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神々の肖像

Portraits of Japanese Deities

Record of Light Series – Click Image for Details

Record of Light does not define light as an origin or a destination, but records the conditions under which it becomes perceptible. Rather than explaining what light is, the series traces how light appears, interferes, dissolves, and leaves residual traces within perceptual space.

Each work is constructed within the RGB spectrum—the three elemental channels of digital light. Red, green, and blue are treated not as symbols, but as measurable wavelengths that establish the limits of visibility. Through their interaction, transient luminous states emerge, destabilize, and fade before reaching fixed coherence.

Photographic fragments are layered, blurred, and partially erased until recognizable form collapses. What remains are fields of light in transition—neither object nor abstraction, but records of passage and threshold. In this series, light functions as both medium and trace: a visible residue of interaction, captured at the moment perception briefly holds before dispersing.

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Portraits of Japanese Deities

The Portraits of Japanese Deities series explores the transcendental entities of Japanese mythology that exist beyond the physical constraints of the three-dimensional world, manifesting them as pure forms of light. This work moves beyond the boundary of the dimensional membrane to capture the moment when the primordial energy of the Yaoyorozu no Kami—the myriad spirits—coalesces into a harmonious, personal presence.

The silhouettes of these higher-dimensional beings rise from deep within the work, reflecting the ancient Japanese spiritual view that these entities reside within the natural phenomena of light and atmosphere. Rather than appearing as fixed, static figures, they are expressed as an active will of light radiating into our world from a realm beyond our reach.

These portraits resonate with the viewer's consciousness, serving as a medium that translates the profound reality of Japanese spiritual archetypes into our visual experience. By observing these forms, one glimpses the intersection of pure energy and the enduring presence of the spirits that have long defined the Japanese landscape of the soul.

天之御中主神 Amenominakanushi-no-mikoto

Amenominakanushi is the first deity in Japanese mythology, appearing at the universe's dawn. As the supreme source of all creation, this formless god resides at the cosmos's center, embodying the fundamental laws of nature and the infinite potential from which all existence and the myriad gods emerge.

国常立尊 Kunitokotachi-no-mikoto

Kuninotokotachi-no-Mikoto is the primordial deity of the land, appearing as the heavens and earth first separated. Representing the eternal stability of the Japanese archipelago, he embodies the powerful, budding breath of life that solidified the chaotic earth into a firm foundation for all existence and sacred order.

伊邪那岐命 Izanagi-no-mikoto

Izanagi-no-Mikoto is a creator deity who brought order to chaos, birthing the Japanese archipelago and the myriad Japanese deities. As the father of existence, he established the world's principles, governing the sacred rites of purification and the profound boundary between life and death.

伊邪那美命 Izanami-no-mikoto

Izanami-no-Mikoto is the primordial mother deity who birthed the Japanese archipelago and myriad Japanese deities alongside Izanagi. Representing the Great Cycle, she governs both the emergence of life as a creator and the silent realm where souls return, embodying the infinite embrace of the cosmic womb.

菊理姫命 Kukurihime-no-mikoto

Kukurihime-no-Mikoto is the primary deity of Mount Hakusan, known for her power to "bind" (kukuri) opposing forces into harmony. She famously mediated the conflict between Izanagi and Izanami at the border of life and death, symbolizing the integration of yin and yang, and the restoration of sacred order.

天照大御神 Amaterasu-ohmikami

Amaterasu Omikami is the supreme deity of Japanese mythology, embodying the sun. Beyond a mere symbol of light, she is the ruler of the High Celestial Plain, governing the myriad Japanese deities. She provides the fundamental energy that nurtures all things and represents the power of restoration and order.

素戔嗚尊 Susanohno-mikoto

Susanoo-no-Mikoto is a powerful Japanese deity ruling the sea, embodying both a turbulent soul and deep compassion. Representing the inseparable nature of destruction and creation, he is the most human-like figure in mythology, wielding immense life force to break stagnation and pioneer new paths through storm-like energy.

月読命 Tsukuyomi-no-mikoto

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto is the enigmatic deity of the night and the moon's counterpoint to the sun. Ruling the realm of darkness, this Japanese deity embodies the cosmic rhythm of time and the cycles of death and rebirth, maintaining a logical, silent order that balances the universe's profound mysteries.

瀬織津姫 Seoritsuhime

Seoritsuhime is a mysterious and popular goddess appearing in the Grand Purification Litany. As a primary deity of purification among the Haraedo-no-okami, she governs powerful cleansing energy, washing away sins and impurities from rivers to the sea. Often associated with water and dragons, she embodies profound spiritual vitality.

大国主命 Ohkuninushi-no-mikoto

Okuninushi-no-Mikoto is the main deity of Izumo Taisha, renowned for completing the formation of the Japanese land. Beyond a god of "en-musubi" (matching fates), he is a compassionate guardian ruling the visible riches of agriculture and medicine, and the invisible order of the spiritual world.

饒速日命 Nigihayahi-no-mikoto

Nigihayahino-Mikoto is a solar deity who descended from the heavens aboard the Heavenly Rock Boat. As the ancestral god of the Mononobe clan, he possesses the virtues of a pioneer, bringing advanced culture and the "Ten Sacred Treasures" to stabilize the land with overwhelming powers of healing and regeneration.

市杵島姫命 Ichikishimahime-no-mikoto

Ichikishimahime-no-Mikoto is one of the three Munakata goddesses, governing maritime safety and the virtues of water. Born from the covenant between Amaterasu and Susanoo, she is a goddess of beauty and fertility who washes away all stagnation, much like a pure, flowing river.

木花咲耶姫 Konohanasakuyahime

Konohanasakuya-hime is the deity of Mount Fuji, symbolizing the cherry blossom's beauty and transient yet powerful life force. Beyond aesthetic grace, she embodies resilient motherhood and determination, famously overcoming the ordeal of giving birth amidst fire to prove her celestial lineage and unwavering will.

磐長姫 Iwanagahime

Iwanaga-hime is the daughter of Oyamatsumi and elder sister to Konohanasakuya-hime. Representing the unchanging nature of rocks, she governs longevity and eternal life. Unlike her sister’s fleeting floral beauty, she symbolizes the fundamental strength that sustains the soul’s permanent radiance beyond visible, temporal changes.

弟橘姫 Ototachibanahime

Ototachibana-hime, the consort of Yamato Takeru, is the goddess of pure devotion and love. To save her husband from a violent storm during his eastern expedition, she sacrificed herself to the sea. Her act represents the power of love to calm chaos and protect sacred bonds through ultimate selflessness.


倭建命 Yamatotakeru-no-mikoto

Yamato Takeru is Japan’s greatest legendary hero, a prince who consolidated the land through unrivaled bravery and wisdom. Despite his military feats, he remains a deeply human figure—a tragic wanderer who fought through solitude and inner conflict, eventually transforming into a white bird upon his death to find eternal freedom.