in Japan in the ninth century as a result of the conquest of its traditional ally Paekche in 660, piracy, epidemics brought from the peninsula and other factors, it later grew due to the Mongol invasions, which utilized the Korean navy, as the Koryŏ dynasty, while it did not initiate the conflict, was among their vassals. Due to fear inspired by it, a need to redefine Shinra Myōjin as a deity acting on behalf of Japan emerged. Character Shinra Myōjin is associated with the Jimon branch of Tendai. Historically he effectively functioned as a symbol of its institutions, in addition to being its paramount deity. He is regarded as a gohōjin, “protector of Buddhist dharma”. Such figures function as protectors of Buddhist temples and teachings. He cannot be easily classified as a member of one of the two categories resulting from the distinction between kami and Buddhist figures made within honji suijaku. On occasion he was described as a Daoist immortal (神仙, shinsen). In modern scholarship, he is considered one of the examples of so-called “eccentric gods” (異神, ishin), deities associated with medieval form of Japanese esoteric Buddhism. In engi stories, Shinra Myōjin's primary role is that of a protector of people partaking in sea journeys. Christine Guth suggests that his role as a protective deity of sailors might reflect his original character. However, despite being a protector of sea routes, he is chiefly worshiped inland. With time, he developed into a mountain god as well. He is the protective deity of Mount Nagara (長等), located close to Onjō-ji. He is considered the surrounding area's genius loci, a so-called “landlord deity” (地主; jinushi). These two roles are closely connected: it has been noted that a close functional connection between sea and mountain deities is well attested through Japanese history, and prayers made to mountain deities to guarantee safe passage through the sea are well documented in Tendai tradition. In the eleventh century, Shinra Myōjin developed the role of a deity of waka poetry in the Jimon tradition. In this capacity, he was known as the “Poetic Immortal of Mii-dera” (三井の歌仙, Mii no Kasen). This development reflected a broader pattern of incorporating waka into esoteric Buddhism due to its growing role in courtly life. The poems were understood in this context as a Japanese counterpart of dharani. Jimon monks believed that Shinra Myōjin could bestow inspiration upon them, and some of