Drifting God - Hyochakushin

Japanese: 漂着神 - ひょうちゃくしん

This is a belief in which driftwood (yorimono) washed ashore by the tides or wind is worshipped as a god, and is also called yorigami. This belief is based on the idea that yorimono are gifts from gods beyond the sea, or that they are the gods themselves, and in many places there is a custom of talking to them or measuring their dimensions when picking them up. Many of the things that have been worshipped as driftwood gods are things that are washed ashore on a daily basis, such as driftwood, boats, sake barrels, pearl seaweed, wakame seaweed, whales, octopuses, and swans. Ebisu, who is worshipped in fishing villages as the god of large catches, also has a strong element of being a driftwood god.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

潮流や風によって浜に流れ着く漂着物(寄物)を神としてまつる信仰で，寄神ともいう。この信仰の基盤には，寄物は海のかなたのカミからの贈物あるいはカミそのものとする考えがあり，これを拾う際に，話しかけたり，寸法をはかったりするしきたりが各地でみられた。漂着神としてまつられてきたものには，流木や舟をはじめ，酒樽，玉藻，ワカメ，鯨，タコ，白鳥など，日ごろ海辺に打ち上げられるものが多い。漁村で大漁の神としてまつられるえびすもまた，漂着神的要素を強くもっている。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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