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Lately, I can't help but notice that a lot of the names of characters and
techniques used in Naruto seem to be derived from folklore and/or based on
gods and the likes. Some samples would be:

  * Izanagi - a deity born of the seven divine generations in Japanese mythology and Shinto
  * Jiraiya - originally known as Ogata Shuma Hiroyuki, is the title character of the Japanese folk tale Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari

So, why are so many of the names used in Naruto derived from such things? And
is this only common in Naruto, or does it happen in other series as well?


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2014-04-03T16:10:21.140
8449
2017-07-19T11:01:37.957
2017-07-19T11:01:37.957
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question
naruto culture
Why are so many names based on folklore and such


Kishimoto is just a fan of Japanese culture and mythology. He's used loads of
references, from Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Susano'o, to Izanami, Izanagi and
Kotoamatsukami, to the trio of Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru, to the Sword
of Totsuka and the Mirror of Yata, among many others.

Many other mangaka have inspirations as well, not necessarily from Japanese
culture, but from various other sources. A good example is One Piece, with
many references. An example would be Usopp - taken from the Japanese word for
lie (uso), Aesop (whose fable about the Boy who cried Wolf is the exact
situation he's in when he's first introduced), and Pincocchio, as Usopp has a
very long nose, like Pinocchio's, which grows longer whenever he tells a lie.


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2014-04-04T06:00:47.813
8462
2014-04-04T06:00:47.813
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answer