{"id":4563,"date":"2026-04-21T13:17:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T13:17:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/japan\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T09:46:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:46:32","slug":"japan","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"4563\" class=\"elementor elementor-4563 elementor-1322\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-hero-rebuilt-japan iwg-kultur-hero e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"k-hero-rebuilt-japan\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-khleft-japan iwg-kultur-hero-left e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"khleft-japan\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-h1-japan elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"k-h1-japan\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Japanese Gods, Shinto, Kami and Yokai<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj11-hero-lead-japan e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aj11-hero-lead-japan\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-lead-japan elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"k-lead-japan\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Beings from the Japanese <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The passing on of knowledge and narratives across generations.\" tabindex=\"0\">tradition<\/span><\/strong> on iWell Guard. <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> and Buddhist synthesis. A rich world of yokai (<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A bodiless being to which agency in the world is attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">spirits<\/span>, <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A spiritual being to which harmful or ambivalent effect is attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">demons<\/span>, nature beings), <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span> of the forces of nature, <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Veneration of a family's deceased members as enduringly active protective powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">ancestor veneration<\/span>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj11-hero-toc-japan e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aj11-hero-toc-japan\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-toc-japan elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"k-toc-japan\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Contents of this page:<\/strong><\/p><ul><li><a href=\"#k-japan-h1\">Classification<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#x-japan-h100\">History and pantheon<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#x-japan-h101\">Beings in everyday life<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#x-japan-h102\">Significance today<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#k-japan-h2\">Gods (8)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#k-japan-h3\">Demons (1)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#k-japan-h4\">Spirits (4)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#659b8a3\">Further reading<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-khrght-japan iwg-kultur-hero-right e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"khrght-japan\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-img-japan iwg-hero-image elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"k-img-japan\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/daemonen_japan_oni-683x1024.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4564\" alt=\"Oni - demons from the Japanese tradition, historical-illustrative\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/daemonen_japan_oni-683x1024.webp 683w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/daemonen_japan_oni-200x300.webp 200w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/daemonen_japan_oni-768x1152.webp 768w, https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/daemonen_japan_oni.webp 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-clstrsec-aj12-japan e-con-boxed e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"clstrsec-aj12-japan\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-clstrh2-aj12-japan elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"clstrh2-aj12-japan\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Kami, Shinto and the yokai world<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj12-cluster-text-japan e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aj12-cluster-text-japan\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj12-cluster-text-japan-t elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aj12-cluster-text-japan-t\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Japanese religious landscape is a <strong>double layer<\/strong>: <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> (with the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span>) and Buddhism (imported more than a thousand years ago) exist side by side and permeate one another. Alongside them stands a rich folk <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The academic discipline that studies religions comparatively and without confessional commitment.\" tabindex=\"0\">religion<\/span> with yokai (supernatural beings), yurei (spirits) and onryo (vengeful spirits).<\/p><p>The <strong><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span><\/strong> are not gods in the Western sense. They may be natural phenomena (a mountain, a waterfall, a storm), ancestors, exceptional persons or abstract forces.<\/p><p>The Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki of the 8th century provide mythological narratives, Amaterasu as the sun goddess, Susanoo as the storm god, Izanami and Izanagi as the primordial parents, yet <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> itself is a local <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of religious acts of veneration for a deity or sacred figure.\" tabindex=\"0\">cult<\/span> practised at shrines.<\/p><p>The <strong>yokai tradition<\/strong> (Mizuki Shigeru, Komatsu Kazuhiko) forms its own strand of the religious imagination. Oni (demons), tengu (mountain beings), kappa (water spirits), kitsune (fox spirits): these beings are neither clearly divine nor simply evil. They embody the ambivalent zones between human and nature, city and wilderness, the living and the dead.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-japan-s1 e-con-boxed e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"k-japan-s1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-japan-h1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"k-japan-h1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Classification<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj11-inner-0003 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aj11-inner-0003\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-japan-t1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"k-japan-t1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Period:<\/strong> Yayoi period (300 BCE) to the present, with a <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> layer and Buddhist <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tooltip=\"The merging of elements from different religions or cults into new mixed forms, as in Haitian Vodou (the Lwa and Catholic saints).\">syncretism<\/span> since the 6th century.<\/p><p>Distribution: the Japanese archipelago.<\/p><p>Sources: Kojiki (712), Nihon Shoki (720), Engi-shiki, Edo-period yokai encyclopaedias (Toriyama Sekien).<\/p><p><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the gods of a religion or culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">Pantheon<\/span> and classes of beings: <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span> of nature, gods of the court (Amaterasu, Susanoo, Tsukuyomi), yokai (tengu, kappa, yuurei), Buddhist bodhisattvas.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x-japan-s100 e-con-boxed e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"x-japan-s100\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x-japan-h100 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"x-japan-h100\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">History and pantheon<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj11-inner-0004 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aj11-inner-0004\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x-japan-t100 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"x-japan-t100\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Japanese religion rests on a syncretic system between indigenous <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> and Buddhism, imported since the 6th century. <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> venerated <em><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span><\/em> (spiritual beings) in nature, ancestors and household spirits, a pantheistic structure without a strict hierarchy.<\/p><p>Buddhism brought <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The conception of the structure and order of the world within a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">cosmology<\/span>, doctrines of the afterlife and an organised priesthood. During the Edo period (1603 to 1868), popular culture saw a flourishing of yokai literature: classifications of supernatural beings (kitsune, tanuki, yuki-onna, rakshasas).<\/p><p>The <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the gods of a religion or culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">pantheon<\/span> is decentralised and fluid; local deities overlap with national ones. The Meiji Restoration (1868) attempted an artificial separation of <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> and Buddhism, yet this coexistence was later accepted once more. Japanese conceptions of the supernatural are less morally dualistic and more aesthetically animistic than Western systems.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x-japan-s101 e-con-boxed e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"x-japan-s101\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x-japan-h101 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"x-japan-h101\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Beings in everyday life<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj11-inner-0005 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aj11-inner-0005\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x-japan-t101 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"x-japan-t101\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Japanese everyday spirituality combines <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> household worship and Buddhist meditation: a household altar (<em>butsudan<\/em>) for ancestors and Buddhist <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The verbal turning of a person toward a deity.\" tabindex=\"0\">prayer<\/span>, a <em><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span> <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A raised place or table for offerings and religious acts.\" tabindex=\"0\">altar<\/span><\/em> (<em>kamidana<\/em>) for the veneration of household spirits. Omamori (protective <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A worn object to which a protective, misfortune-averting effect is attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">amulets<\/span>) and ema (wish tablets) are folk practices. Exorcisms against malevolent yokai are carried out by <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> priests.<\/p><p>Cemeteries and old houses are places of <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"An incorporeal being to which effects in the world are attributed.\" tabindex=\"0\">spirit<\/span> possession and require special rituals. Obon (the festival of ancestors) and Shogatsu (New Year) are central festivals with spiritual elements.<\/p><p>Mediumship and communication with spirits (<em>seances<\/em>) are rarer in modern times but are documented in <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The transmitted popular culture with customs, narratives, and songs.\" tabindex=\"0\">folklore<\/span>. Spiritual specialists (<em>miko<\/em>, priests) mediate between the human and the supernatural world.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x-japan-s102 e-con-boxed e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"x-japan-s102\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x-japan-h102 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"x-japan-h102\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Significance today<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj11-inner-0006 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aj11-inner-0006\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x-japan-t102 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"x-japan-t102\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Japanese <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The merging of conceptions or deities from different religious traditions.\" tabindex=\"0\">syncretism<\/span> remains a living practice, especially among older generations. <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> and Buddhism have stabilised as institutions kept separate by the state. Younger Japanese today often practise in a superficial or folkloric manner. Global Japanese popular culture (anime, manga, video games) has heavily aestheticised and spread yokai and the Japanese supernatural.<\/p><p>Western audiences receive <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> and Zen Buddhism in a romanticised form. Yokai studies are academically established. Tourism promotes <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"An ordered sequence of symbolic actions with religious or cultural meaning.\" tabindex=\"0\">ritual<\/span> practice as cultural heritage. The combination of modernity and belief in spirits remains characteristic of Japan.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-japan-s2 e-con-boxed e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"k-japan-s2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-japan-h2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"k-japan-h2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Gods (14)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj11-inner-0007 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aj11-inner-0007\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-japan-t2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"k-japan-t2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"iwg-wesen-grid\"><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/amaterasu\/\" aria-label=\"Amaterasu \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_japan_amaterasu-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Amaterasu \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Amaterasu<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/enma-o\/\" aria-label=\"Enma-o \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_japan_enma-o-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Enma-o \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Enma-o<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/fujin\/\" aria-label=\"Fujin \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_japan_fujin-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Fujin \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Fujin<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/inari\/\" aria-label=\"Inari \u014ckami \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_inari-okami-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Inari \u014ckami \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Inari \u014ckami<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/izanami\/\" aria-label=\"Izanami \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_japan_izanami-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Izanami \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Izanami<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/raijin\/\" aria-label=\"Raijin \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_japan_raijin-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Raijin \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Raijin<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/susanoo\/\" aria-label=\"Susanoo \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_japan_susanoo-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Susanoo \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Susanoo<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/tsukuyomi\/\" aria-label=\"Tsukuyomi \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/goetter_japan_tsukuyomi-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Tsukuyomi \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Tsukuyomi<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/izanagi\/\" aria-label=\"Izanagi \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_izanagi-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Izanagi \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Izanagi<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/hachiman\/\" aria-label=\"Hachiman \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_hachiman-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Hachiman \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Hachiman<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kannon\/\" aria-label=\"Kannon \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_kannon-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Kannon \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Kannon<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/ryujin\/\" aria-label=\"Ryujin \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_ryujin-1-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Ryujin \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Ryujin<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/ebisu\/\" aria-label=\"Ebisu \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/goetter_japan_ebisu-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Ebisu \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Ebisu<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-japan-s3 e-con-boxed e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"k-japan-s3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-japan-h3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"k-japan-h3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Demons (1)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj11-inner-0008 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aj11-inner-0008\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-japan-t3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"k-japan-t3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"iwg-wesen-grid\"><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/oni\/\" aria-label=\"Oni \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/daemonen_japan_oni-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Oni \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Oni<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-japan-s4 e-con-boxed e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"k-japan-s4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-japan-h4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"k-japan-h4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Spirits (4)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj11-inner-0009 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aj11-inner-0009\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-k-japan-t4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"k-japan-t4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"iwg-wesen-grid\"><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kappa\/\" aria-label=\"Kappa \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/geister_japan_kappa-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Kappa \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Kappa<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/kitsune\/\" aria-label=\"Kitsune \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/geister_japan_kitsune-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Kitsune \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Kitsune<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/tengu\/\" aria-label=\"Tengu \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/geister_japan_tengu-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Tengu \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Tengu<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/yuki-onna\/\" aria-label=\"Yuki-onna \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/geister_japan_yuki-onna-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Yuki-onna \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Yuki-onna<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><a class=\"iwg-wesen-card\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/yurei\/\" aria-label=\"Y\u016brei \u2013 Japan\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-imgwrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/geister_japan_yuurei-1-200x300.webp\" alt=\"Y\u016brei \u2013 Japan\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-body\"><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-name\">Y\u016brei<\/div><div class=\"iwg-wesen-card-arrow\">\u2192 To the being<\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x-japan-s-faq e-con-boxed e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"x-japan-s-faq\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x-japan-h-faq elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"x-japan-h-faq\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Frequently asked questions about the Japanese gods<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj11-inner-0006 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aj11-inner-0006\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-x-japan-t-faq elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"x-japan-t-faq\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>How many Japanese gods are there?<\/h3><p>In Shinto one traditionally speaks of Yaoyorozu no <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">Kami<\/span> (\u516b\u767e\u4e07\u306e\u795e), the eight million gods, a figurative number for countless many.<\/p><p>In practice, about 800 important <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span> deities are venerated in Japan, alongside thousands of local guardian spirits and nature kami (mountains, trees, waterfalls), as well as the Buddhist bodhisattvas (Kannon, Jizo). The Seven Gods of Fortune and the Shinto <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the gods of a religion or culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">pantheon<\/span> with Amaterasu at its head are the most popular principal gods.<\/p><h3>Who are the most important Japanese gods?<\/h3><p>Amaterasu (sun goddess, protectress of Japan and ancestress of the imperial house), Susanoo (storm god, her brother), Tsukuyomi (moon god), Izanagi and Izanami (the creator couple), Inari (rice and success), Hachiman (war and the samurai), Raijin (thunder), Fujin (wind), Ebisu (fortune) and Kannon (Buddhist compassion).<\/p><p>These ten gods are the most popular; alongside them there are regionally central <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span> such as \u014ckuninushi (Izumo) and Tenjin (Sugawara no Michizane).<\/p><h3>Who is the supreme Japanese goddess?<\/h3><p>Amaterasu \u014cmikami (Great August Sun Goddess) is the most important <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A being venerated as divine within a religion.\" tabindex=\"0\">deity<\/span> of Japanese Shinto. She is the ancestress of the imperial house; according to Shinto tradition, Emperor Naruhito is regarded as her direct descendant.<\/p><p>Her principal <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A small sacred place of safekeeping or devotion.\" tabindex=\"0\">shrine<\/span>, the Ise Jing\u016b, is rebuilt entirely every 20 years (Shikinen Seng\u016b), a 1,300-year-old <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A handed-down act regularly repeated within a community.\" tabindex=\"0\">custom<\/span>. During the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A handed-down narrative about gods, origins and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span> she hid in a cave (Ama-no-Iwato), whereupon the world grew dark, until the other gods lured her out with a mirror.<\/p><h3>What is the difference between <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span> and yokai?<\/h3><p><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">Kami<\/span> are venerable gods and nature spirits; they dwell in shrines (jinja), and people approach them with reverence. Yokai are supernatural beings, mostly troublesome, sometimes helpful, often comical.<\/p><p>Famous yokai are oni (demons), tengu (mountain beings), kappa (water beings), yuki-onna (snow woman), kitsune (shape-shifting foxes). Some beings can be both: the fox is <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Belonging to the divine and thereby withdrawn from everyday use.\" tabindex=\"0\">sacred<\/span> as a messenger of Inari, yet dangerous as a transformed woman.<\/p><h3>What are the Seven Gods of Fortune (Shichifukujin)?<\/h3><p>The Shichifukujin are seven gods of fortune who sail together through the bay in a treasure ship (Takarabune) and bring New Year&#8217;s luck: 1. Ebisu (the fisherman&#8217;s fortune), 2. Daikokuten (prosperity), 3. Bishamonten (war and protection), 4. Benzaiten (music and knowledge, the only woman), 5. Fukurokuju (long life), 6. Jurojin (wisdom) and 7. Hotei (contentment, the pot-bellied one).<\/p><p>Six are imported from China and India; only Ebisu is genuinely Japanese.<\/p><h3>What is Shinto as distinct from Buddhism in Japan?<\/h3><p>Shinto is the native Japanese religion, the veneration of the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span> in shrines with purification rituals, a bond with nature and the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Veneration of a family's deceased as continuing protective powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">ancestor cult<\/span>. Buddhism arrived in the 6th century from Korea and China.<\/p><p>Over centuries the two merged into shinbutsu-sh\u016bg\u014d; gods and Buddhas were venerated as different aspects of the same reality. In 1868 (the Meiji Restoration) they were separated by the state. Today many Japanese practise both: Shinto for birth and marriage, Buddhism for funerals and the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Veneration of a family's deceased as continuing protective powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">ancestor cult<\/span>.<\/p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"How many Japanese gods are there?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"In Shinto one traditionally speaks of Yaoyorozu no <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">Kami<\/span> (\u516b\u767e\u4e07\u306e\u795e), the eight million gods, a figurative number for countless many. In practice, about 800 important <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span> deities are venerated in Japan, alongside thousands of local guardian spirits and nature kami (mountains, trees, waterfalls), as well as the Buddhist bodhisattvas (Kannon, Jizo). The Seven Gods of Fortune and the Shinto <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the gods of a religion or culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">pantheon<\/span> with Amaterasu at its head are the most popular principal gods.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Who are the most important Japanese gods?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Amaterasu (sun goddess, protectress of Japan and ancestress of the imperial house), Susanoo (storm god, her brother), Tsukuyomi (moon god), Izanagi and Izanami (the creator couple), Inari (rice and success), Hachiman (war and the samurai), Raijin (thunder), Fujin (wind), Ebisu (fortune) and Kannon (Buddhist compassion). 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During the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"A handed-down narrative about gods, origins and the order of the world.\" tabindex=\"0\">myth<\/span> she hid in a cave (Ama-no-Iwato), whereupon the world grew dark, until the other gods lured her out with a mirror.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What is the difference between <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span> and yokai?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">Kami<\/span> are venerable gods and nature spirits; they dwell in shrines (jinja), and people approach them with reverence. Yokai are supernatural beings, mostly troublesome, sometimes helpful, often comical. Famous yokai are oni (demons), tengu (mountain beings), kappa (water beings), yuki-onna (snow woman), kitsune (shape-shifting foxes). Some beings can be both: the fox is <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Belonging to the divine and thereby withdrawn from everyday use.\" tabindex=\"0\">sacred<\/span> as a messenger of Inari, yet dangerous as a transformed woman.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What are the Seven Gods of Fortune (Shichifukujin)?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"The Shichifukujin are seven gods of fortune who sail together through the bay in a treasure ship (Takarabune) and bring New Year's luck: 1. Ebisu (the fisherman's fortune), 2. Daikokuten (prosperity), 3. Bishamonten (war and protection), 4. Benzaiten (music and knowledge, the only woman), 5. Fukurokuju (long life), 6. Jurojin (wisdom) and 7. Hotei (contentment, the pot-bellied one). Six are imported from China and India; only Ebisu is genuinely Japanese.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What is Shinto as distinct from Buddhism in Japan?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Shinto is the native Japanese religion, the veneration of the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span> in shrines with purification rituals, a bond with nature and the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Veneration of a family's deceased as continuing protective powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">ancestor cult<\/span>. Buddhism arrived in the 6th century from Korea and China. Over centuries the two merged into shinbutsu-sh\u016bg\u014d; gods and Buddhas were venerated as different aspects of the same reality. In 1868 (the Meiji Restoration) they were separated by the state. Today many Japanese practise both: Shinto for birth and marriage, Buddhism for funerals and the <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Veneration of a family's deceased as continuing protective powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">ancestor cult<\/span>.\"}}]}<\/script>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cb2453b e-con-boxed e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cb2453b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-659b8a3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"659b8a3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Further reading<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7526933 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7526933\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Shinto and its roots<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aj11-inner-000a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aj11-inner-000a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9b75ab4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9b75ab4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> (the Way of the Gods) is the original religion of Japan, having grown most likely out of prehistoric <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The belief that animals, plants and objects also possess a soul.\" tabindex=\"0\">animism<\/span> and ancestor cults. The gods, <em><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span><\/em>, are not otherworldly but present in mountains, trees, rivers, rocks, storms and extraordinary people.<\/p><p>The oldest written sources, the Kojiki (712) and Nihon Shoki (720), <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The transmission of knowledge and narratives across generations.\" tabindex=\"0\">record<\/span> the creation myths only after contact with Chinese script and Buddhist thought.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7e90a36 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7e90a36\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Buddhism in Japan<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bw-ff64818-9aaa379 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"bw-ff64818-9aaa379\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff64818 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ff64818\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Buddhism reached Japan in the 6th century by way of Korea. The first great schools, Tendai and Shingon, were founded in the 9th century by Saich\u014d and K\u016bkai.<\/p><p>In the Middle Ages the schools typical of Japan emerged: Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren. Rather than displacing <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span>, it merged with it; many <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"In Japanese Shinto, the venerated spirit beings and divine powers.\" tabindex=\"0\">kami<\/span> were read as local manifestations of cosmic Buddhas (<em>shinbutsu sh\u016bg\u014d<\/em>).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-da8d5c2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"da8d5c2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Yokai and folk belief<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bw-8e9edcb-998253d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"bw-8e9edcb-998253d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8e9edcb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8e9edcb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Japan has one of the richest yokai traditions in the world, supernatural beings beyond gods and spirits: tengu, kappa, kitsune, tanuki, onry\u014d, y\u016brei. Toriyama Sekien systematised the yokai <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the gods of a religion or culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">pantheon<\/span> in his picture books of the 18th century. Modern manga and anime culture keeps this tradition alive and exports it worldwide.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c9ea5fb elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c9ea5fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Religion in the present day<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bw-9b416d0-5f60f5b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"bw-9b416d0-5f60f5b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9b416d0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9b416d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Statistically, more than 70 per cent of Japanese describe themselves as without religion, yet practice tells a different story: shrine visits at New Year, weddings in <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> form, funerals in Buddhist form, Obon festivals for the ancestors. Japanese religion is less a question of personal belief than of ritualised life practice.<\/p><h3>State of research<\/h3><p>Japanese <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The discipline that studies religions comparatively and without confessional commitment.\" tabindex=\"0\">religious studies<\/span> were broadly developed in the 20th century by Japanese scholars (<span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"Japanese folklorist (1875-1962); founder of modern Japanese folklore studies.\" tabindex=\"0\">Yanagita Kunio<\/span>, Hori Ichiro) and Western researchers (Joseph Kitagawa, Helen Hardacre).<\/p><p>On the yokai tradition: Komatsu Kazuhiko, &#8220;An Introduction to Yokai Culture&#8221; (2017); on the yuurei tradition: Iwasaka and Toelken, &#8220;Ghosts and the Japanese&#8221; (1994). The distinction between <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span>, Buddhism and folk religion is treated with methodological precision in scholarship.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgcc-japan-sec e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"iwgcc-japan-sec\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" id=\"iwg-cc-japan\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgcc-japan-inner e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"iwgcc-japan-inner\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgcc-japan-h elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"iwgcc-japan-h\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Means of protection in this cultural tradition<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgcc-japan-t elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"iwgcc-japan-t\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Japanese protective tradition includes omamori pouches from Shinto and Buddhist shrines, small bronze bells (suzu) and hamaya arrows at New Year.<\/p><div data-nosnippet=\"true\"><p>iWell Guard takes its place within this cultural-historical line of wearable protective objects, in a contemporary architecture of materials, made in Germany. 41 layers, solid gold, platinum, silver. 30-day right of return.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgcc-japan-b iwg-cc-button iwg-cc-cta-2026-05-13 elementor-widget elementor-widget-jet-button\" data-id=\"iwgcc-japan-b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"jet-button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-jet-button jet-elements\"><div class=\"jet-button__container\"><a class=\"jet-button__instance jet-button__instance--icon-left hover-effect-1\" href=\"https:\/\/iwell-guard.com\/en\/about-iwell-guard-the-protective-pendant-in-detail\/?utm_source=iwell-guard.com&amp;utm_medium=info-box&amp;utm_campaign=kultur-tradition\"><div class=\"jet-button__plane jet-button__plane-normal\"><\/div><div class=\"jet-button__plane jet-button__plane-hover\"><\/div><div class=\"jet-button__state jet-button__state-normal\"><span class=\"jet-button__label\">More about the iWell Guard<\/span><\/div><div class=\"jet-button__state jet-button__state-hover\"><span class=\"jet-button__label\">More about the iWell Guard<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><style>.elementor-element.elementor-element-iwgcc-japan-b .jet-button__instance{width:320px;height:56px;}.elementor-element.elementor-element-iwgcc-japan-b .jet-button__state-normal .jet-button__label{text-align:center;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;color:#1a1b20;font-family:Montserrat,sans-serif;font-size:13px;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:4px;line-height:1.714em;text-transform:uppercase;}.elementor-element.elementor-element-iwgcc-japan-b .jet-button__state-hover .jet-button__label{text-align:center;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;color:#FECC76;font-family:Montserrat,sans-serif;font-size:13px;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:4px;line-height:1.714em;text-transform:uppercase;}.elementor-element.elementor-element-iwgcc-japan-b .jet-button__plane-normal{background-color:#FECC76;border-style:solid;border-color:#C99540;border-width:2px 2px 2px 2px;}.elementor-element.elementor-element-iwgcc-japan-b .jet-button__plane-hover{background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.55);border-style:solid;border-color:#FECC76;border-width:2px 2px 2px 2px;}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgcc-japan-d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"iwgcc-japan-d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div data-nosnippet=\"true\"><p style=\"text-align:center;font-size:13px;opacity:0.7;margin-top:14px\" data-nosnippet=\"true\">Personal experiences may vary. Not a medical device. No promise of healing.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgkw2-add-japan e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"iwgkw2-add-japan\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgkw2-add-japan-t elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"iwgkw2-add-japan-t\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Japanese <strong><span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The totality of the handed-down stories of the gods of a culture.\" tabindex=\"0\">mythology<\/span><\/strong> joins the creation narratives of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki with local <span class=\"iwg-fachbegriff\" data-tooltip=\"The indigenous religion of Japan, shaped by the veneration of the kami.\" tabindex=\"0\">Shinto<\/span> cults, Buddhist layers and folk spirit figures into a dense fabric of religious history.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgssrev-japan e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"iwgssrev-japan\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgssrev-japan-h elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"iwgssrev-japan-h\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Protective symbols from Japan<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-iwgssrev-japan-t elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"iwgssrev-japan-t\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The encyclopaedia of protective symbols treats several signs and objects from Japan on their own pages: <a href=\"\/en\/daruma-the-japanese-wish-and-protection-doll\/\">Daruma<\/a>, <a href=\"\/en\/hamaya-the-demon-breaking-arrow-for-the-japanese-new-year\/\">Hamaya<\/a>, <a href=\"\/en\/maneki-neko-the-japanese-beckoning-lucky-cat\/\">Maneki-neko<\/a>, <a href=\"\/en\/ofuda-the-japanese-shrine-talisman-for-the-home-altar\/\">Ofuda<\/a>, <a href=\"\/en\/omamori-the-japanese-protective-pouch\/\">Omamori<\/a>, <a href=\"\/en\/shimenawa-the-sacred-rice-straw-rope-of-shinto\/\">Shimenawa<\/a> and <a href=\"\/en\/shisa-the-lion-like-roof-guardians-of-okinawa\/\">Shisa<\/a>. The page on <a href=\"\/en\/protective-symbols\/\">protective symbols<\/a> offers a cross-cultural overview.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Japanese Gods, Shinto, Kami and Yokai Beings from the Japanese tradition on iWell Guard. Shinto and Buddhist synthesis. A rich world of yokai (spirits, demons, nature beings), kami of the forces of nature, ancestor veneration. Contents of this page: Classification History and pantheon Beings in everyday life Significance today Gods (8) Demons (1) Spirits (4) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4564,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"japanese gods","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Japanese Gods: Shinto, Kami, Yokai | iWell Guard","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Gods of Japan: Amaterasu, Susanoo, Tsukuyomi: the Shinto pantheon with Izanagi, Inari, Hachiman and seven gods of fortune.","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_angie_page":false,"gefaehrdungsstufe":"","wesen_kultur":"","wesen_klasse":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[79,92],"class_list":["post-4563","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultures","category-japan"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - 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