Kami

The Kami are the gods and demigods of Japan. They are ruled by the most august Sun Goddess Amaterasu Omikami no Mikoto-sama from her Imperial palace in the heavenly realm of Takamagahara.

There are two major divisions among the Kami. The Amatsu-Kami, who are native to the demesne of Takamagahara; and the Kunitsu-Kami, spirits who are native to Toyoashiwara (Earth). The structure of the Kami is very hierarchical. The Amatsu-Kami stand above the Kunitsu-Kami in this hierarchy. Their society closely mirrors that of Imperial Japan; or, rather, Imperial Japan mirrored the structure of the Amatsu-Kami, as the Emperors were direct descendents of Amaterasu.

Takamagahara, the otherworldly demesne of most kami, can be primarily accessed through several major sacred sites in the Japanese archipelago, such as the Ise Grand Shrine. Some of the more potent Amatsu-Kami may also access the realm directly through the use of sacred treasures or powerful magic regardless of their location.

Shinto Gods and Goddesses

Divine Progenitors

Izanagi - Father of the Pantheon, Japanese name for the Demiurge. Izanami - Mother of the Pantheon, Japanese name for Gaea. A fragment of her broke off during the violent birth of Kagetsuchi, the Fire God. This aspect of Gaea became the ruler of their underworld, ideologuically adjacent to realms such as Tartarus.

Izanagi and Izanami’s children (in order of birth)

Hiruko ‘The Leech Child’ - First born of Izanagi and Izanami. Hiruko was born deformed and lacking any bones because Izanami initiated the mating in an inauspicious fashion, so it was cast adrift and left to die. Kagetsuchi - The God of Fire, burned Izanami to ‘death’ being born. Raijin/Kaminari - The Goddess of Thunder and Noise. She is sometimes portrayed as an Oni due to her wild untamed ways. Currently engaged in a successful career as a rock musician living among mortals. Fujin/Futen - The Goddess of Wind, also often portrayed as an Oni for similar reasons and almost always together with her sister Kaminari. Amaterasu - The Most August of the Amatsu-Kami, the Sun Goddess, she is one of the three major Shinto deities and was made the ruler of Takamagahara by Izanagi. She is also the progenitor of the male side of the Japanese Imperial line. Tsuku-Yomi - Genderless Moon deity, at times god or goddess. One of the three major Shinto deities. They were given Dominion over the Night by Izanagi. Susa-no-O - The God of Storms, last of the three major Shinto deities. He was made the ruler of the Sea by Izanagi. He is also a Trickster figure. Ogetsu Hime - The Goddess of Food. She was famously killed by Tsuku-Yomi for being gross, which was the reason for the split between the Sun and the Moon (Day and Night). But Gods have a tendency to not stay dead and she appears again later.

Heavenly Deities of other lineage

Ame-no-Uzume - The Goddess of Dawn, Mirth, Revelry, and the Arts. She is famous for enticing Amaterasu back out of her cave after the Demiurge began to recover from Ragnarok. Omoikane - God of Wisdom and Thought, and another name for Agamotto. His lineage is as ancient as he is wise, being the son of Hoggoth, also known as Takami Musubi.

Major Kunitsu-Kami

Kushinadahime - Wife taken by Susa-no-O during his time in Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni, Mother of Okuninushi, Deified Mortal, Goddess of Rice. Okuninushi - God of Nation Building, Agriculture, Magic, and the Unseen World. He is the son of Susa-no-O and Leader of the Kunitsu-Kami. The first ruler of Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni before the descent of the Imperial Line. Ryujin - Dragon God, rules the depths of the sea from his palace beneath the waves. Representative of the primal power of the sea, placated to avoid tsunamis and sea quakes. Hachiman - Deified Mortal (Emperor Ojin, 3rd-4th C.). He became the God of War following his death. Tenjin - Deified mortal (Sugawara no Michizane, 845-903). A mortal scholar so gifted he became the God of Education and Learning. Also a God of Natural Disasters placated to avoid his curses. Inari - God of Rice, Fertility, Business, and Foxes. Actually an outsider, he arrived in Japan during the Yayoi period and became widely worshipped. Shichifukujin - The Seven Lucky Gods. They are Benzaiten, Ebisu, Bishamonten, Daikokuten, Jurojin, Hotei, Fukurokuju. With the exception of Ebisu they are all foreign deities who found their way to Japan and decided to make their home among the Kunitsu-Kami. Like Inari they have come to enjoy wide popularity.

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The Kami are a collective of Japanese gods and demigods, represented by the ten most influential deities among their ranks.

Their shared realm is known as The Heavenly Court of the East. Of the many minor deities, only ten gods sit the seated council of the court at this time. Each of the council members has a single vote, but that vote must in turn reflect the votes of the lesser gods who affiliate with them. Even the minor deities who are ideologues for such concepts as 'oil lanterns' or 'bonsai trees' may contribute to the council, creating bureaucratic infighting and legislative inertia that would shame Byzantine.

The council is headed nominally by the most worshiped (and thus most powerful) of the Kami. Currently that is Amaterasu, whose rule over the court is quite firm as the primogenitor of the Heavenly Court of the East. Power struggles and courtly intrigue are not unknown, but primarily the court is concerned with focusing the will of the gods for the betterment of their earthly worship.

The Shinto are spiritually bound to the island of Japan and most of their realms are accessible only from locations on that island. Mortals have stumbled into these locations, but at great peril and sometimes with disastrous consequences.

Gods of the Shinto

• Amaterasu: The Sun goddess herself. Her Shinobi are known for their passion and talent for complex fire magic. She is the oldest of the Shinto gods and still extremely potent, despite the decline of sun-worshipping. The Imperial lineage of Japan descends geneologically from Amaterasu.

• Inari: Goddess of rice and business. She is the most highly regarded among the Kami at the moment. Her Shinobi are known as “Kitsune”, and live up to their foxy reputation as being shrewd, but sly. In recent years Inari's order has been rocked by scandal, with one Shinobi going rogue and killing her predecessor. This resulted in the the selection of her first male Shinobi since the order was founded. Her power has waned slightly due to the loss of harmony she has experienced.

• Hachiman: The Japanese god of war, who tends to be more preoccupied with “the art of war” as a whole rather than a focus on simply combat. His Shinobi have become most famous for their capacity for advising officers in the field, and the use of more modern weaponry for their ends.

• Fujin, Raijin and Ryujin: The Gods of the Storm. This trio of spirits have something of an overlapping domain as it pertains to storms. Fujin is concerned with the wind; Raijin the lightning and thunder; and Ryujin who calls the typhoons from the sea. The Shinobi pledged to these temples have historically been either best of friends or the worst of enemies, and rarely are they encountered by themselves.

• Tsukuyomi: The God of the moon. His Shinobi's talents for subterfuge and stealth make them Inari’s primary rivals. This sect has been almost exclusively male since it’s founding, and their Shinobi have a reputation for beauty and charm.

• Tenjin: Originally a god focused primarily upon poetry, in more recent times his portfolio has come to embrace the arts in general. His Shinobi are encouraged to develop their artistic sides, and often wear colorful garb into battle. Despite a quirky penchant for tagging walls with graffiti at night, they are otherwise every bit as capable as the rest of the traditions.

• Omoikane: The god of Wisdom has found close friends with Tenjin in most recent years. For many years rumors suggested Omoikane had no traditional Ninja and no Shinobi in the order. In more recent years it has become increasingly obvious that his disciples have simply taken the “spy” part of the game more seriously than others. Invisible in plain sight, they are the only sect to dispense with traditional shrines and typical uniforms entirely.

• Sarutahiko: The mighty Earth god. The members of this sect have a well established reputation for incredible feats of raw strength and endurance. Originally strongmen and miners, they are now overwhelmingly environmentalists and protectors of sand and soil alike.