Wisdom of Onmyoji (Yin-Yang Masters, Strategists for Samurai Lords) in Japan for a Better World

Abstract

Yin-yang master (Onmyoji) in Japan was something like Ambrose Merlyn of the west. They were initially bureaucrats to protect emperor and the country, using knowledge of calendar, Yin-yang, astrology and time about 1500 years ago. With the fall of emperors’ power, many of them served to samurai lords as military strategists with psychic power and martial arts. Their influence to management and organization in Japan has been great but their methods and tactics were not well documented to this date. This is because they were kept strictly within the family. There are only less than 10 top skilled Yin-yang master remaining in Japan now. Based on interviews with an existing Yin-yang master (Onmyoji), this paper discusses the characteristics of their wisdom and practices. Four characteristics emerged are: (1) conscious use of the collective unconscious, (2) avoiding labeling good and evil (not creating religion, not helping easily to the ones spelled), (3) familiarity to the IT and welcoming attitude to the digital transformation, (4) familiarity to nature such as trees and implications for the global environment. Their ancient teachings seem to become public, when we all need to understand the post pandemic world. This paper tries to address indigenous ways of knowing and non-Western logics.