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Kami is the Japanese word for a deity, divinity, or spirit. [4] It has been used to describe mind, God, Supreme Being, one of the Shinto deities, an effigy, a principle, and anything that is worshipped. [5] [6] Although deity is the common interpretation of kami, some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of ...
- Animistic Spirits
- Ancestral and Human Spirits
- The Confusing Concepts of Kami
Many other kami are more nebulous in existence. They are honored as aspects of nature, but not as individuals. Streams, mountains, and other locations all have their own kami, as do events such as rain and processes such as fertility. These are better described as animistic spirits.
Humans also each have their own kami that lives on after bodily death. Families commonly honor the kami of their ancestors. Family bonds are emphasized in Japanese culture and these ties do not end in death. Instead, the living and the dead are expected to continue looking after one another. In addition, larger communities may honor the kami of par...
The concept of kami can confuse and confound even followers of Shinto. It is a constant study that even some scholars in the tradition continue to try and understand fully. It's even been said that many Japanese today have associated kami with the Western concept of an all-powerful being. In the traditional study of kami, it is understood that ther...
- Catherine Beyer
- 👫 Izanagi and Izanami (伊邪那岐 / 伊邪那美) Respectively the primal god and goddess, Izanagi and Izanami represent the couple founder of Japan and are also twins.
- ☀️ Amaterasu (天照) The sun goddess Amaterasu was born from her father’s left eye when he was purifying in the river in Ise. One of her brothers is Tsukuyomi (or Tsukiyomi) born from Inazagi’s right eye and deemed god of the moon and the night.
- 🌪 Susanoo (素戔嗚) Amaterasu’s younger brother, Susanoo was born from his father Izanagi’s nose when he purified himself in the river in Ise. The god of storms and destructive nature, he is characterized by being easily angered while being sometimes able of positive acts.
- 🌾 Okuninushi (大国主) A descendant of Susanoo, Okuninushi is the tutelary kami of Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine. A benevolent and generous spirit, whose name means "ruler of the great land", he is notably worshiped as the god of agriculture and medicine.
Oct 12, 2015 · Kami are the spirits, gods and deities of Japan's Shinto religion. This is a wide concept that can be used to describe the spirits of deceased loved ones, gods of Japanese mythology, animal spirits and even the deities of other religions such as Buddha or Bodhisattvas.
Sep 28, 2024 · kami, object of worship in Shintō and other indigenous religions of Japan. The term kami is often translated as “god,” “lord,” or “deity,” but it also includes other forces of nature, both good and evil, which, because of their superiority or divinity, become objects of reverence and respect. The sun goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami and ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Sep 4, 2009 · To make understanding easier kami are often described as divine beings, as spirits or gods. But kami are not much like the gods of other faiths: Kami are not divine like the transcendent and ...
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Apr 4, 2017 · Definition. In the Shinto religion Kami is an all-embracing term which signifies gods, spirits, deified mortals, ancestors, natural phenomena, and supernatural powers. All of these kami can influence people's everyday lives and so they are worshipped, given offerings, solicited for aid and, in some cases, appealed to for their skills in divination.
