Diwali And Beyond: The Fascinating Stories Connecting Japan, South Korea and the Festival of Lights
What if we told you that a Japanese goddess has roots in Hindu mythology and that an ancient Korean royal family traces its ancestry to a princess believed to have travelled from Ayodhya?
Diwali may be one of India’s most widely celebrated festivals, but the cultural stories connecting India with Japan and South Korea go back centuries. These connections are not necessarily about celebrating Diwali itself. Instead, they reveal how Indian traditions, religious ideas and legends travelled across Asia, becoming part of cultures far beyond the subcontinent.
And some of these stories are quite fascinating.
Japan: When Goddess Lakshmi travelled to Japan
One of the most interesting connections between India and Japan comes through Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess associated with wealth, prosperity and good fortune.
In Japan, a Buddhist goddess known as Kichijōten (also called Kisshōten) is associated with beauty, prosperity and good fortune. Her origins can be traced to Lakshmi, although her identity and representation evolved within Japanese Buddhist traditions.
The connection developed as Buddhism travelled from India through Central and East Asia into China and Japan. Over time, religious figures and ideas from India were adapted into local Buddhist traditions, acquiring new meanings and artistic representations.
The Nara National Museum in Japan documents this connection through a sculpture of Kichijōten dating to the 14th century. The museum identifies the goddess’s origins in Lakshmi, offering a fascinating example of how religious imagery changed as it moved between cultures.
In fact, the cultural exchange goes beyond mythology. One of the earliest documented Indian visitors to Japan was Bodhisena, an Indian Buddhist monk who travelled to Japan in the eighth century. He is particularly remembered for participating in the eye-opening ceremony of the Great Buddha at Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara in 752 CE.
According to the Embassy of India’s account of India-Japan cultural relations, Buddhism played an important role in shaping early cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Although Japan does not traditionally celebrate Diwali, Indian communities organise Diwali festivals in cities such as Tokyo. These gatherings bring together Indian food, music, dance, traditional clothing and the familiar glow of diyas.
South Korea: The princess who travelled from Ayodhya
If Japan has a connection through mythology, South Korea has a story that sounds straight out of a historical drama.
According to the Korean historical text Samguk Yusa, a princess from a distant kingdom called Ayuta travelled to Korea around 48 CE. In the popular Indian retelling, she is known as Princess Suriratna. She is believed to have married King Kim Suro, the founder of the ancient Gaya Kingdom, and became Queen Heo Hwang-ok.
Many people associate Ayuta with Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, India.
But here is where the story gets even more interesting. According to the legend, the princess travelled across the sea with an entourage and brought stones believed to protect her ship from dangerous waters. A stone pagoda near the royal couple’s tomb in Gimhae, South Korea, is traditionally associated with this journey.
The story remains important to several Korean families who traditionally trace their ancestry to King Kim Suro and Queen Heo Hwang-ok.
However, historians have not conclusively established that Ayuta was Ayodhya or that the queen was historically an Indian princess. The account appears in Samguk Yusa, a collection compiled in the 13th century, more than a thousand years after the events it describes.
As explained in The Indian Express’s examination of Queen Heo Hwang-ok’s Ayodhya connection, the story has several interpretations, and no known contemporary Indian historical record confirms the princess’s journey.
The account is therefore best understood as an enduring cultural legend rather than established historical fact. Nevertheless, it has become an important part of cultural exchanges between India and South Korea.
When Diwali brought India and Korea together
This ancient legend also has a modern chapter.
In November 2018, Kim Jung-sook, then First Lady of South Korea, visited Ayodhya as the chief guest for the Deepotsav celebrations and the groundbreaking ceremony for a new memorial dedicated to Queen Heo Hwang-ok.
Her visit highlighted the cultural relationship between the two countries and the continuing importance of the queen’s legend. The visit was also documented by the Government of India.
Ayodhya and Gimhae, the Korean city associated with the ancient Gaya Kingdom, established a sister-city relationship in 2000. A memorial dedicated to Queen Heo Hwang-ok in Ayodhya reflects how this centuries-old story continues to shape cultural connections today.
As reported by The Indian Express, the legend has also encouraged visits by South Koreans who regard Ayodhya as an important place in their ancestral traditions.
Today, Indian communities in South Korea organise Diwali celebrations featuring cultural performances, traditional food and community gatherings. These events introduce Korean audiences to India’s festival traditions.
While these modern celebrations do not establish a direct historical connection between Diwali and ancient Korea, they show how cultural traditions can bring communities together.
Beyond the festival of lights
From Goddess Lakshmi’s influence on Japanese Buddhist traditions to the legendary journey of a princess associated with Ayodhya, India’s connections with East Asia have many stories waiting to be explored.
Diwali itself may not be a traditional Japanese or Korean festival, but the ideas of prosperity, hope and renewal associated with many of its celebrations offer an interesting cultural bridge.
Diwali also carries different meanings across religious and regional traditions within India. Hindu, Jain, Sikh and other communities observe the festival in ways shaped by their own histories and customs. Its celebrations have also become part of the cultural lives of many people beyond religious observance.
Perhaps the most fascinating part is that cultural exchanges do not always travel through governments or trade agreements. Sometimes, they travel through stories, faith, art and generations of shared traditions.
Some of these connections are supported by historical records, while others have survived through legends that communities continue to preserve.
And that is what makes Diwali’s connections beyond India worth exploring.
