By Jérémy, Dai Yokai founder · @dai.yokai Published: November 2025 · Updated: May 2026
Key takeaways
- Raijin (雷神) is the god of thunder in Shinto. He is a kami, not a yokai
- He was born from the decomposing body of Izanami in the Yomi (Japanese underworld), according to the Kojiki (712 CE)
- 3 fingers per hand: past, present, future. Circle of taiko drums on his back
- He steals children's belly buttons (Japanese mothers still tell kids to cover their stomachs during storms)
- He forms an inseparable duo with Fujin (wind god). I created the masks as a pair because one does not work without the other
Who is Raijin?
Raijin (雷神, Rai = thunder, Jin = god) is the Shinto deity of lightning and thunder. He looks like an Oni: red skin, fangs, claws, fierce expression. But do not confuse them. The Oni is a yokai, a supernatural creature. Raijin is a kami, a deity worshipped at shrines. The difference: you pray to Raijin. You do not pray to an Oni.
His demonic appearance is not accidental. It tells the story of his birth.
Raijin mask by dai yokai How a corpse gives birth to a god The story comes from the Kojiki (古事記, "Record of Ancient Matters," 712 CE), the foundational text of Japanese mythology.
Izanagi and Izanami are the creator couple of Japan. Izanami dies giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the god of fire. Izanagi, mad with grief, descends into the Yomi (黄泉, the underworld) to bring her back. He finds her. But when he lights a torch to see her, he discovers her body decomposing, swarming with maggots and worms.
From that rotting body, eight thunder deities are born ( Yakusa no Ikazuchi no Kami ). Raijin is the most powerful among them.
That is why he looks like a demon. He was not born from light. He was born from death, decay, the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead. His thunder is the cry of that monstrous birth.
Izanagi flees the Yomi, pursued by demons. He seals the entrance with a massive boulder. The world of the dead and the world of the living are separated forever. Raijin's birth marks that separation.
Why 3 fingers, not 5?
Raijin has only three fingers per hand. This is not artistic shorthand. Each finger represents a dimension of time:
- Past: the thunder that has already struck
- Present: the lightning striking now
- Future: the thunder about to strike
The kami of thunder exists across all three simultaneously. That is what makes him impossible to escape.
His brother Fujin (wind god) has four fingers: the four cardinal directions, because wind blows everywhere. The two systems complement each other: time (Raijin) and space (Fujin) together cover all of reality.
The taiko drums and the belly button myth
Raijin's most recognizable attribute: a circle of taiko drums (太鼓) floating around him, connected by a rope. He strikes them to produce thunder. Each drumbeat = a roll of thunder.
Then there is the belly button story. In Japan, mothers still tell children: "Cover your belly during a storm, or Raijin will steal your belly button." It is a popular saying ( Kaminari-sama ni heso o torareru ). The practical origin: storms bring sudden cold, covering the stomach protects against chills. A parenting trick that became folklore.
But there is a deeper reading. The navel is the physical link between mother and child. Raijin, born from his mother Izanami's corpse, never had that link. He takes from the living what death denied him.
Fujin red mask by dai yokai Where to see Raijin in Japan Sanjūsangen-dō (三十三間堂), Kyoto. The temple with 1,001 Kannon statues also houses the most famous Raijin and Fujin sculptures. Carved by Kōben in the 13th century, they defined the standard image of both kami for the next 800 years.
Sensō-ji (浅草寺), Tokyo. The Kaminarimon gate (雷門, "Thunder Gate") is flanked by giant statues: Raijin on the right, Fujin on the left. The most photographed image in Tokyo.
Kennin-ji (建仁寺), Kyoto. The painted panels Fūjin Raijin-zu Byōbu by Tawaraya Sōtatsu (circa 1600) are considered the masterpiece of Japanese painting. National Treasure.
Raijin and Fujin: why a duo
My mask Raijin and Fujin They are inseparable in art, in temples, in legend. Thunder without wind is noise in a void. Wind without thunder is breath without force. Together, they are the complete storm.
I created my Raijin and Fujin masks as a pair for this reason. One does not work without the other. Raijin's red (raw energy, fire, fury) facing Fujin's green (movement, chaos, nature). In decor, placing them on either side of a door or piece of furniture recreates the Sanjūsangen-dō guardians in your living room.
Together, they are also the Kamikaze (神風, "divine winds"): the typhoons that destroyed the Mongol invasion fleet in 1274 and 1281, saving Japan. This is not myth: the typhoons genuinely annihilated Kublai Khan's ships. The Japanese saw it as direct intervention by Raijin and Fujin.
→ Raijin Mask → Fujin Mask → Full Fujin Guide
Raijin in irezumi tattoos
In irezumi, Raijin is a powerful motif representing raw force, protection, and elemental power.
Classic compositions: Raijin alone with his drums, full back ( senaka ). Raijin/Fujin symmetrical duo across both arms or flanks. Raijin + storm clouds + lightning in the background ( gakubori ).
His skin must be a warm, saturated red (not pink, not orange). The drums are often gold or wood-brown. The energy of the red Oni mask applies here: the fury is alive, not cold.
Is Raijin an Oni or a kami?
A kami. He physically resembles an Oni (fangs, claws, red skin), but he is a Shinto deity worshipped at shrines. You pray to Raijin for protection. You fear Oni.
Why does Raijin have only 3 fingers?
Each finger represents a dimension of time: past, present, future. Thunder exists across all three simultaneously. His brother Fujin has 4 fingers (the 4 cardinal directions). Together: time and space.
Why does Raijin steal belly buttons?
It is a Japanese folk saying. Practical origin: storms bring cold, covering the stomach prevents chills. Mythological reading: Raijin, born from his mother's corpse, never had an umbilical bond. He takes from the living what death denied him.
What does Kamikaze have to do with Raijin?
Kamikaze (神風, "divine winds") refers to the typhoons that destroyed the Mongol invasion fleet in 1274 and 1281. The Japanese attributed these storms to Raijin and Fujin. The term was later reused during World War II for suicide pilots.
Where are the best Raijin representations?
At Sanjūsangen-dō (Kyoto) for the 13th-century statues. At the Kaminarimon gate of Sensō-ji (Tokyo) for the giant statues. At Kennin-ji (Kyoto) for Tawaraya Sōtatsu's painted panels (circa 1600), a National Treasure.
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