What is Kami in Shintoism (and the Importance of Worshiping these)

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The religion Shintoism is based on belief in, and worship of, ‘kami.’ So, what is kami in Shintoism?

The kami are worshiped because they are believed to be close to human beings and to respond to human prayers. Shinto holds that kami can influence the course of natural forces and human events.

‘Kami’ is a Japanese term that pertains to a divine being, god, deity, divinity, spirit, or an aspect of spirituality. 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.

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.

Kami is sometimes applied to spirits that live in things. 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.

While the word kami is translated in multiple ways into English, it is said that no one English word expresses its full meaning. Like the ‘Tao’ in Taoism, the concept of ‘kami’ is actually hard to explain. (Read: Taoism vs Shintoism: Similarities and Uniqueness).

Shintoism explains that this is because humans are simply incompetent to form a true understanding of the nature of kami.

Upon their death, one’s ancestors can become kami if they were able to exemplify in life the virtues and values of kami. Extraordinary leaders like the king are traditionally deemed as kami.

Kami are not much like the gods of other faiths. 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.

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.).

Hence, all—human beings, birds, animals, trees, plants, mountains, oceans—may be kami in principle. Based on ancient usage, whatsoever seemed extraordinarily impressive, possessed the quality of excellence, or inspired a feeling of awe was called kami. Shinto tradition says that there are eight million kami in Japan.

Shinto ‘gods’: The ‘kami’

Shinto means “way of the gods.” And Shinto gods and goddesses are referred to as ‘kami.’

In general, these kami are animist and nature spirits. 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.

There are basically three types of kami (“Shinto Gods,” n.d.):

(1) abstract powers associated with nature – i.e. the essence of certain weather events, natural rock or landscape formations, bodies of water, forests, etc.

(2) family ancestors – deceased ancestors whose essence lives on in the family as a revered and honored presence. 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.

(3) souls of the auspicious dead – especially soldiers and other war dead. 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.

Amaterasu is arguably the most popular of the Shinto gods or kami. Stories about her (and other prominent gods and goddesses) are chronicled in the Kojiki and the Nihongi. (Read: What is the Kojiki (and its Difference from Nihongi)

According 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.

Among the original kamiare Izanagi and his female companion Izanami. In union they joined together to create the whole cosmos, particularly the Japan islands. Izinami passed away giving birth to the fire kami. Izinagi undertook a purification ritual after his mate’s death; during that ritual, Amaterasu was born from his eye socket.

Amaterasu, of all Shinto gods, is most identified with Japan itself, which is known as the ‘Land of the Rising Sun.’ Amaterasu’s image, the sun, appears on the Japanese national flag.

Shinto mythologies depict Amaterasu as the divine ancestor of the Emperor of Japan’s lineage. These myths state that Amaterasu sent from heaven her grandson, Ninigi to rule Japan. Ninigi’s great grandson, Jimmu, is a quasi-historical figure who is depicted in the tradition of Shintoism as the first emperor of Japan in the 7th century C.E.

In Shintoism thus, Amaterasu is both a nature kami and a highly auspicious ancestor kami. The site of her veneration is the Ise Shrine in Japan.

The Importance of Worshiping Gods (Kami)

Even though kami are an ever-changing concept, their presence in Japanese life has remained constant as they are the central objects of worship for the Shinto faith. In the context of Japanese people or Shinto followers worshiping gods, the term gods specifically refer to the kami.

In Shintoism, as an animistic religion, kami are seen as simply the divine forces of nature. Worshippers in ancient Japan venerated creations of nature which displayed some beauty and power such as mountains, boulders, animals, trees, grasses, waterfalls, and even rice paddies. Ancient Shinto followers firmly believed the spirits or resident kami merited respect.

Shintoism finds it important to worship the kami also because of the assumed roles they play in the nature. The kami’s supposed primitive roles were as earth-based spirits, helping the early hunter-gatherer groups in their day-to-day lives, thus revered as gods of earth and sea.

Rituals, ceremonies, and worships are meant to entreat the kami to grow and protect the harvest. Certain special rituals also became a symbol of strength and power for the early Japanese emperors.

There also new sorts of kami, specially the ‘goryo-shin’ (the sacred spirit kami). These ‘goryo’ are the revengeful spirits of the dead whose lives were cut short. It is thus important to revere them as a way of calming them as they are believed to punish those who do not honor the kami.

As the necessities of the people have changed, so too have the domains and roles of the different kami. “Some examples of this are related to health, such as the kami of small pox whose role was expanded to include all contagious diseases, or the kami of boils and growths who has also come to preside over cancers and cancer treatments” (“Kami,” n.d.).

Thus, there are specific kami in Shinto to be worshipped for particular human needs, as they are designated saints to be revered in Catholicism for particular domain or endeavor.

Some families’ ancestors can also be worshipped as kami. In this sense, these kami are venerated not because of their godly powers, but because of a distinctive virtue or quality. These kami are celebrated regionally, and numerous miniature shrines (called ‘hokora’) have been founded in their honor.

Shinto followers believe that the kami can either grant blessings or curses to them. Shinto worship is thus intended to appease the evil kami (to stay on their good side) and also to delight the good kami.

For other free lectures like this (especially for students), visit Homepage: Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems

Also Check Out: The Worldview of Atheism by Jensen DG. Mañebog

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