Is there a Japanese equivalent to the three fates?

Question

I am not looking for an exact equivalent(i.e. Shinto god/goddess/gods/goddesses of fate), but if there is, by all means, please let us know.

I am looking more along the lines of, do/did those who practice Shintoism believe in set fate or destiny?

I am aware of the fact that Shintoism is practiced to this day, but everyone knows religion is prone to change.

So, maybe this version of the question is what I should be asking. Has the Shinto religion ever taught that destiny was/is set or preordained?

Answer 1

Not really. Although Shinto rituals involve giving thanks with the implication that giving thanks will bring good things in the future, fate as we generally define it is a novel idea in Japanese culture. There is a Shinto superstition that says if you ask "what if" questions they will come true, but it doesn't attribute this to fate deities.

Having said that, there is Daoist influence on Shinto (and other Japanese religions such as Shugendo), and in Daoism there are 60 fate deities, who all govern fate for specific years with 60 year intervals. The full list can be found here.