failed by this time.

After the middle of the Heian period, the ritsuryō system was further loosened due to the monopolization of politics by Imperial Regents and Chief Imperial Advisors, and the spread of the manor system. As a result, informal onmyōji, who were not regular government officials and belonged to the Bureau of Onmyō, began to privately associate with the nobles, divining their good and bad fortune, and secretly performing rituals to ward off evil. In some cases, they would even undertake to kill their opponents with curses. Even among the official onmyōji who belonged to the Bureau of Onmyō, there were many who followed this trend. Their behavior was far removed from the duties of onmyōji as originally stipulated by the ritsuryō system. The onmyōji arbitrarily imposed good and bad fortune on the Emperor, Imperial family, senior government positions, and nobles in relation to the fortunate directions, and the movements of the stars, and even entered into the management of their private lives. As onmyōji began to control the spiritual world at the center of the Imperial court, they gradually went beyond their regular duties under the governmental system and began to work behind the scenes of the government. At the same time, there appeared Kamo no Tadayuki and his son, Kamo no Yasunori, as well as their disciple, Abe no Seimei, who were onmyōji well versed in all aspects of astrology, onmyōdō and calendars. They defied precedent and were promoted to even higher ranks, earning the trust of the Imperial court. Kamo no Yasunori taught calendar to his son Kamo no Mitsuyoshi and astrology to his disciple Abe no Seimei. They passed on these knowledge and skills only to the children of their own families and forbade teaching them to others. The astrology of the Abe family took on the nature of preaching disasters and good omens, while the calendars of the Kamo family took on a strong astrological flavor. For this reason, only the Kamo and Abe families produced onmyōji. When Abe no Seimei's grandson, Abe no Akichika, became the Head of Onmyō, he expressed his policy of always appointing people from the Kamo family as Doctor of Calendar and people from the Abe family as Doctor of Astrology. After that, the two families almost monopolized other positions in the Bureau of Onmyō that were not originally meant to be inherited by the two families. In addition, even though their actual status was that of onmyōji, they came to hold other higher official positions beyond the duties of the Bureau of Onmyō, and the bureau as a governmental system became a complete skeleton. The onmyōji became a charismatic spiritual ruler in the Imperial court with a strong tinge of religious spells and rituals, and came to wield a powerful influence. From the middle of the Heian period onward, onmyōji had a great influence on the central government of the Imperial court, from political management and personnel decisions to the abdication of the Emperor. Onmyōji were also deeply involved in the 901 incident in which Fujiwara no Tokihira, the Minister of the Left, relegated Sugawara no Michizane from the position of Minister of the Right to the position of deputy commissioner of Dazaifu, the regional government in Chikuzen Province.

It was also around this time that many onmyōji began to be seen in local areas outside of Heian-kyō, the capital at the time, although their activities as onmyōji outside of the Bureau of Onmyō were originally prohibited by the ritsuryō system. In the local areas, many private onmyōji appeared, including the Reverend Dōma (well known as Ashiya Dōman).

Throughout the middle and latter half of the Heian period (11th to 12th centuries), the Abe family produced many masters in astrology, which was the most difficult of all the duties of the Bureau of Onmyō, and the Abe family always succeeded as a Head of Onmyō, while the Kamo family succeeded as a Vice Head of Onmyō. At the time of the Genpei War at the end of the Heian period, Abe no Yasuchika, the grandson of Abe no Yoshihira, the son of Abe no Seimei, and Abe no Suehiro, the son of Abe no Yasuchika, held particularly high official ranks. However, due to the loss of political power that accompanied the subsequent transfer of power to the Kamakura shogunate, the turmoil within the Abe family caused by the struggle for power between the Northern and Southern Courts at the end of the Kamakura period, and the subsequent disorder during the Nanboku-chō period, the power of the Abe family temporarily declined.

In media

Books

• Teito Monogatari, written by Hiroshi Aramata, published in 1985
• Onmyōji, written by Baku Yumemakura, published in 1988
• The Summer of the Ubume, Mōryō no Hako and other Kyōgokudō series, written by Natsuhiko Kyogoku, published in 1994
• Onmyō no Miyako, written by Soichiro Watase, published in 2001
• Shōnen Onmyōji, written by Mitsuru Yūki, published in 2001
• Rental Magica, written by Makoto Sanda, published in 2004
• Bakemonogatari, written by Nisio Isin, published in 2005
• Fairy Navigator Runa, written by Miyoko Ikeda, published in 2008
• Tokyo Ravens, written by Kōhei Azano, published in 2010

Manga and anime

• Tokyo Babylon, written by Clamp, published in 1990
• X, written by Clamp, published in 1992
• Shaman King, written by Hiroyuki Takei, published in 1998
• Gag Manga Biyori, written by Kōsuke Masuda, published in 2000
• Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, created by Gainax, published in 2001
• Amatsuki, written by Shinobu Takayama, published in 2002
• Gin Tama, written by Hideaki Sorachi, published in 2003
• xxxHolic, written by Clamp, published in 2003
• Onmyō Taisenki, written by Yoshihiko Tomizawa, published in 2003
• Musashi Gundoh, based on an unused story by Monkey Punch, published in 2006
• Shibariya Komachi, written by Mick Takeuchi, published in 2006
• Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, written by Hiroshi Shiibashi, published in 2008
• Twin Star Exorcists, written by Yoshiaki Sukeno, published in 2013
• The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World, written by Kiichi Kosuzu, published in 2018
• MAO, written by Rumiko Takahashi, published in 2019

Films

• Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis, a 1988 Japanese fantasy film directed by Akio Jissōji, based on the novel Teito Monogatari by Hiroshi Aramata
• Onmyōji (film), a 2001 Japanese film based on the Onmyōji (novel series), by Baku Yumemakura and released in the U.S. in 2003 as Onmyōji - The Yin Yang Master
  • Onmyōji 2, the 2003 sequel
• The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity, a 2020 Chinese fantasy film based on the Onmyōji (novel series), by Baku Yumemakura directed by Guo Jingming, and starring Mark Chao and Deng Lun
• The Yinyang Master, a 2021 Chinese fantasy film directed by Li Weiran, and starring Chen Kun, Zhou Xun and William Chan based on the game that was based on the Onmyōji (novel series), by Baku Yumemakura

Video games

• Kuon no Kizuna, developed by FOG Inc., released in 1998
• Tokyo Majin Gakuen, produced by Shūhō Imai, released in 1998
• Kuon, developed by FromSoftware, released in 2004
• 11eyes: Tsumi to Batsu to Aganai no Shōjo, developed by Lass, released in 2008
• Naraka: Bladepoint, developed by 24 Entertainment, released in 2021 features the character Kurumi Tsuchimikado, who according to game lore is the first female Onmyōji, descended from a long line of Onmyōdō masters.

See also

• Abe no Seimei
• Da Liu Ren
• Goryō
• Itako
• Kuji-in
• Onmyōdō
• Sanpaku
• Seimei Shrine
• Senji Ryakketsu
• Shikigami
• Shinigami
• Tengenjutsu (fortune telling)
• Ushi no toki mairi

Further reading

• Murakami, Shūichi, ed. (1981). 日本陰陽道史総説 [A Review of the History of Onmyōdō in Japan] (in 日本語). Hanawa Shobō. ISBN 4827310572. Search this book on
• Endō, Katsumi (1994). 近世陰陽道史の研究 [Studies in the History of Early Modern Onmyōdō] (in Japanese). Shin Jinbutsu Ōrai Sha. ISBN 4404021569.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Kosaka, Shinji (2004). 安倍晴明撰『占事略決』と陰陽道 [Abe no Seimei's "Senji Ryakketsu" and Onmyōdō] (in Japanese). Kyūko Shoin. ISBN 9784762941672.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Saitō, Rei (2007). 王朝時代の陰陽道 [Onmyōdō in the Dynastic Period] (in Japanese). Meicho Kankō Kai. ISBN 978-4839003302.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Yamashita, Katsuaki (1996). 平安時代の宗教文化と陰陽道 [Religious Culture in the Heian Period and Onmyōdō] (in Japanese). Iwata Shoin. ISBN 4900697656.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Takahashi, Keiya (2000). 現代・陰陽師入門 [Introduction to Modern Onmyōji] (in Japanese). Asahi Sonorama. ISBN 4257035846.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Nakamura, Shōhachi (2000). 日本陰陽道書の研究 増補版 [A Study of the Onmyō Books in Japan; Expanded Edition] (in Japanese). Kyūko Shoin. ISBN 4257035846.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Suzuki, Ikkei (2002). 陰陽道 呪術と鬼神の世界 [Onmyōdō: The World of Spells and Demons] (in Japanese). Kōdansha. ISBN 9784062582445.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Seimei Shrine, ed. (2002). 安倍晴明公 [The Right Honorable Abe no Seimei] (in Japanese). Kōdansha. ISBN 9784062109833.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Hayashi, Jun; Koike, Jun'ichi (2002). 陰陽道の講義 [Lecture on Onmyōdō] (in Japanese). Sagano Shoin. ISBN 4782303610.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Shigeta, Shin'ichi (2005). 平安貴族と陰陽師 [Heian Nobles and Onmyōji] (in Japanese). Yoshikawa Kōbun Kan. ISBN 4642079424.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Hayashi, Jun (2005). 近世陰陽道の研究 [A Study of Early Modern Onmyōdō] (in Japanese). Yoshikawa Kōbun Kan. ISBN 4642034072.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Shigeta, Shin'ichi (2006). 陰陽師 [Onmyōji] (in Japanese). Chūōkōron-Shinsha. ISBN 4121018443.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Murakami, Shūichi, ed. (2017). 陰陽道叢書 1 古代 [Onmyōdō Series 1: The Ancient Times] (in Japanese). Hanawa Shobō. ISBN 978-4626017970.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Murakami, Shūichi, ed. (2017). 陰陽道叢書 2 中世 [Onmyōdō Series 2: The Middle Ages] (in Japanese). Hanawa Shobō. ISBN 978-4626017987.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Murakami, Shūichi, ed. (2017). 陰陽道叢書 3 近世 [Onmyōdō Series 3: The Early Modern Period] (in Japanese). Hanawa Shobō. ISBN 978-4626017994.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Murakami, Shūichi, ed. (2017). 陰陽道叢書 4 特論 [Onmyōdō Series 4: The Advanced Studies] (in Japanese). Hanawa Shobō. ISBN 978-4626018007.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on

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