Interesting Facts!! #31

31. Deities and Gods

The Shintō pantheon of kami 神 (spirits) includes countless deities and innumerable supernatural creatures. The term KAMI can refer to gods, goddesses, ancestors, and all variety of spirits that inhabit the water, rocks, trees, grass, and other natural objects. These objects are not symbols of the spirits. Rather, they are the abodes in which the spirits reside. The Japanese believe this world is inhabited by these myriad kami -- spirits that can do either good or evil. These spirits are constantly increasing in number, as expressed in the Japanese phrase Yaoyorozu no Kami 八百万神 -- literally "the eight million kami." 

Kami are not necessarily benevolent. There are numerous Shintō spirits and demons that must be appeased to avoid calamity, but there is no absolute dichotomy between good and evil. All phenomena manifest "rough" and "gentle" characteristics. Kami are defined as anything that was "superlatively awe-inspiring," either noble or base, good or evil, rough or gentle, strong or weak, lofty or submerged. There is no definitive standard of good and evil, there is no moral code. Even the evil bloodsucking Kappa has some redeeming qualities -- i.e., when benevolent, the Kappa is a skilled teacher in the art of bone setting and other medical practices.


Unlike Buddhism, whose deities are generally genderless or male, the Shintō tradition has long revered the female element. The emperor of Japan, even today, claims direct decent from the Shintō Sun Goddess Amaterasu. To many Japanese, Shintō and Buddhist faith is primarily involved with petitions and prayers for business profits, the safety of the household, success on school entrance exams, painless child birth, and other concrete rewards now, in this life. Shintō deities are called KAMI 神, SHIN 神, JIN 神, SAMA 様, TENJIN 天神, GONGEN 権現, and MYŌJIN 明神 to distinguish them from their Buddhist counterparts.


Amaterasu Ōmikami 天照大神, the Sun Goddess. Japan’s imperial family claims direct decent from her line. The  nation’s flag symbolizes the sun, and the name of the country (Nihon 日本) translates as “Land of the Rising Sun.” Shrines associated with the imperial family are called Jingū -- the most prestigious is called Ise Jingū (Mie Prefecture) and it is dedicated to Amaterasu. Ise Jingū is reportedly pulled down every 20 years and rebuilt in its original form. Japan’s numeous Shintō kami appear in Japan’s oldest extant document, the Kojiki 古事記 (Records of Ancient Matters; 712 AD), and also in the Nihongi 日本紀 (Chronicles of Japan; 797 AD).

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Shintō asserts that all people are endowed with a soul or spirit (tama 霊, reikon 霊魂), and upon death, these souls may or may not find peace. Those who die happily among their family become revered ancestors. Ancestral spirits thereafter protect the family, and every summer they are welcomed back to the family home during Japan’s Obon お盆 festival (This is kinda like the Spanish Holiday "El Dia de Los Muertos" or "Day of the Dead") Those who die unhappily, or violently, or without a family to care for their departed spirit, or without the correct funeral and post-funeral rites, become ghosts who wander about causing trouble; they are typically called yūrei 幽霊 (tormented ghosts), and they must be appeased. 


Many shrines are guarded by a pair of magical lion-dogs known as the Koma-inu 狛犬 or Shishi 獅子. The pair stand watch outside the Shintō compound to ward off evil spirits. Inari shrines, however, are guarded by two foxes. There are numerous magical creatures in the Shintō pantheon. For example, the Fox, the Tanuki, and the powerful birdman Tengu are well-known Shintō tricksters. Collectively they are called Henge, or shape-shifters, for they can transform into human or inanimate shapes to trick humans. Over the centuries, they have taken on both Shintō and Buddhist attributes. There are hundreds of legends and stories about human encounters with these magical creatures, who can do both good or evil.  Other well-known animal kami are the Kappa(evil blood-sucking river imp) and Dragon (type of serpent).


Sai no Kami or Dorokujin in some areas. These deities reside in stone markers found at village boundaries, in mountain passes, and along country byways. In urban areas today, dōsojin stone markers are often placed at street corners and near bridges to protect pedestrians. As the deity of the village border, the dōsojin wards off evil spirits and catastrophes, and protects the village from evil outside influences. As deity of the road, the dōsojin protects travelers, pilgrims, and those in "transitional" stages.

神風 | かみかぜ | KamikazeLiterally “divine wind” or “wind from the gods” that blew the invading Mongolian fleet off course, saving Japan from invasion in the 13th century. Also the name of the suicide bombers of Japan’s imperial armed forces during World War II.


Suijin 水神 or Water Kami, these creatures of Shinto mythology are found near irrigation waterways, in lakes, ponds, springs and wells. They can be depicted as a serpent, an eel, a fish, or a kappa. Another widely known Suijin is the dragon (called 竜神 Ryuujin in Japanese); the dragon is also closely associated with Buddhism, and is considered the most powerful of the serpents.  

-The more you know~