Keywords
Art History
Iconography
Lit. "Shinto image of a young prince." A generic term covering both images of a divine son of the main enshrined Shinto deity at a particular site, or of the deity as a child. These images symbolize vitality and fresh beauty as they are recreated yearly, and are celebrated in the first fruit of the year festivals miare matsuri 御生れ祭 at Shinto shrines. Particularly important are the images of dōji hachiman 童子八幡 and kasuga wakamiya 春日若宮.