Japanese gods

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Izanagi (イザナギ/伊邪那岐/伊弉諾), formally referred to with a divine honorific as , is the creator deity (kami) of both creation and life in Japanese mythology. He and his sister-wife Izanami are the last of the seven generations of primordial deities that manifested after the formation of heaven and earth. Izanagi and Izanami are held to be the creators of the Japanese archipelago and the progenitors of many deities, which include the sun goddess Amaterasu, the moon deity Tsukuyomi, and the storm god Susanoo. He is a god that can be said to be the beginning of the current Japanese imperial family.

thumb|Statue of Yama (Buddhism)|Yama

thumb|300px|The Shinto deity Hachiman (Kamakura period 1326) at [[Tokyo National Museum (Lent by Akana Hachimangū), Important Cultural Property]] , formerly known in Shinto as Yahata, is the syncretic divinity of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Japanese Buddhism.

thumb|Sculpture of Raijin from Sanjūsangen-dō temple in [[Kyoto.Kamakura period, 13th century]]

Japanese god of fishers and luck

or , is a god in Japanese mythology. (no-Mikoto here is an honorific title applied to the names of Japanese gods; Ninigi is the specific god's name.) Grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, Ninigi is regarded according to Japanese mythology as the great-grandfather of Japan’s first emperor, Emperor Jimmu. The three sacred treasures brought with Ninigi from Heaven and divine ancestry established the Japanese Imperial Family. The three generations of kami starting with Ninigi are sometimes referred to as the Three Generations of Hyūga, they are said to represent a transitional period between the

or , also known as , is a god in Japanese mythology, the third and youngest son of Ninigi and Sakuyahime. He is one of the ancestors of the Emperors of Japan as the grandfather of Emperor Jimmu. He is also known as .

Ōkuninushi (; historical orthography: , ), also known as Ō(a)namuchi (Oho(a)namuchi) or Ō(a)namochi (Oho(a)namochi) among other variants, is a kami (divine figure) in Japanese mythology. He is one of the central deities in the myth cycle recorded in the () and the (720) alongside the sun goddess Amaterasu and her brother, the wild god Susanoo, who is reckoned to be either Ōkuninushi's distant ancestor or father. In these texts, he is portrayed as the head of the kunitsukami (gods of the earth) and the original ruler of the lush terrestrial world, .

thumb|right|300px|Sculpture of Fūjin from Sanjūsangen-dō temple in [[Kyoto.Kamakura period, 13th century]]

Ryūjin (龍神, ), which in some traditions is equivalent to Ōwatatsumi, was the tutelary deity of the sea in Japanese mythology. In many versions Ryūjin had the ability to transform into a human shape. Many believed the god had knowledge of medicine and many considered him as the bringer of rain and thunder, Ryūjin is also the patron god (ujigami) of several family groups.

is a syncretic Japanese deity of fortune, luck and wealth. Daikokuten originated from Mahākāla, the Buddhist conflated with the native Shinto god Ōkuninushi. He is a patron of farmers, cooks and jobs related to money such as bankers.

thumb|293x293px|Statue of Yatagarasu at Kumano Hongū Taisha|Kumano Hongu Taisha. is a mythical crow and guiding god in Shinto mythology. He is generally known for his three-legged figure, and his picture has been handed down since ancient times. The word means "eight-span crow" and the appearance of the great bird is construed as evidence of the will of Heaven or divine intervention in human affairs.

Chinese deity of death

In Japanese folklore and mythology, is the mythical king and god of the tengu, legendary creatures thought to inhabit the mountains and forests of Japan. Sōjōbō is a specific type of tengu called daitengu and has the appearance of a yamabushi, a Japanese mountain hermit. Daitengu have a primarily human form with some bird-like features such as wings and claws. The other distinctive physical characteristics of Sōjōbō include his long, white hair and unnaturally long nose.

two wrathful and muscular guardians of the Buddha standing at the entrance of Buddhist temples in East Asian Buddhism

is a Shinto kami, and is in Japanese mythology, the father of Japan's first Emperor, Emperor Jimmu.

thumb|upright|Fukurokuju thumb|upright|Fukurokuju by Morikuni (1679–1748) thumb|A stone sculpture of Fukurokuju in Komaki, [[Aichi Prefecture]] In Japan, is one of the Seven Lucky Gods in Japanese mythology. It has been theorized that he is a Japanese assimilation of the Chinese Three Star Gods () embodied in one deity. Most related in appearance to the Chinese star god Shou, he is the God of wisdom and longevity. According to some, before attaining divinity, he was a Chinese hermit of the Song dynasty and a reincarnation of the Taoist Deity, Xuantian Shangdi. It is said that during his human

thumb|upright|Jurōjin with deer thumb|right|upright|Japanese god of longevity thumb|upright|Jurojin. Netsuke. is one of Japanese mythology's Seven Gods of Fortune or . He is the god of longevity. Jurōjin originated from the Chinese Taoist god, the Old Man of the South Pole or Star of the Old Man. He is known as the immortal of the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127), and may have been a historical figure of the period. Jurōjin is identified as the personification of the imagined Southern Polar Star. While paintings and statues of Jurōjin are considered auspicious, he never developed a following

, in Japanese mythology and folklore, was a deity of the bounty of the sea and enchanted fisherman.

__FORCETOC__ Ōyama-tsumi (Old Japanese Opoyama-tumi; Kojiki: or Nihon Shoki: , , ), also '''Ōyama-tsumi-mi'oya-no-mikoto (), is a god of mountains, sea, and war in Japanese mythology. He is an elder brother of Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo. His other names are Watashi-no-Ōkami () and Sakatoke''' ().

, also pronounced Wadatsumi, is a legendary kami (神, god; deity; spirit), Japanese dragon and tutelary water deity in Japanese mythology. is believed to be another name for the sea deity Ryūjin (龍神, Dragon God) and also for the , which rule the upper, middle and lower seas respectively and were created when Izanagi was washing himself of the dragons blood when he returned from Yomi, "the underworld".

Kagutsuchi (カグツチ; Old Japanese: Kagututi), also known as Hi-no-Kagutsuchi or Homusubi among other names, is the kami of fire in classical Japanese mythology.

Rāgarāja () is a deity venerated in the Esoteric and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions. He is especially revered in Chinese Esoteric Buddhism in Chinese communities as well as Shingon and Tendai in Japan.

Japanese scholarship deity

deity in Shinto; leader of the earthly kami

thumb|390x390px|Amaterasu emerges from the Heavenly Rock Cave, bringing sunlight back to the world (Triptych by Kunisada) is a cave in Japanese mythology. According to the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and the Nihon Shoki, the bad behavior of Susano'o, the Japanese god of storms, drove his sister Amaterasu into the Ama-no-Iwato cave. The land was thus deprived of light.

An is a guardian kami of a particular place in the Shinto religion of Japan. The ujigami are prayed to for a number of reasons, including protection from sickness, success in endeavors, and good harvests.

thumb|Earthquake-warding song (a namazu-e woodblock pamphlet, October 1855). The figure holding down the [[Namazu (mythical catfish) is believed to be Takemikazuchi.]]

Amenooshihomimi (天忍穗耳尊,天之忍穂耳命) or Oshihomimi for short, is the first son of Amaterasu.

is the deity (kami) of food and grain in Japan. Originally enshrined in the Tanba Province, it is said she was called to reside at the of Ise Shrine in the 5th century, during the reign of Emperor Yūryaku, to offer sacred food to Amaterasu, the ruling kami and sun goddess. She is worshipped as a secondary kami at Chōkaisan Ōmonoimi Shrine. thumb|200px|Toyouke-Ōmikami (r: 5th row from the top) is a granddaughter to Izanagi by her father [[Wakumusubi, who was born while Izanami was still alive (based on Kojiki).]]

thumb|Yuzen shrine at Atami|Atami onsen enshrines Sukunabikona Sukunabikona or Sukuna bikona (少彦名神, also known as Sukuna-biko, Sukuna-biko-na, Sukuna hikona) is the Shinto kami of the onsen (hot springs), agriculture, healing, magic, brewing sake and knowledge. His name means "the small lord of renown." He is often described as being a dwarf and is frequently paired with Ōkuninushi.

thumb|An altar to Suijin, located along the Kiso River is a general name for the god of water in Japanese mythology. The term refers to the heavenly and earthly manifestations of the benevolent Shinto divinity of water (mainly freshwater), as well as to a wide variety of mythical and magical creatures found in lakes, ponds, springs, and wells, including serpents (snakes, dragons, eels, fish, turtles), and the flesh-eating kappa. Mizu-no-kamisama, Mizugami, or Suijin is popularly revered and worshipped in temples and continues to influence Japanese culture. Other names of Suijin include and .

Kangiten or Kankiten (, "god of bliss"; Sanskrit (IAST): ), also known as Binayaka (毘那夜迦; Skt. ), Ganabachi (誐那鉢底, alternatively Ganahachi or Ganahattei; Skt. ), or more commonly, Shōten or Shōden (聖天, lit. "sacred god" or "noble god"), is a deva (ten) venerated mainly in the Shingon and Tendai schools of Japanese Buddhism.

Japanese kami

Ajisukitakahikone (also Ajishikitakahikone or Ajisukitakahiko) is a kami in Japanese mythology. He is one of the sons of Ōkuninushi and the tutelary deity of Kamo.

Shinto gods of the sea and sailing

Ame-no-Koyane-no-mikoto (天児屋命, 天児屋根命) is a kami and a male deity in Japanese mythology and Shinto. He is the ancestral god of the Nakatomi clan, and Fujiwara no Kamatari, the founder of the powerful Fujiwara clan. An Amatsukami, 'Kami of heaven', he resides in Takamagahara.

Omoikane (思兼 or 思金) is a Shinto Kami of wisdom and intelligence. His name means "having the wisdom and thoughtfulness of many people". A heavenly deity who is called upon to "ponder" and give good counsel in the deliberations of the heavenly deities. In the myth where Amaterasu hid in a cave, he was entrusted with the task of finding a way to get her out. Carpenters pray to him during the construction of pillars in a building. Usually, Japanese people pray to Omoikane for success in school and exams.

is a Japanese deity (kami) of physical strength who appears in Japanese mythology. Ame-no-tajikarao is written as 天手力男神 in Kojiki, and 天手力雄神 in Nihon Shoki. Tajikarao's name means sky-hand-power-male.

Shinatsuhiko (Kojiki: 志那都比古神 - Long Blowing Lad, Nihon Shoki: 級長津彦命) is a Japanese mythological god of wind (Fūjin). Another name for this deity is Shinatobe, who may originally have been a separate goddess of wind.

, also known as , is a warrior god in Japanese mythology. Also known under the epithet Katori Daimyōjin () after his shrine in northern Chiba Prefecture (historical Shimōsa Province), Katori Jingū, he is often revered alongside Takemikazuchi (the god of Kashima Shrine), with whom he is closely associated (his brother). He is the general of Amaterasu and regarded as a legendary ancestor of the Mononobe clan, and like Takemikazuchi is one of the tutelary deities of the Fujiwara clan.

is a kami of sun and agriculture in Japanese mythology. The Shinsen Shōjiroku marks his descendants as .

Myōken (, ; Chinese: 妙見菩薩 (Traditional) / 妙见菩萨 (Simplified), ; Japanese: 妙見菩薩, Myōken Bosatsu), also known as Sonjō-Ō (尊星王, "Venerable Star King", also Sonsei-Ō or Sonshō-Ō), is a Buddhist deification of the North Star worshiped mainly in the Shingon, Tendai and Nichiren schools of Japanese Buddhism.

Amatsu-Mikaboshi (天津甕星), also called Ame-no-Kagaseo (天香香背男) or Hoshi-no-Kami Kagaseo (星神香香背男), is a god of stars who appears in Japanese mythology. No reference to Mikaboshi is made in the Kojiki, however, he plays a minor role in the Nihon Shoki as a deity insubordinate to the amatsukami during the latter's subjugation of the land.

a Japanese kami believed to be the local avatar (Gongen) of Buddhist bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha. The cult originated in Shugendō practices on Mount Atago in Kyoto

is a Shinto kami of the seashore. He is considered to be the ancestor of the Azumi people. He is worshiped at a number of shrines, including of Kitakyushu, Shikaumi Shrine on Shika Island, and of Tsushima.

Futodama () or Futotama is a god in Japanese mythology, claimed to be the ancestor of Inbe clan, whose characteristics are believed to reflect the functions of the clan as court ritualists.

Japanese deity

thumb|right|200px|Binbōgami shrine (Binbōgami Jinja), Koto, Tokyo|Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan

thumb|Illustration by Kikuchi Yōsai, from [[Zenken Kojitsu]]

thumb|200px|right|Marker dedicated to one of the Chimata-No-Kami, Douso-jin (道祖神)

Nigihayahi is a Japanese god. He is mentioned in the Kojiki, Kujiki, and Nihon Shoki. He appears in the legend of Jimmu's Eastern Expedition, killing Nagasunehiko, a follower and the brother-in-law of Nigihayahi, and submitting to Jimmu.

is the Shinto kami ("god; deity") of folk wisdom, knowledge and agriculture, and is represented in Japanese mythology as a scarecrow who cannot walk but has comprehensive awareness.

Amatsuhikone (天津日子根命,天津彥根命, which means little lad of Heaven) in Japanese mythology is the third son of Amaterasu.

thumb|Vajrayakṣa Vidya-Raja thumb|Vajrayakṣa Vidya-Raja

Okami (淤加美神, Okami-no-kami) in the Kojiki, or in the Nihon Shoki: or , is a legendary Japanese dragon and Shinto deity of rain and snow. In Japanese mythology, the sibling progenitors Izanagi and Izanami gave birth to the islands and gods of Japan. After Izanami died from burns during the childbirth of the fire deity Kagu-tsuchi, Izanagi was enraged and killed his son. Kagutsuchi's blood or body, according to differing versions of the legend, created several other deities, including Kuraokami.

Kukunochi (久久能智神 – Tree Trunk Elder) is the kami of trees, the kami is also called Ki-no-kami, or Kuku-no-shi. He is the brother of Ōyamatsumi, Shimatsuhiko, and Watatsumi.

Japanese plague deity, historically conflated with Susanoo

gods of earth, clay, and pottery in Japanese mythology