天てん一いち神じん

also: なかがみ

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

Ten'ichijin; Nakagami; directional taboo deity

In Onmyōdō, a god of fortune whose location changes daily in a clockwise circuit; traveling in that direction is considered unlucky. The detailed cycle is given in the English gloss.

Kanji

天heavens, sky, imperial
一one, one radical (no.1)
神gods, mind, soul
中in, inside, middle

Related words

陰陽道おんみょうどう
The broader esoteric cosmology in which Ten'ichijin appears; 天一神 is a specific deity within that system.
方かた違たがえ
A practice of avoiding an unlucky direction, often because of Ten'ichijin's presence; 天一神 is the reason for the taboo, while 方違え is the action taken.

Written forms

天一神
- てんいちじん
  Primary kanji form for the Onmyōdō deity, read てんいちじん.
- なかがみ
中なか神がみ
Alternate name, read なかがみ; less common than 天一神.
なかがみ

Etymology

The name 天一神 (Ten'ichijin) literally means 'Heaven-One Deity'. The reading なかがみ for 中神 is a native Japanese reading meaning 'middle god', referring to the deity's position in the directional cycle. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but the deity is firmly rooted in Onmyōdō traditions.