Kami
Deities神 ・ Reading: kami
Definition
The deities of Shinto: the spirits enshrined at every shrine, from the sun goddess Amaterasu to the guardian of a single neighborhood. Kami are powers of nature, honored ancestors, and remarkable people, venerated with offerings, festivals, and prayer.
What counts as a kami
Shinto speaks of yaoyorozu no kami, "eight million kami", a poetic way of saying they are beyond counting. Anything that inspires awe can be revered as kami: the sun, mountains, waterfalls, and ancient trees; the mythic deities of the chronicles like Amaterasu and Susanoo; ancestors and clan guardians (ujigami); and historical people enshrined after death, such as the scholar Sugawara no Michizane, worshipped as Tenjin, the kami of learning. A kami is not an all-powerful creator but a presence within the world, honored where it dwells.
How kami are worshipped
At a shrine the kami usually resides in the honden, embodied in a sacred object such as a mirror that is never displayed. Worshippers offer coins, bow, clap, and pray; priests present food offerings and recite prayers; and once a year the community welcomes its kami into the streets during the matsuri. For a thousand years kami were also worshipped alongside buddhas, and many kami are still felt to protect the Buddhist temples that stand near their shrines.
Common questions
- How many kami are there?
Countless. The traditional phrase yaoyorozu no kami, eight million kami, expresses that any awe-inspiring presence, from a mountain to an ancestor, can be revered as a deity.
- Can people become kami?
Yes. Notable people have been enshrined after death, such as Sugawara no Michizane as Tenjin, the kami of scholarship, and Tokugawa Ieyasu at Nikkō Tōshō-gū.
- Are kami the same as gods in Western religions?
Not quite. Kami are not omnipotent creators but powers present in nature, ancestors, and places. They are honored locally with offerings and festivals rather than through fixed doctrine.
Related articles
- A Guide to Shrines and TemplesSpot the difference between Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples with tips on torii, statues, prayer etiquette, and Japan’s blended spirituality.
- Goshuin: Collecting Japan's Temple and Shrine StampsWhat goshuin (御朱印) are, what they cost, how to ask for one politely, and where to start collecting Japan's hand-brushed temple and shrine stamps.
- How to Visit a Shinto ShrineMaster Shinto shrine etiquette: torii bow, temizuya cleansing, walk aside, offer coin, ring bell, 2 bows 2 claps 1 bow, avoid faux pas.