The question of how many kami exist in Shinto is often misunderstood. While a specific number is frequently cited, it is not a literal count of deities. Kami are the sacred spirits, revered presences, and divine forces central to Shinto, the indigenous faith of Japan. Understanding the quantity of kami requires embracing a worldview where the divine is interwoven with the natural world.
The “Eight Million” Answer
The number most commonly associated with the Shinto pantheon is yaoyorozu no kami. This term is frequently translated as “eight million kami,” which is the literal translation of the Japanese characters found in ancient texts like the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. This figure is not meant to be an exact count, but a symbolic expression of an immense, uncountable quantity. The number eight (ya) is historically associated with vastness in Japanese culture, and when combined with yorozu (ten thousand), it creates a hyperbolic term. The phrase functions as an idiom meaning “myriad” or “countless” kami.
Defining Kami
To grasp the concept of innumerability, one must understand the nature of kami. While often translated as “god” or “deity,” the term encompasses a broader range of spiritual phenomena than deities in Western monotheistic religions. Kami are sacred spirits or forces that inspire awe and respect, and they are not necessarily omnipotent or transcendent.
They can manifest as qualities of growth, fertility, and production, or as powerful natural phenomena like the wind, thunder, or the sun. Unlike the singular creator of some faiths, kami exist within the same world as humans and are not separate from nature. They possess complex personalities and can be benevolent, malevolent, or neutral, reflecting the dual nature of the forces they embody. This expansive definition allows for a nearly limitless number of entities to be considered kami.
The Concept of Innumerability
The phrase yaoyorozu no kami reflects the Shinto belief that the divine presence is ubiquitous, making a precise count impossible. The concept of “eight million” is an ancient way of communicating that the kami are simply too numerous to be numbered. This worldview is rooted in the animistic understanding that a sacred essence can reside in virtually anything.
Kami are believed to be present everywhere in the landscape, inhabiting mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and unusual rocks. This means every distinct natural feature, powerful storm, and revered location can potentially be the dwelling or manifestation of a kami. The number is constantly expanding because new kami can be recognized and enshrined as new sources of awe or power are encountered.
Categories of Kami
The vast quantity of kami is generated by the many different categories of beings and phenomena that can be deified.
Nature Kami
This group includes mythological figures like Amaterasu Ōmikami, the Sun Goddess, and Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the god of the sea and storms. These kami embody the fundamental forces of the cosmos and the natural world.
Ancestral Kami
This category includes the spirits of revered ancestors who are worshipped by their families or clans.
Deified Historical Figures
Great leaders, emperors, and individuals who performed extraordinary deeds can also be deified after death. For example, the scholar Sugawara no Michizane was deified as Tenjin, the kami of scholarship. This continuous process of deification ensures that the number of kami remains perpetually countless.