_.

The Complete Guide to Shinto, Kami, and the Yokai

Written by Lord Abe No Seimei and WizardofTruth
 “The heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there
your own form.”
- Traditional Shinto Maxim.

Introduction

Shinto is the religion culturally and geographically tied to Japan. Its practice of acknowledging
Kami (spirits) dates to at least 100 BCE, which coincides with Japan’s founding as a state.

Shinto practices are animistic, meaning they recognize that Kami reside in living and non-living things,
and they are shamanistic, meaning that Shinto adherents are able to utilize the Kami nature of things in
controllable and useful ways. Typically, Shinto is used to purify people, places, and things of spiritual
pollution. Shinto ceremonies themselves are often exceedingly formal by the standards of many
religions; however, this formality is an entirely pleasurable experience within the context of Japanese
culture.

Customs and Beliefs

Kami are typically petitioned for worldly favors such as reward for good performance in school
or work, protection on trips, or for success toward a building’s purpose at it’s dedication. Before Kami
are consulted, the associated people, objects, and places are ritualistically made clean through a process
called O Harae. O Harae is performed with the help of a Shinto Priest, who directs various ritauls
involving washing with water, the sprinkling of salt, or the shaking of Onusa, wooden wands with
paper streamers attached.

Kami are seperated from the human world symbolically by a torii (gate), which traditionally is made
form two horizontal supports born by two verticall supports, all painted red. Torii can be large works of
architecture or small enough to sit on a desktop; all sizes are religiously significant. They usaully mark
the entrance to Shinto Shrines, but the use of natural enviroment to complement the human nature of
proper protocol characterizes the shrine experience as a whole.

Shinto puts emphasis on successful living, and has little to say about an afterlife. Yomi,the land of the
dead, is taught as the likely destination of all deceased. It is described as a gloomy, boring, resting place
for spirits.

Cosmology

Shinto acknowleges a pantheon of specific personailites in addition to other, less differentiated kami.
Amaterasu, the sun goddess, has a tie to the lineage of the Imperial Household of Japan, as well as a
connection to the Imperial Regalia of Japan. These The Sacred Treasures; a sword, a jewel, and a
mirror, have recorded history dating them as over one- thousand years old and are material objects
representative of Japan’s status as a spiritual protectorate under Kami.
 General Outlook

Nobody founded Shintoism. All gods and goddesses in Shinto are known as “kami.” They are sacred
beings who represent important things in life such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers, and fertility.
Humans also become kami when they die and are revered as ancestral kami. Important people are
sometimes enshrined at Shinto Shrines such as Shintoisms most important kami, Amaterasu, the sun
goddess.

In Shintoism there are no absolute gods or goddesses. Also there is no ultimate right or wrong. Nobody
is perfect. In Shintoism to be good or evil is caused by ancenstral kami. If the kami is good, they will
influence your actions. However, if the kami is evil, they will influence you to do evil and subsequently
make a good person, turn evil. If evil is present, Shinto Priests are to perform Rituals of Purification to
keep evil kami or yokai out. Prayers and offerings to the kami for assistance can also influence the
situation.

Shinto Shrines are places of worship and homes of the kami. Most shrines celebrate festivals in order to
show the outside world the kami. Only Shinto Priests can perform Shinto Rituals. Ten Shinto Priests
live in one shrine. They are often aided by younger women known as Miko. They assist during rituals
and perform small tasks for the priests. Miko must be unmarried and are most often a daughter of one
of the ten priests. (From Shinto Basics, written by Cloud_tricker)

Kami

AMATERASU- The kami of the sun and sister to Susanoo

BENTEN- Kami of music and the arts

EBISU- Kami who brings prosperity

HACHIMAN-Kami of archery and war

IZANAMI IZANAGI- Twin kami who started Japan

KONPIRA- Kami of the sea

SUSANOO- Kami of wind and storms

TENJIN- Kami of education. Originally known as the Japanese Scholar Sugawara no Michizane.
 Yokai

Oni-TRANSLATION: ogre, demon

HABITAT: Hell; remote mountains, caves, islands, abandoned fortresses
DIET: omnivorous; especially livestock, humans, and alcohol
APPEARANCE: Oni are one the greatest icons of Japanese folklore. They are large and scary, standing
taller than the tallest man, and sometimes many times that. They come in many varieties, but are most
commonly depicted with red or blue skin, wild hair, two or more horns, and fang-like tusks. Other
variations exist in different colors and with different numbers of horns, eyes, or fingers and toes. They
wear loincloths made of the pelts of great beasts. All oni possess extreme strength and constitution, and
many of them are also accomplished sorcerers. They are ferocious demons, bringers of disaster,
spreaders of disease, and punishers of the damned in Hell.
BEHAVIOR: Oni are born when truly wicked humans die and end up in one of the many Buddhist Hells,
transformed into Oni. They become the ogreish and brutal servants of Great Lord Enma, ruler of Hell,
wielding iron clubs with which they crush and destroy humans solely for enjoyment. An oni’s job is to
mete out horrible punishments such as peeling off skin, crushing bones, and other torments too horrible
to describe to those who were wicked (but not quite wicked enough to be reborn as demons
themselves). Hell is full of oni, and they make up the armies of the great generals of the underworld.
Occasionally, when a human is so utterly wicked that his soul is beyond any redemption, he transforms
into an oni during life, and remains on Earth to terrorize the living. These transformed oni are the ones
most legends tell about, and the ones who pose the most danger to humankind.
INTERACTIONS: These oni are the stuff of legends and fairy tails, countless stories of lords and ladies,
warriors and rogues that make up Japanese mythology. No two stories about oni are exactly alike
except for one thing: oni are always the villains of mankind.
ORIGIN: Originally, all spirits, ghosts, and monsters were known as oni. The root of their name is a
word meaning “hidden” or “concealed,” and it was written with the Chinese character for “ghost.” In
the old days of Japan, before the spirits were as well-cataloged as they are today, oni could be used to
refer to almost any supernatural creature – ghosts, obscure gods, large or scary yokai, even particularly
vicious and brutal humans. As the centuries shaped the Japanese language, the definitions we know
today for the various kinds of monsters gradually came into being. Today, the word oni generally only
refers to this specific category of male demons. Female demons are known by another name: kijo.
Okiku- TRANSLATION: a girls’ name meaning “chrysanthemum”
APPEARANCE: Okiku was the name of a servant girl who lost a precious plate, died a terrible death, and returned as a
vengeful ghost. Along with Oiwa and Otsuyu, Okiku’s tale is one of the Nihon san dai kaidan—Japan’s Big Three
Ghost Stories. Her story has been retold countless times in folk tales, puppet theater, kabuki, film, and manga. Though
the general outline of her story remains the same, the names, locations, and surrounding details vary quite a bit from
telling to telling. The most famous version of her story is called Banchō sarayashiki—”The Dish Manor at Banchō.” It
takes place in Himeji, present-day Hyōgo Prefecture.
LEGENDS: Long ago, there was a woman named Okiku who worked as a dishwashing servant at Himeji Castle. Okiku
was very beautiful, and it was not long before she caught the eye of one of her master’s retainers, a samurai named
Aoyama. Aoyama tried many times to seduce Okiku, but each time she rejected his advances.
Eventually, Aoyama grew impatient with Okiku and decided to trick her into becoming his lover. In the castle there
was a set of ten very expensive dishes. Aoyama hid one of the them, and then called for Okiku. He told her one of his
master’s fine dishes was missing, and demanded to know where it was. Okiku became frightened. Losing one of her
lord’s prized dishes was a crime punishable by death. She counted the dishes, “One… two… three… four… five…
six… seven… eight… nine…” She recounted them against and again. Each time she came up one short. Okiku was
distraught.
Aoyama told Okiku that he would overlook her mistake, and tell his master that it wasn’t Okiku who lost the dish—
but only if she would become his mistress. Though Okiku wanted to live, she once again refused Aoyama. This time
the samurai became furious. He ordered his servants to beat Okiku with a wooden sword. Afterwards, he had her tied
up and suspended over the castle well. He tortured Okiku, repeatedly dunking her into the well, only to pull her back
out of the water and beat her himself. Aoyama demanded one last time that Okiku become his mistress. She refused.
So Aoyama struck her violently with his sword and dropped her body down into the well.
Not long after, Okiku’s ghost was seen wandering the castle grounds. Night after night, she would rise from the well
and enter her master’s house, searching for the missing dish. She would count the plates: “One… two… three…
four… five… six… seven… eight… nine…” After counting the ninth plate, she would let out a blood curdling scream
that could be heard throughout the castle. She tormented Aoyama in this way, every night, robbing him of his rest.
Those who heard part of Okiku’s counting became very sick. Those unlucky enough to hear her count all the way to
nine died shortly after.
Finally, the lord of the castle decided that something had to be done about Okiku’s ghost. He called a priest, and asked
him to pray for her and exercise her spirit. The priest waited in the garden all night, chanting suttras. One again,
Okiku’s ghost rose out of the well. She began to count the dishes: “One… two… three… four… five… six… seven…
eight… nine…” As soon as Okiku counted the ninth dish, and before she could scream, the priest shouted out: “TEN!”
Okiku’s ghost appeared relieved that someone had found the missing dish. From then on, she never haunted the castle
again.

Kappa-

TRANSLATION: river child

ALTERNATE NAMES: kawatarō, kawako
HABITAT: rivers, lakes, ponds, waterways, cisterns, wells; found throughout Japan
DIET: omnivorous; prefers cucumbers and human entrails
APPEARANCE: Kappa are aquatic reptilian humanoids who inhabit the rivers and streams found all over
Japan. Clumsy on land, they are at home in the water, where they thrive during the warm months.
Kappa are generally the size and shape of a human child, with scaly skin ranging in earthy hues from
deep green to bright red, even blue. Their bodies are built for swimming, with webbed, thumbless
hands and feet, and a turtle-like beak and shell. Their elastic, waterproof skin reeks of fish, and is said
to be removable. They possess three anuses, allowing them to pass three times as much gas as a human.
Kappa forearms are attached to one another inside of their shells, and pulling on one arm will cause it
to lengthen while the other one contracts. They are excellent swimmers, and despite their small size
they are physically stronger than a grown man. A dish-like depression lies on top of their skulls. This
dish is the source of a kappa’s power and must be kept wet at all times; should the water be spilled and
the dish dry up, the kappa will be unable to move and may even die.
BEHAVIOR: Adult kappa often live solitary lives, although it is common for them to befriend other yokai
and even humans. Younger kappa are frequently found in family groups. They will eat almost anything,
but they are particularly fond of raw innards –particularly human anuses – and cucumbers. They love
mischief, martial arts like sumo wrestling, and games of skill like shogi. Kappa are proud and stubborn,
but also fiercely honorable; they never break any promises that they make. Kappa possess keen
intelligence and they are one of the few yokai able to learn human languages. They are also highly
knowledgeable about medicine and the art of setting bones; according to legend, these skills were first
taught to humans by friendly kappa.
INTERACTIONS: Kappa are revered in Shinto as a kind of water god. It is not uncommon to see offerings
of cucumbers made at riverbanks by devout humans; in return, kappa are known to help people by
irrigating fields, befriending lonely children, competing with adults in sports and games, and so on.
Kappa can also be crass and violent. Mischievous by nature, they love to peek up women’s kimonos
and loudly pass gas in public. Lakes and rivers where kappa live are often marked with warning signs.
Their preferred method of attack is to drown or bite their opponent to death under water. They
particularly despise cows and horses, and will attack the animals for no reason at all. They have been
known to kidnap or rape swimming women, and to devour humans alive. Usually they go for the anus –
in particular a mythical ball of flesh located just inside the anus, called the shirikodama. In the water,
there is no escape for anyone who crosses a Kappa. On land, however, it is possible to outwit one: the
honorable kappa will feel obliged to return a bow, and if it can be tricked into bowing so low that the
water in its dish spills out, it can be easily overcome. Once bested, many kappa have been made to
swear loyalty and friendship to their victor for the rest of their lives.

Kurozuka- TRANSLATION: the black mounds; named for the area she haunted
LEGENDS: Kurozuka is the most well-known demon woman in Japanese folklore, and a very popular
subject in the arts, starring in everything from paintings to ukiyoe prints to noh plays. She has gone by
many names. Kurozuka, or the witch of “the black mounds,” is the most famous one, but she is also
known as the Demon of Adachigahara, or even just simply Onibaba, “the demon hag.”
Her story has changed over the years and through various adaptations. A popular version of the story
goes like this:
Long ago, a wealthy noble couple had a daughter whom they loved very much. However, their
daughter was sickly, and by the age of five she had still never spoken a single word. The worried
couple consulted with priests and doctors, until finally one doctor told them that the only way to cure
their daughter was to feed her a fresh liver from an unborn fetus.
The couple summoned their daughter’s nanny and put the task of retrieving the liver to her. Expecting
that it would take some time to find someone willing to give up their baby’s liver, the nanny prepared
for a long journey. She gave the daughter a protection charm and promised not to return without the
liver, then left.
The nanny traveled for days, months, and eventually years without finding any family willing to give
up their baby’s life. Eventually, her travels brought her to the moors of Adachigahara, in Fukushima.
Despondent, she decided that if nobody would give her a liver, she would have to take one. She made
camp in a cave off of the toad and decided to wait for a pregnant woman to pass by.
Many more years passed, and finally a lone pregnant woman came walking by on the road. The nanny
leaped out of the cave and slew the traveler with her knife, carving her belly open, killing the fetus, and
taking its fresh liver. Only after the deed was done, the nanny looked down at her victim, and noticed
the young woman was wearing a very old but very familiar protection charm: the very same one that
she had given the daughter so many years ago! The knowledge of what she had done weighed so
heavily on her that the nanny went insane, and transformed into a yokai.
The demon of Adachigahara developed fearsome magical powers. She learned to lure travelers into her
shelter and invite them to spend the night, after which she would murder them in their sleep. She
remained there on the moors of Adachigahara for many many years, murdering any lone travelers who
passed by her cave and eating their remains.
In the noh version of her story, the demon woman is eventually visited by traveling Buddhist priests,
whom she plans to kill. While she is out gathering firewood, the priests find a room full of dead bodies
and bones, and they recognize her as the Demon of Adachigahara. She chases after them, but they are
able to hold her back with their Buddhist prayers, and drive the evil spirit from her, banishing it forever.
When the demon spirit is driven from her body, she becomes an old woman and dies. The monks bury
her remains and build a grave among the black mounds where she haunted.

Kasane- TRANSLATION: a girls’ name meaning “to pile up; to overlap; to add on;” an alternate reading of
the kanji for her original name: Rui
APPEARANCE: Kasane is the ghost from Kasane ga fuchi—The Pool of Kasane. It is based on true events
which happened in the 17th century in what is now Ibaraki Prefecture, although the story has changed
quite a bit from the original incident. Her tale is one of the most famous Edo period ghost stories, and
she is often held up with Oiwa and Okiku as a prime example of the grudge-bearing Japanese woman
ghost. Her story was later adapted into rakugo and kabuki theater, as well as numerous films.
LEGENDS: Long ago in the village of Hanyū in Shimosa Provence lived a farmer named Yoemon and his
wife Osugi. Osugi had a child from a previous relationship. The child’s name was Suke, and he was
terribly ugly. His face was disfigured and his leg was malformed. Yoemon hated Suke. One day,
Yoemon decided to dispose of Suke. While crossing a bridge over a deep pool, Yoemon knocked Suki
into the pool. Suke was unable to swim, and drowned.
The following year, Yoemon and Osugi had a baby girl. They named her Rui. Rui looked so much like
her half-brother Suke did that the villagers all believed she was haunted by his spirit. Instead of Rui,
they referred to her as Kasane—an alternate reading of her name which implied that the ugly Suke had
been born once again in her.
Both of Kasane’s parents died while she was young, and so she lived alone. She became very sick,
when a wandering stranger named Yagorō came to her house and nursed her back to health. Out of
gratitude, Kasane offered to marry Yagorō and make him the inheritor of her father’s property.
Although Yagorō found Kasane repulsive, he wanted her land and inheritance, and so he agreed to
marry her.
Not long after they were married, Yagorō had had enough of Kasane’s ugliness. He took her out to their
fields to collect beans. On the way home made Kasane carry all of the beans herself, so that she could
barely walk. Just as they were crossing the pool, Yagorō pushed the overburdened Kasane into the
water. Yagorō jumped in after her. He stepped on her chest, pinning her to the riverbed. He crushed and
squeezed the air out of her lungs. He shoved rocks and river sand into her mouth. He stabbed her eyes
with his thumbs. Then he wrung her neck until she could struggle no longer. Several townspeople
witnessed Yagorō murder Kasane, but nobody moved to help her. After all, she was so ugly—there
seemed to be an unspoken agreement to just leave it be.
Yagorō continued on as if nothing was different, living in Kasane’s home and maintaining her family’s
lands. He remarried very quickly, and for a while was happy. However, Yagorō’s new wife died
suddenly, not long after they were married. Yagorō remarried again, and again his wife died suddenly.
This happened over and over again. When Yagorō had remarried six times, his wife managed to survive
long enough to bear him a daughter. They named their daughter Kiku, and for a while they were happy.
When Kiku was thirteen, Yagorō’s sixth wife died. Yagorō married Kiku to a man named Kingorō and
named him the successor to the Yoemon family. All of a sudden Kiku became extremely sick and
collapsed to the floor. Foaming and frothing at the mouth, tears streaming from her eyes, Kiku cried
that she couldn’t bear the pain. She begged for someone to help her. Suddenly, a different voice came
forth from her body:
“I am not Kiku! I am your wife! The wife you murdered! You overburdened me, you threw me into the
pool, you crushed me and made me drown! Don’t tell me you don’t remember me! I cursed you and all
six of your wives! I am the one who killed them! I am Kasane!”
Kingorō fled the village, never to return. Kiku’s body stood up and lunged at Yagorō, but he managed
to escape to the village temple. Yagorō told everyone that he had no idea what Kiku was saying; that he
would never murder his own wife. The villagers, wanting to save poor Kiku, dragged Yagorō out from
the temple to confront Kasane. Even as Kasane’s spirit threatened and cursed Yagorō, he defiantly
proclaimed his innocence. Kasane’s spirit began naming and cursing the villagers who witnessed her
murder and yet did nothing. Finally Yagorō and the others confessed their crime. Rui was such an
unattractive and unpleasant person that the whole village had neglected her. Though Yagorō had
performed the deed, the whole village was guilty of her murder. The villagers who didn’t witness the
murder, but never bothered to ask about Rui were partially responsible too. It was their fault that Rui’s
rage had created this ghost, and it was their fault that poor Kiku was suffering.
Kasane continued: “All of your ancestors are here with me in Hell!” She then proceeded to name each
of their ancestors, and list their crimes. Then Kasane listed all of the crimes of the living villagers. The
entire village’s pride was shattered as their sins were made public. Kasane demanded that the villagers
hold a lavish memorial service and erect a beautiful stone buddha in her honor to end her suffering.
However, the villagers balked at the cost to cover such a funeral. Kasane told them, “My father owned
many farms around here. Sell them, and use the money to perform the services!” The villagers
confessed to Kasane that her family’s lands had already been sold and distributed. Kasane’s wrath
exploded. Kiku’s body twisted and floated high up into the air, and the poor girl lost consciousness.
Word of Kiku’s possession and Kasane’s curse spread far and wide. It caught the ear of a traveling
priest, Saint Yūten. Yūten visited the Yoemon household to offer his prayers and try to save Kiku. He
chanted the sutras and prayed and prayed with all his effort, but it had no effect. Kasane’s grudge was
too powerful. Kasane’s voice taunted Yūten from Kiku’s mouth. Yūten then tried to have Kiku recite
the prayers, but Kasane’s spirit interrupted and Kiku was unable to speak. Finally, Yūten grabbed
Kiku’s hair with all his strength, forcing her face down onto the floor. He make Kiku bow, and
demanded that she pray. Kiku was finally able to recite the sutra, and suddenly the spirit of Kasane left
from her body. She was saved.
As Saint Yūten was preparing to leave Hanyū, Yagorō suddenly came to him with dire news: Kiku’s
possession had returned. Yūten once again traveled to the Yoemon household, this time determined to
subdue the curse no matter what the cost. When he encountered Kiku, he grabbed her hair and with all
of his strength, forced her down onto the floor. As he held her down, demanding she pray, Kiku’s voice
could be heard faintly mumbling. Yūten bent down close to her mouth and and listened. Then he turned
to Yagorō: “Does the name Suke mean anything to you?”
Yagorō had never heard of Suke, nor had anybody else present. Saint Yūten asked the villagers, and
finally an elderly man came forward. “Some sixty years ago there was a rumor that the first Yoemon’s
wife had a son who was murdered and thrown into the pool. I think his name was Suke.”
“Are you Suke?” Saint Yūten asked Kiku. Kiku’s voice replied, “Yes. When you saved Rui you left me
behind, and now I possess her.” Yūten wasted no item. He immediately gave Suke a kaimyō—a
posthumous Buddhist name—and wrote it down on the family altar. Suke’s spirit left Kiku’s body and
entered the altar. Everyone present dropped to the floor and prayed. Kiku eventually remarried, and
lived a happy and prosperous life. The spirits of Kasane and Suke were never heard from again.

Rituals and Practices

Shintō does not have a weekly religious service. People visit shrines at their convenience. Some
may go to the shrines on the 1st and 15th of each month and on the occasions of rites or festivals
(matsuri), which take place several times a year. Devotees, however, may pay respect to the shrine
every morning.

Strips of paper with prayers written on them outside a Shintō shrine in Japan. © Les Pickett—Papilio/Corbis
Rites of passage
Various Shintō rites of passage are observed in Japan. The first visit of a newborn baby to the tutelary
kami, which occurs 30 to 100 days after birth, is to initiate the baby as a new adherent. The Shichi-go-
san (Seven-Five-Three) festival on November 15 is the occasion for boys of five years and girls of
three and seven years of age to visit the shrine to give thanks for kami’s protection and to pray for their
healthy growth. January 15 is Adults’ Day. Youth in the village used to join the local young men’s
association on this day. At present it is the commemoration day for those Japanese who have attained
their 20th year. The Japanese usually have their wedding ceremonies in Shintō style and pronounce
their wedding vows to kami. Shintō funeral ceremonies, however, are not popular. The majority of the
Japanese are Buddhist and Shintōist at the same time and have their funerals in Buddhist style. A
traditional Japanese house has two family altars: one, Shintō, for their tutelary kami and the goddess
Amaterasu Ōmikami, and another, Buddhist, for the family ancestors. Pure Shintō families, however,
will have all ceremonies and services in Shintō style. There are other Shintō matsuri concerning
occupations or daily life, such as a ceremony of purifying a building site or for setting up the
framework for a new building, a firing or purifying ceremony for the boilers in a new factory, a
completion ceremony for a construction works, or a launching ceremony for a new ship.
Varieties of festival, worship, and prayer
Each Shintō shrine has several major festivals each year, including the Spring Festival (Haru
Matsuri, or Toshigoi-no-Matsuri; Prayer for Good Harvest Festival), Autumn Festival (Aki
Matsuri, or Niiname-sai; Harvest Festival), an Annual Festival (Rei-sai), and the Divine
Procession (Shinkō-sai). The Divine Procession usually takes place on the day of the Annual
Festival, and miniature shrines (mikoshi) carried on the shoulders are transported through the
parish. The order of rituals at a grand festival is usually as follows:

1. Purification rites (harae)—commonly held at a corner of the shrine precincts before

participants come into the shrine but sometimes held within the shrine before beginning a
ceremony.
2. Adoration—the chief priest and all the congregation bow to the altar.
3. Opening of the door of the inner sanctuary (by the chief priest).
4. Presentation of food offerings—rice, sake wine, rice cakes, fish, seaweed, vegetables, salt,
water, etc., are offered but animal meat is not, because of the taboo on shedding blood in the
sacred area. In the past cooked food was usually offered to kami, but nowadays uncooked food is
more often used. In accordance with this change, the idea of entertaining kami changed to that of
thanksgiving.
 5. Prayer—the chief priest recites prayers (norito) modeled on ancient Shintō prayers. These
prayers were compiled in the early 10th century and were based on the old belief that spoken
words had spiritual potency.
6. Sacred music and dance.
7. General offering—participants in the festival make symbolic offerings using little branches of
the evergreen sacred tree to which strips of white paper are tied.
8. Taking offerings away.
9. Shutting the door of the inner sanctuary.
10. Final adoration.
11. Feast (naorai).
In the olden days naorai, a symbolic action in which participants held communion with kami by
having the same food offered to the deity, came in the middle of the festival ceremony. The
custom is still observed sometimes at the Imperial Household and at some old shrines, but it is
more common to have communion with kami by drinking the offered sake after the festival.
Since World War II it has become popular to have a brief sermon or speech before the feast.
Most Shintō festivals are observed generally in accordance with the above-mentioned order. On such
occasions as the Annual Festival, various special rites may be held—for example, special water
purification (misogi) and confinement in shrines for devotional purposes (o-komori), the procession of
a sacred palanquin (o-miyuki) or of boats (funa matsuri), a ceremonial feast (tōya matsuri), sumo
wrestling, horseback riding (kurabe-uma), archery (matoi), a lion dance (shishi mai), and a rice-
planting festival (o-taue matsuri).

Types of shrines
A simple torii (gateway) stands at the entrance of the shrine precincts. After proceeding on the
main approach, a visitor will come to an ablution basin where the hands are washed and the
mouth is rinsed. Usually he will make a small offering at the oratory (haiden) and pray.
Sometimes a visitor may ask the priest to conduct rites of passage or to offer special prayers. The
most important shrine building is the main, or inner, sanctuary (honden), in which a sacred
symbol called shintai (“ kami body”) or mitama-shiro (“divine spirit’s symbol”) is enshrined. The
usual symbol is a mirror, but sometimes it is a wooden image, a sword, or some other object. In
any case, it is carefully wrapped and placed in a container. It is forbidden to see it: only the chief
priest is allowed to enter inside the inner sanctuary.
In the beginning Shintō had no shrine buildings. At each festival people placed a tree symbol at a
sacred site, or they built a temporary shrine to invite kami. Later they began to construct
permanent shrines where kami were said to stay permanently. The honden of the Inner Shrine at
Ise and of Izumo-taisha (Grand Shrine of Izumo, in Shimane prefecture) illustrate two
representative archetypes of shrine construction. The style of the former probably developed
from that of a storehouse for crops, especially for rice, and the style of the latter from ancient
house construction. In the course of time, variations of shrine architecture were adopted and
 additional buildings were attached in front of the honden. The honden and haiden are in many
cases connected by a hall of offering (heiden) where prayers are usually recited. Large shrines
also have a hall for liturgical dancing (kaguraden).

Grand Shrine of Izumo Entrance to the Grand Shrine of Izumo, one of the main religious centres of Shintō; near Izumo,
Shimane prefecture, Japan.Kozo Osa/Bon

Other practices and institutions

Ujigami belief is the most popular form of Shintō in Japan. Originally referring to the kami of an
ancient clan, after the 13th century ujigami was used in the sense of the tutelary kami of a local
community, and all the members in the community were that kami’s adherents (ujiko). Even
today a ujiko group consists of the majority of the residents in a given community. A Shintōist,
however, can believe at the same time in shrines other than his own local shrine. It was only after
World War II that some large shrines also started to organize believers’ groups (sūkeisha). The
Believers’ Association of the Meiji Shrine, for instance, has about 240,000 members living in and
around Tokyo.
Kokugakuin University in Tokyo and Kōgakkan University at Ise are the primary training centres for
Shintō priests. Though any Shintōists who go through certain training processes may be a priest (or a
priestess), many priests are, in fact, from the families of hereditary Shintō priests.

Major Kamis
Amaterasu-O-Mi-Kami, commonly called Amaterasu, she is the goddess of the sun as well as the
purported ancestress of the Imperial Household of Japan. Her full name means "Great Goddess" or
"Great Spirit Who Shines in the Heavens"; she may also be referred to as Ohiru-menomuchi-no-kami.
Due to her ties to the Imperial family, she is often considered (though not official) to be the "primary
god" of Shinto. Relics: The Sword, The Jewel, the mirror.
Ame-no-Uzume, commonly called Uzume, she is the goddess of dawn and revelry, instrumental to the
"missing sun motif" in Shinto. She is also known as The Great Persuader and The Heavenly Alarming
Female. Fujin, also known as Kami-no-Kaze, he is the Japanese god of the wind and one of the eldest
Shinto gods, said to be present at the creation of the world. He is often depicted as an oni with a bag
slung over his back.

Hachiman, also known as Hachiman-shin or Yawata no Kami, he is the god of war and the divine
protector of Japan and its people. Originally an agricultural deity, he later became the guardian of the
Minamoto clan. His symbolic animal and messenger is the dove. Inari Okami, the god or goddess of
rice and fertility. Their messengers and symbolic animal are foxes. They are often identified with the
Ukanomitama and Buddhist deity Dakiniten. Izanagi, the forefather of the gods, he is the first male as
well as the god of creation and life. He and his wife, Izanami, were responsible for the birth of the
islands of Japan and many kami, though she died in childbirth. Later, after his failed attempt to retrieve
her from the underworld, he sired Amaterasu, Susanoo and Tsukuyomi. Izanami, Izanagi's wife and
sister, she is the first female as well as the goddess of creation and death. She died shortly after the
birth of Kagu-tsuchi, and Izanagi followed her to the underworld, but failed to bring her back to the
living world. A marital spat between the pair caused the cycle of life and death for all living beings.

Omoikane, the deity of wisdom and intelligence, who is always called upon to "ponder" and give good
counsel in the deliberations of the heavenly deities. Raijin, commonly called Raiden, he is the god of
thunder and lightning, and is often paired with Fujin. As with the latter, Raijin is usually depicted as an
oni.

Ryujin, also known as Owatatsumi, he is a dragon, as well as god of the sea. He resides in Ryugu-jo,
his palace under the sea built out of red and white coral, from where he controlled the tides with
magical tide jewels. His great-grandson would become Emperor Jimmu. Suijin, the God of Water.

Susanoo-no-Mikoto, alternately romanized as Susano-o, Susa-no-o, and Susanowo. Reportedly called

"Futsushi". He is the god of storms as well as in some cases the god of the sea. He is also somewhat of
a trickster god, as Japanese mythology extensively documents the "sibling rivalry" between him and
Amaterasu. Susanoo also was responsible for the slaying of the monster Yamata no Orochi and the
subsequent discovery of the sacred sword Kusanagi. He was kicked out of the heavens, because he got
jealous of people worshipping amatarasu and burned her lands, he was angry and made him act out,
and got banished.

Tenjin, the god of scholarship, he is the deified Sugawara no Michizane, who was elevated to his
position after dying in exile and subsequent disasters in Heiankyo were attributed to his angered spirit.

Toyotama-hime, also known as Otohime, she was the daughter of Ryujin and the grandmother of
Jimmu. It is said that after she gave birth to her son, she turned into a dragon and disappeared.

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, also known as Tsukiyomi, Tsuki no Kami, Tsukiyomino Mikoto, and

Tsukiyumi no Mikoto, he is the god of the moon. He killed the goddess of food, Uke Mochi, out of
disgust and anger in the way she had prepared a meal. This caused Amaterasu to never face him again,
causing the sun and moon to be in different parts of the sky.
these are the main ones we focus on
in byakuren apparently
1:Kasagi 2:Kusabi 3: Gakuzuka 4: Nuki 5: Shimaki 6: Hashira 7: Daiishi or Kamebara 8 :Sansho

What is Shinto's involvment with Death and Marriage?

A large number of wedding ceremonies are held in Shinto style. Death hoever, is considered a source
of impurity, and is left to Buddhism to deal with. Consequently, there are no shinto cemeteries or
graveyards, and most funerals are held in buddhist style.