Kami

By Rachel Roth

A divine being in the Shinto Religion.

Kami can be elements of the landscape or forces of nature.

Kami are close to human beings and respond to human prayers. They can influence the course of natural forces, and human events.

What Are Kami?

Kami...

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

Not divine like the transcendent and omnipotent deities found in many religions.

They do not have unlimited power and are not able to do everything.

They are not perfect – sometimes they make mistakes and behave badly.

Kami are not inherently different in kind from human beings or nature - they are just a higher manifestation of the life energy... an extraordinary or awesome

version.

They don't exist in a supernatural universe - they live in the same world as human beings and the world of nature

Kami….

Amaterasu

Japanese Sun goddess is one of the greatest of the kami.

The kami of the Ise shrine, and the ancestor of the Imperial family.

Izanami - Izanagi

Izanagi- God of the SkyIzanami –Gossess of the EarthTogether they created Japan

They are represented here by these 2 rocks at Meoto-iwa, Futami Ise – Shima (Honshu)

Kami are not immortal - they are vulnerable to injury and can die

When kami die, they rot just like human beingsKami have feelings; they suffer just like human beingsDeath is a bad thing that disrupts the harmony of the

communityDeath and decay are the most potent forms of impurity

The spirits living in the land of the dead are malicious and lonely, and like to try to drag people from the land of the living

Human beings should keep away from anything to do with death

The kami have a duty, based on Izanagi's promise, to support birth and life in the world of the living (which, as far as this legend is concerned, means only Japan)

Life is more powerful than death

ShichifukujinHote-it he fat and happy god of abundance and good healthJurojin, god of long lifeFukurokuiu, god of happiness, wealth and longevityBishamonten god of warriorsBenzaiten, goddess of knowledge, art and beauty, especially musicDaikokuten, god of wealth, commerce and trade. Ebisu and Daikoku are often paired and represented as carvings or masks on the walls of small retail shopsEbisu, god of fishers or merchants.

Seven Lucky Gods of…

Happiness & Prosperity

Kami in Popular CultureGhost Hunt

Kamisama Hajimemashita

Ghost Hunt (Manga)

Matsuzaki-Sanhttp://www.mangahere.com/manga/ghost_hunt/v09/c002/23.html

Kamisama Hajimemashita

http://www.mangahere.com/manga/kamisama_hajimemashita/c001/12.html

Nanami MikageTomoeHimemikoKotarou

http://www.mangahere.com/manga/kamisama_hajimemashita/c005/8.html