![]() She appears on snowy nights as a tall, beautiful woman with long black hair, and piercing eyes. Yuki-Onna is the Kami of blizzards, known as ‘snow girl’. Shrines have been built on Mount Fuji for Konohanasakuya-Hime, to prevent it from erupting, but shrines to her have been repeatedly destroyed by volcanic eruptions. Although associated with fragility, she also resided over the volcanoes of Japan, reflectinga more violent side to her nature. Konohanasakuya-Hime is the Kami of tree blossoms, embodying the delicate earth life. He was amazed to see her true form as a water dragon, and in shame, she abandoned her husband and child. Sadly, Hoori was overcome with curiosity, and spied on her in secret. Toyotama-Hime fell pregnant with their child, and she asked Hoori not to watch on her while she gave birth to their child. She took human form to marry the fisherman Hoori. She came out from her hiding spot, returning light to the world. The sun Kami peered out to see what all the fuss was about, and saw her glorious reflection in a mirror which Uzume had placed on a tree. They laughed at her entertainment, capturing the attention of Amaterasu. To coax Amaterasu out of the cave, she tore off her clothes in front of the other kami and began to dance. It was Ama-No-Uzume who helped bring an end to this darkness. In one Japanese myths, the land went dark for an age, when Amaterasu hid away in a cave. She was a solar goddess, and painted the landscape of Japan with the glow of her aura, endowing it with light, colour and shade. After failing to save his sister from the underworld, Amaterasu was born from the tears of his left eye. ![]() Amaterasu was the first daughter created by Izanagi. Thus she became known as the Kami of creation and death. Sadly, she died while giving birth to her last son, and passed to the underworld. Together, they created the islands of Japan using a divine spear, and went on to sire the rest of the Kami. Izanami travelled to Earth with her brother Izanagi. ![]() One of her prodigy was Izanami, who would go onto create the physical world. She resided over a celestial realm, which had no form, and floated in the ether like oil on water. She was known as the great parent, an All-mother to the rest of the Kami. She had no progenitor, and embodied the celestial plane. For centuries, Shinto religious festivals and ceremonies have become indistinguishable from the affairs of the government.Kamimusubi was one of the first Kami to emerge at the beginning of the time. As the foundation for Japanese culture, Shinto has also played a significant role in the political realm. This has enabled Shinto to exist in harmony with other religious traditions. Related to the kami is the understanding that the Shinto followers are supposed to live in harmony and peaceful coexistence with both nature and other human beings. In this sense, the kami are not like the all-powerful divine beings found in Western religion, but the abstract creative forces in nature. Shinto understands that the kami not only exist as spiritual beings, but also in nature they are within mountains, trees, rivers, and even geographical regions. Belief in kami-sacred or divine beings, although also understood to be spiritual essences-is one of the foundations of Shinto. Shinto has been formative in developing uniquely Japanese attitudes and sensitivities, creating a distinct Japanese consciousness. ![]() Shinto has no founder, no official sacred texts, and no formalized system of doctrine. Shinto ("the way of the Kami") is the name of the formal state religion of Japan that was first used in the 6th century C.E., although the roots of the religion go back to at least the 6th century B.C.E.
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