神 (kami) “god”/“divine Spirit”

神 (kami) “god”/“divine spirit”

Often translated as “god”, a Japanese kami is closer to the concept of a spirit. 

They are (mostly) not considered to be omniscient nor omnipotent, but rather they influence the human world within a certain capacity.

They are believed to be manifestations of musubi, the interconnecting energy of the universe.

It is often said that in Japan there are 8 million kami. Some of the more well known are Amaterasu-o-mi-kami the sun goddess, Inari the rice god/dess (their gender depends on their aspect), and Ebisu the god of wealth and commerce.

In the Ghibli movie “Spirited Away”, the main character Chihiro finds herself working in a bathhouse for some of these kami.

(Fact for language geeks: The original Japanese title of the Ghibli movie “Spirited Away” uses the word 神隠し kamikakushi - literally “hidden by kami”.)

Whether or not most people actually believe in kami is unclear, but it seems that many people believe in luck and unseen forces. Certainly the shrines are crowded at New Years time, and also at the start of the new financial year when many business people queue to pray to Ebisu.