kami

Kami is a central concept in Shinto, the traditional religion of Japan. The term denotes divine beings, spirits, or sacred forces that may inhabit natural phenomena, objects, places, or ancestral souls. Kami are not a single, fixed pantheon; they are numerous and can be benevolent, protective, mysterious, or feared. They may be associated with mountains, rivers, trees, rocks, weather, or with specific locales and families.

Shinto distinguishes different forms of kami, including those linked to the heavens and imperial myth cycles as well as local tutelary kami who guard villages or landscapes. Among the most well-known kami are Amaterasu, the sun goddess; Tsukuyomi, the moon deity; and Susanoo, the storm god, who appear in classical chronicles. Many kami originate in particular places and become central to local rituals and festivals.

Worship of kami occurs at Shinto shrines, or jinja, where offerings, prayers, and rites are performed. Ritual practices include purification (harae) and misogi, seasonal matsuri (festivals), and the display of sacred objects. Kami are honored through ceremonies, prayers, and sometimes household practices such as kamidana, a domestic shrine. The relationship between people and kami is often reciprocal and community-based rather than strictly hierarchical.

In Japanese, kami is written with the character 神, meaning "god" or "spirit"; the same reading appears in compounds, while the homonym 紙 means "paper." The concept also appears in modern culture and everyday language, reflecting its enduring role in Japanese spirituality and identity.