地域観光資源の 多言語解説文データベース

Mirrors

The mirror is an important symbol in Shinto, Japan’s indigenous religion that revolves around the worship of deities that dwell in the natural environment. In Japanese mythology, a mirror was used to coax the sun goddess, Amaterasu Omikami, out from a cave where she had been hiding, restoring light to the world. Visit a shrine today and you will likely see a bronze mirror sitting atop its altar.

Many bronze mirrors dating to the fourth century were found at the oldest ritual sites on Okinoshima, alongside swords and comma-shaped stone beads (magatama, often described as “jewels”). According to the creation myths recorded in Japan’s oldest historical chronicles, Amaterasu Omikami gave these Three Sacred Treasures to her grandson, Ninigi no Mikoto, when she sent him to earth. He became the founding ancestor of Japan’s imperial line, and the Three Sacred Treasures (the mirror, the jewel, and the sword) are revered as symbols of the emperor’s divinity.

The mirrors are thought to be of Chinese origin, with some later made in a similar style in Japan. The most prominent and well-preserved example is a triangular-edged mirror, bearing the designs of Queen Mother of the West and King Father of the East—two gods of Chinese mythology that were popular during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE)—surrounded by holy beasts.

銅鏡

鏡子是日本本土宗教信仰「神道教」的重要象徵，神道教信仰的是自然環境中的神靈。在日本神話中，眾神使用一枚鏡子將太陽女神「天照大神」從祂躲藏的洞穴中引了出來，讓世界重現光明。如今進入任何一座神社，都可能見到祭壇上擺放著銅鏡。

人們在沖之島最古老的祭場發現了大量4世紀時的銅鏡。鏡子被認為起源於中國，後來在日本也以類似的風格仿製。沖之島文物中最著名、保存最完好的一枚銅鏡為「三角緣神獸鏡」，其紋樣刻畫的是中國漢朝（西元前206年-西元220年）廣為流傳的神話人物——東王父與西王母，旁邊還有一圈神獸環繞。

根據日本最早的史書記載的創世神話，天照大神派遣孫子「瓊瓊杵尊」下凡，並賜予祂鏡、勾玉及劍。瓊瓊杵尊成為日本皇室祖神，鏡、勾玉、劍被視為三大神器，作為皇室神性的象徵而備受尊崇。沖之島上除了鏡子以外，也出土了勾玉與劍，由此推測，當地也曾供奉過相當於三大神器的物品。