![]() (Read: What is the Kojiki (and its Difference from Nihongi)Īccording to the mythologies contained in the Kojiki and the Nihongi, Amaterasu is the Sun Goddess who was born from the left eye socket of a male creator kami named Izanagi.Īmong the original kamiare Izanagi and his female companion Izanami. Stories about her (and other prominent gods and goddesses) are chronicled in the Kojiki and the Nihongi. These are revered for their bravery, commitment and service – many of the most prominent Shinto shrines in Japan are devoted to the worship of the kami of the war dead.Īmaterasu is arguably the most popular of the Shinto gods or kami. (3) souls of the auspicious dead – especially soldiers and other war dead. This is especially true of families with aristocratic lineages (rulers, emperors, etc.), whose ancestors will be honored by the general population, not just the blood relatives. (2) family ancestors – deceased ancestors whose essence lives on in the family as a revered and honored presence. the essence of certain weather events, natural rock or landscape formations, bodies of water, forests, etc. (1) abstract powers associated with nature – i.e. There are basically three types of kami (“Shinto Gods,” n.d.): Shintoism holds that many things in the world possess a sort of spirit or an ultimate sense about them, as if they are connected to or reflective of ‘the ultimate’ or ‘the divine.’ This sense, essence, spirit, or soul is what is called the kami. In general, these kami are animist and nature spirits. Shinto means “way of the gods.” And Shinto gods and goddesses are referred to as ‘kami.’ Shinto tradition says that there are eight million kami in Japan. Based on ancient usage, whatsoever seemed extraordinarily impressive, possessed the quality of excellence, or inspired a feeling of awe was called kami. Hence, all-human beings, birds, animals, trees, plants, mountains, oceans-may be kami in principle. One of the most distinguished Japanese scholars of Shinto, Motoori Norinaga (1730-1801), described kami as “any being whatsoever which possesses some eminent quality out of the ordinary, and is awe-inspiring” (“Kami,” n.d.). Although ‘god’ or ‘deity’ is a common interpretation of kami, some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term. Kami are not much like the gods of other faiths. Extraordinary leaders like the king are traditionally deemed as kami. Upon their death, one’s ancestors can become kami if they were able to exemplify in life the virtues and values of kami. Shintoism explains that this is because humans are simply incompetent to form a true understanding of the nature of kami. (Read: Taoism vs Shintoism: Similarities and Uniqueness). Like the ‘Tao’ in Taoism, the concept of ‘kami’ is actually hard to explain. While the word kami is translated in multiple ways into English, it is said that no one English word expresses its full meaning. Moreover, kami is also applied directly to the things themselves, so the kami of a hill or a waterfall may be the actual hill or waterfall, rather than the spirit of the hill or waterfall. Kami is sometimes applied to spirits that live in things. ![]() There are references that state that the best English translation of kami is ‘spirits,’ though this is also an over-simplification of a complex concept, as kami can be elements of the landscape or forces of nature. The term has been used to describe mind, God, supreme being, one of the Shinto deities, an image, a principle, and anything that is worshipped. ‘Kami’ is a Japanese term that pertains to a divine being, god, deity, divinity, spirit, or an aspect of spirituality. Shinto holds that kami can influence the course of natural forces and human events. ![]() The kami are worshiped because they are believed to be close to human beings and to respond to human prayers. The religion Shintoism is based on belief in, and worship of, ‘kami.’ So, what is kami in Shintoism?
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