Meteorology and Myth: The Thunderstorm and Wind Gods of Japan

Abstract

Stories from folklore and mythology should not be taken literally, either as true historical events or as scientific facts. However, there may be useful educational analogies to be learned from mythological allegories. My “Meteorology and Myth” series develops engaging teaching modules for use in general education geoscience courses. In this example, the reinforcement of basic concepts in geography and atmospheric science can be made through discussion about the character of Japan’s sky gods. Japan’s Shinto religion holds Raijin as a god of thunderstorms and Fūjin as a god of wind. These sky deities were depicted as demonic, destructive forces of nature in traditional Japanese art. A lesson was developed for teaching college-level geography, weather, and climate. The audience for the lecture is students in general education, including non-geography majors, be they in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) or in the arts and humanities. Myths such as Raijin’s penchant for eating the navels of children or why Fūjin’s skin is green are used to vividly illustrate weather concepts. Readers and future geography teachers are able to connect meteorological principles to legend, art, and culture. One of the goals of this project is to help bridge the gap that often exists between the natural sciences and the humanities; it is in this gap that geographers thrive. Students majoring in the arts and humanities could be stimulated to learn science principles, while students in the sciences might gain a greater appreciation for art history and culture. Raijin is the Shinto god of thunder and lightning, and Fūjin is a Shinto god of windstorms, including tornadoes (Levin 2008). Raijin and Fūjin were revered as gods (kami), but they were usually depicted in traditional arts as demonic oni, or ogres (Fig. 1). These deities personify the destructive forces of nature and are ubiquitous in Japanese folklore, art history, iconography, and architecture. Their popularity has survived to modern popular Japanese culture, and it is through popular culture that Raijin and Fūjin have diffused to western audiences.