Raijin & Fujin
Raijin, drum-beating thunder god, and Fujin, bag-bearing wind god, ride stormclouds over Japan. Fearsome yet protective, they clear skies for harvests, guard temple gates, and unleash tempests when angered.
Story beats
- 1) Raijin rattles taiko drums to make thunder; Fujin opens his wind bag to sweep the land.
- 2) Legends say they helped Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu by clearing clouds after she left her cave.
- 3) Temple statues show them as fearsome guardians at gates, warding off evil with storm power.
- 4) Farmers both fear lightning strikes and pray to Raijin for rain, Fujin for favorable winds.
Context & symbolism
Raijin and Fujin embody the dual nature of storms—destructive and life-giving. Their muscular, demon-like forms underscore power domesticated by faith: storms can be invited or appeased through ritual.
Iconography in Zen temples frames them as protectors of the Dharma, converting raw elements into guardianship.
Motifs
- Taiko drum ring of lightning
- Billowing wind bag
- Demon-like guardian stance
- Storms clearing clouds for light
Use it in play
- Bargain with the storm brothers to reroute a typhoon from a port.
- Recover stolen drums or wind bag that unbalance weather.
- Temple defense where statues of Raijin and Fujin animate to fight invaders.
- Ride the wind bag’s slipstream to cross mountains in a single stormy dash.