Wednesday 17 October 2012

Shinto Kami

I have researched into the most notable Kami of the Shinto faith. I have found ten, I would like to get them down to five, to produce five illustrations for posters and then applied to other promotional material. I will base this decision on both the relevance and the images I gather for each spiritual being.

Amaterasu Omikami 天照大神
Amaterasu is the goddess of the sun and also the universe and the Japanese emperor is said to be a direct descendant. Sister of Susanoo, god of storms and Tsukuyomi, god of the moon. Amaterasu is portrayed as a white wolf with red markings in the game 'Okami', although I have found that this a more recent development, and not true to the traditional belief.


Hachiman 八幡神
The god of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism. The divine protector of Japan and the Japanese people. His symbolic animal and messenger is the dove.



Inari Okami 稲荷大神
Fertility, rice, agriculture, foxes, industry and worldly success. Sometimes represented as three or five individual Kami. Seen as male, female or androgynous, Inari's foxes or kitsune are pure white and act as his/her messengers.

Izanagi-no-mikoto/ Izanami-no-mikoto
The first man/ woman.

Kotoamatsukami 別天津神
The first Kami to come into being, consisting of three gods. Amenominakanushi 天御中主 (Central master), Takamimusubi (High creation), Kamimusubi (Divine creation).

Amenominakanushi

Omoikane 思兼 or 思金
A deity of wisdom or good council.

Suratahiko Okami 猿田毘古大神
Kami of earth.

Susanoo-no-mikoto 建速須佐之男命
God of seas and storms and brother to Amaterasu.

Tsukuyomi 月読
God of the moon, and other brother to Amaterasu. 

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