#Japanese kami shinto series#

The sun goddess Amaterasu mikami and other creator spirits, illustrious. 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. Local farmers predicted the success of the coming year's crops by the brightness of these fires. kami, plural kami, object of worship in Shint and other indigenous religions of Japan. These foxes were believed to carry torches in their mouths creating kitsune-bi, or fox fires. During the Edo period, it was thought that on New Year's Eve, foxes from all regions gathered under the Nettle Tree at Ōji. Foxes (Japanese: kitsune) feature prominently in folklore, both as benign supernatural beings and as wicked, harmful creatures who bewitch and possess people – a belief originating in Chinese folklore. The deity’s presence is suggested by stone sculptures of foxes, considered Inari’s messengers and protectors of the rice harvest since they catch the mice who eat the rice. Inari, the kami of the harvest, is rarely depicted in human form.

#Japanese kami shinto series#

118 from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo by Utagawa Hiroshige, 1857 New Year's Eve Foxfires at Nettle Tree, Ōji, No. In English they can be referred to as gods or deities – for example, Inari is the god of the rice harvest (with a fox messenger), while Tenjin is the god of scholarship and academic success. They have occasionally been given human form in sculptures and paintings, but their presence is usually suggested by images of their animal messengers. Some kami are mentioned in Japan’s oldest written texts, and for centuries many have been worshipped in shrines (Japanese: jingū, jinja). Such a destructive force as fire in a culture where buildings were typically made of wood and paper resulted in Kagutsuchi. The son of Izanami and Izanagi, the fire god is the father of eight warrior gods and eight mountain gods, amongst others.

Respecting the kami by offering them food and drink and holding festivals in their honor ensures their support, while dishonor and neglect can invite calamity. Kagutsuchi (aka Hi-no-Kagutsuchi) is the Shinto god or kami of fire and is also known as Homusubi. Kami are believed to control nature – providing protection, fine weather and bountiful harvests or storms, earthquakes and floods – depending on how they are treated. They can also be the spirits of historic personages who have been granted this status. Kami are spiritual beings believed to inhabit particular places and elements of nature, such as the sea, mountains, waterfalls or trees.