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These creatures should not be confused with the benevolent, all-powerful, and universal Shinto water divinity known as Mizu no Kamisama (aka Ame no Minakanushi no Oo Kami ). This universal divinity, also called Suijin or Suiten, is often depicted as a goddess who protects not only fishermen, but also serves as the patron saint of fertility, motherhood, and easy childbirth. This Shinto deity is widely worshipped at "Suiten-gu" Shrines throughout Japan, and votive stone markers devoted to her can be found frequently in the countryside. The Suiten-gu Shrine in Kurume (Fukuoka) is the main shrine of all Suiten-gu Shrines in Japan. It is especially famous to those praying for safe and easy childbirth.

Not surprisingly, Mizu no Kamisama was eagerly incorporated into Japanese Buddhism after the latter was introduced in the 6th century AD. The Buddhist equivalent, named Suiten (literally "water deva") is one of the

for helping me with my research on this topic.

SUIJIN NOTEBOOK
This page uses Japanese characters. You must install a Japanese font set to your computer to view. 

• SHINTO
  Mizu no Kamisama (水の神様); Shinto Water Goddess, Water Kami; also called Suijin (水神) or Suiten (水天) or Suiou (水王). Mizu no Kamisama is worshipped widely throughout Japan, and shrines dedicated to this deity are called Suiten-gu Shrines. Votive stone markers for Mizu-no-Kamisama can be found in caves, near rice paddies, and near village boundaries. Farmers in mountainous regions in particular pray to this deity to keep their fields alive with water, or to spare the village from too much rain, which could kill the crops or cause mudslides.
  
  Suijin 水神 literally means "water god." Also called Suiten 水天, meaning "water deva."  Also called Suiou 水王, meaning "water king." The Japanese word SUI means water, JIN means god or kami, TEN means deva or heaven, and OU means king.
  
  

  Ame-no-Minakanushi Deity name recorded in the Kojiki (712 AD). Courtesy Suitengu Shrine in Tokyo www.suitengu.or.jp

  The numerous Suiten-gu Shrines throughout Japan, moreover, believe that all manifestations of the Water Deity in Japan stem from one central, eternal, universal, and imminent water divinity named Ame no Minakanushi no Oo Kami (天御中主大神 | あめのみなかぬしのおおかみ), supposedly the ancestor of all Japanese kami. There seems to be some confusion on this matter, however, as other resources provide different names for this "one" universal water deity. Other common names are Kuni no Kotachi no Kami (国之常立神  | くにのこたちのかみ | the heavenly manifestation) or Kuni no Kotachi no Mikoto (the earthly manifestation). These are apparently equivalent, referring to the same central, divine and universal deity of water.
  
  Even this fails to do justice to the many manifestations of the water deity in Japan. Below are some other common names and attributes of the Japanese water divinity.
  
  市杵嶋姫神　いちきしまひめのかみ。水の神様。弁天様と習合。
  闇淤加美神　くらおかみのかみ。水の神・龍神様。
  高淤加美神　たかおかみのかみ。水の神・龍神様。
  宗像の神　むなかたのかみ。海上交通の神様。水の神様
  罔象女神　みづはのめのかみ。水を司る神。雨乞いの神。
  www.bfortune.net/spirit/zinzya/kami/ (Japanese language).
  www.tatsu.ne.jp/i/kami/index.html (J)
  www.tatsu.ne.jp/i/kami/amenominaka.html (J)
  http://nihonsinwa.at.infoseek.co.jp/english/kojiki02.htm
  
  
• BUDDHISM
  Hindu = Varuna (Jp. = Suiten; Ch. = Shuisen; Tbt. = Chu-lha)
  Quote from "Buddhism: Flammerion Iconographic Guides."
  Varuna is the ancient Vedic god of the waters, the "Govenor of the West." According to the Laws of Manu (an important Hindu text), Varuna "ties the guilty with ropes." He is also called Nagapasa, the "magic rope of the Naga" (in Japanese known as Ryuuson, the Venerable Dragon; naga are serpentine creatures, including the snake and dragon). The Vajradhatu Mandala positions Varuna in the Southwest, assigns him a blue or grey-green color, and has him mounted on a nine-headed Dragon. He is represented in Japan, especially in painting, seated on a turtle or dragon in the midst of the waters (Editor's Note. I can't find any examples of this). Serpents emerge from his hair. His right hand is closed or holds a sword vertically, and his left hand holds a rope or a serpent. He sometimes stands on a turtle or a dragon, holding a rope in the hand, or seated and holding a lotus supporting a triple jewel. Some consider Varuna to be a healer and a protector against illness. The Buddhist deity Suiten is not the object of any particular worship in Japan. In Tibet, he is known only as one of the acolytes of Hevajra. Hevajra is only worshipped in Tibet, where he is a manifestation of Katen (or Angi). Varuna doesn't appear to have been well known or popular in Chinese Buddhism. For more on Suiten in the Japanese mandala, please see Dr. Gabi Greve's Gods of the Elements (E), the Mandala Explorer (J) or the Linkclub Site (J). For photos of the Buddhist Deva, including Suiten, please visit the 12 Deva Page (this site), or the Kyoto National Museum web site.
   
• HINDU
  VARUNA (Japanese = Suiten)
  One of the Dikpala. Varuna is god of the ocean.
  He holds a lasso and rides a Makara sea creature.
  Dikpala = God who guards one of the eight directions.
  Makara = Sea-monster with crocodile body & other fanciful parts.
  www.art-and-archaeology.com (Dikpala)
  www.art-and-archaeology.com (Makara, River Goddesses)
  www.skidmore.edu (Makara Photo)
   
• RELATED SHINTO GODDESSES
  Koyasu-sama (aka Konohana Sakkuya Hime), the Shinto Goddess of Mt. Fuji and easy childbirth (easy delivery), is revered throughout Japan at the many shrines dedicated to her (the Sengen Shrines; also read Asama). Funadama, the goddess of the ocean, is widely worshipped by Japanese fishermen, and her shrines are niches made in the masts of ships where many items are kept. She grants good catches! Kukurihime is the goddess who brought Izanami and Izanagi together after they argued. All three are worshipped together. Suiten, another goddess, often has shrines at lakes, ponds, springs and wells. She is sometimes said to take the form of fish or large, sometimes white, snakes. Women play a key role in her worship and a few large shrines (Suitengu in Tokyo, for example) are primarily focused on helping pregnant women deliver safely. < above paragraph adapted from thelema.net >
  
  EDITOR'S NOTE: The white snake is most often associated with the Buddhist deity BENZAITEN, who is also worshipped as a water kami in Japan. I think people sometimes confuse Benzaiten with Suiten, as Benzaiten is closely associated with water and serpents. But, at the same time, it is not uncommon for Shinto deities and Buddhist deities to share similar attributes. The goddess of Suitengu Shrine in Tokyo appears to share many of the same attributes as the Buddhist goddess Benzaiten and the Shinto goddess Koyasu-sama. The latter is generally considered the Shinto "Goddess of Easy Delivery." Her Buddhist equivalents are Koyasu Kannon and Koyasu Jizo. For more details on the Koyasu deities, please click here.
  
  Benzaiten (Buddhist). Nearly all Benzaiten shrines and temples in Japan are located near a river, lake, pond, or ocean. They almost all have a water well, in which it is said lives a snake, the servant of Benzaiten. Some Suiten-gu shrines actually worship Benzaiten as the earthly manifestation of Mizu no Kamisama.
  
  Jibo Kannon | 慈母観音 | Lit. "Loving Mother"
  Yet another syncretic merging of Shinto elements with Buddhism, and worshipped mostly by the various Suiten-gu Shrines. The Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) appears in numerous manifestations, and the two most related to the Shinto Water Goddess are Koyasu Kannon and Jibo Kannon. The latter two are patron saints of motherhood and easy delivery, although Jibo Kannon is especially associated with child-rearing.
  
  Jibo Kannon in Kawahigashi Town, Aizumura
  Photo by www.virtualtourist.com/vt/58c/4/
  This "Jibo Kannon" statue is 57 meters in height, and visitors can go inside the statue. There is also a 14-meter reclining statue of Buddha and an enormous Japanese garden at this site. 

FESTIVALS IN HONOR OF SUIJIN IN JAPAN
Below list is not comprehensive. This is only a sampling.

• Suijin Matsuri, December 1st and June 15th
  On these days in Japan, various locations hold the Suijin Matsuri, a Shinto celebration and ceremony to honor the Kami of Water.
   
• Kamakura Matsuri, Akita Prefecture
  Around February 15 - 17 each year.
  Igloos (called "kamakura") are built with a small alcove inside dedicated to Suijin, who is honored during this festival to ensure good crops in the coming year. This festival has a history of over 400 years. See a few more photos here (Japanese-language site; photo shown here courtesy of same site).
  
  
• Toshigoi 祈年祭 Spring Festival
  Held at various Shinto shrines in early spring to honor Kuni no Kotachi no Kami and pray for an abundant rice harvest.
   
• Suijin-sai, April 3, Funabashi Fishing Harbor (Chiba)
  www.city.funabashi.chiba.jp/koho/eng/sankan/kyoge.htm
  A festival to pray for a good fishing haul and safety at sea. All fishing boats from the area gather in the harbor with their flags streaming in the wind, and a "Kagura" ritual (sacred Shinto music and dance), dedicated to the god of the sea, is performed onboard the vessels. An important ritual since the Edo Period, the festival is called Funa-sai for short.
   
• Suitengu Spring Festival, Kurume City (Fukuoka), May 3 - 5
  This annual festival, held at the Suiten-gu Shrine in Kurume City, is reportedly over 800 years old. Participants pray for safe and easy child birth, for protection from drowning, and to ask for the safety and health of children. This festival is also held at other Suiten-gu sites in Japan on May 5th. Another major festival in Kurume City is the Water Festival, which takes place from August 3 to 5.
   
• Okinohata Suitengu Festival, Yanagawa (Fukuoka), May 3 - 5
  Held on the canal by the shrine for three days and nights, with about 30,000 visitors. Many pray for their children to be protected from drowning. Click here for more on the festivals of Kyushu.
   
• Gion Festival, Around July 25, Near Tsukuba (Ibaraki)
  Anniversary feast of Suijin-gu Shrine of Tsuchiura City (Ibaraki). Water is splashed over the portable shrine.

SUIJIN SHRINES AND PLACES OF WORSHIP

• SUITENGU SHRINE IN KURUME, FUKUOKA 水天宮
  www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/edo/edo024.htm
  Suitengu Shrine in Kurume, Fukuoka, is the main shrine of all Suitengu shrines in Japan, particularly famous as the home of the deity of safe and easy childbirth. The shrine also holds the Anzan Kigan ritual -- literally "blessings for safe birth by expectant mothers." The Suitengu Shrine in Kurume is dedicated to the late emperor Antoku, his mother (Kenrei Monin) and his grandmother (Taira-no-nii-no-ama) who was a priestess. From the tragedy of the Dan-no-ura battle, the shrine is widely believed to be the god which protects ships and boats, prevents drowning, and eases childbirth. Kurume, in a southwestern part of Fukuoka, lies in the Chikushi Plain surrounded by the Minou mountain range, with Chikugo-gawa River running through the plain. There are many old temples and shrines dedicated to the God of Water and the God for Easy Birth. < Last two sentences quoted from The Japan National Tourist Organization >
   
• TSUKIJI SUIJIN SHRINE, TSUKIJI FISH MARKET, TOKYO
  http://metropolis.japantoday.com/tokyo/546/feature.asp
  Along the northeastern edge of the fish market stands a small Shinto shrine dedicated to Suijin-sama, the god of water, who is the patron deity of this fish market and also is enshrined in many domestic kitchens as an essential household god.
   
• SUITENGU SHRINE 水天宮
  NIHOMBASHI, TOKYO
  www.suitengu.or.jp (Japanese)
  In 1818, a branch of the original Suiten-gu Shrine in Kurume City, Fukuoka, was built in Edo (present day Tokyo), but it was moved to its present location in Nihombashi around 1872. This shrine embodies the Water Deity who brings smooth delivery of babies, protects children, and protects against drowning (安産・子授ける). Like other Suiten-gu Shrines, it holds it annual spring festival on May 5th, which is its busiest day of the year. Benzaiten (the Buddhist goddess of fortune), is honored here as well. She is one of Japan's Seven Deities of Good Fortune. This shrine is also one of the sites on a local pilgrimage to the seven.
  
  Another attraction of this shrine is its "Dog Deity," said to grant easy child delivery to those who touch it. Some say it embodies Oinari-sama, the god of rice and agriculture, whose messenger is the fox. For much more on the lore surrounding this statue, please visit the Yomiuri Shimbun page devoted to this topic.  For the association with Oinari-sama, and also the source of above photo of woman touching the statue, please visit the Kenyon College site.