is a Japanese word, meaning a ''

kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...

'' (or

deity A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

) who is a human being. It first appeared in the ''

Nihon Shoki The or , sometimes translated as ''The Chronicles of Japan'', is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the , the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeol ...

'' () as the words of Yamato Takeru saying: "I am the son of an ''arahitogami''." In 1946, at the request of the GHQ, the Shōwa Emperor (Hirohito) proclaimed in the

Humanity Declaration The is an imperial rescript issued by Hirohito, the emperor of Japan, as part of a New Year's statement on 1 January 1946 at the request of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. In the rescript, which started with his citation of the ...

that he had never been an , divinity in human form, and claimed his relation to the people did not rely on such a

mythological Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

idea but on a historically developed family-like reliance. However, the declaration excluded the word ''arahitogami''. In

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

it is somewhat common for a person to be revered as a god, especially after they died, examples include Sugawara no Michizane and

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

. It is also linked to the Chinese concept of Worship of the living.

Overview

, also known as "man-god" or "human deity," is a belief in

in which humans are worshipped as gods during their lives or after their deaths. The term "Hitogami" is derived from the Japanese words "hito," meaning "human," and "kami," meaning "god." In Japan, this belief is also known as "ikigami" or "arahitogami," especially when the deity is a living person. This concept is distinct from the ujigami (Japanese: "guardian deity") belief system, which focuses on a deity's connection to a specific family or geographic origin. In contrast, the hitogami belief system emphasizes personal faith as the basis for membership in the circle of believers. People who become human deities include sorcerers, priests, and others who possess special and unusual magical powers, tribal chiefs, kings, and others with superior skills, such as outstanding dancers, soldiers, and others, as well as physically disabled people, Confucian scholars, and foreign aliens who are different from ordinary people. In Japanese folk beliefs, human deities are diverse and can be divided into those who are deified during life and those who are worshipped as human deities after death. The practice of deifying humans after death is a way to put to rest the legacy of those who have died with a grudge. Examples of the former include toya (head priests), miko (shrine maidens), and masquerading deities in the rituals of the miya-za. Throughout Japanese history, the hitogami and ujigami belief systems have interacted with one another. Examples of the hitogami belief system can be seen in the deification of heroes like

Hachiman In Japanese religion, ''Yahata'' (八幡神, ancient Shinto pronunciation) formerly in Shinto and later commonly known as Hachiman (八幡神, Japanese Buddhist pronunciation) is the syncretic divinity of archery and war, incorporating elements f ...

(god of war) and Tenjin (god of calligraphy), as well as in the ecstatic singing and dancing of Japanese festival processions, and in the charismatic leadership of some of Japan's "new religions." In ancient societies, it was common for aristocrats who were defeated in political disputes to manifest their grudge as a curse after death and to offer sacrifices to gods in order to quell the curse. This belief is prevalent in Japan and is known by various names such as "ikigami" or "arahitogami." People who become human deities include sorcerers, priests, kings, and others with special and superior skills, as well as physically disabled people, Confucian scholars, and foreign aliens who are different from ordinary people. The practice of deifying humans after death is a way to put to rest the legacy of those who have died with a grudge.

People as Yorishiro

Persons can play the same role as a , and in that case are called or .Iwanami

Kōjien is a single-volume Japanese dictionary first published by Iwanami Shoten in 1955. It is widely regarded as the most authoritative dictionary of Japanese, and newspaper editorials frequently cite its definitions. As of 2007, it had sold 11 mi ...

(広辞苑) Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version

Difference between ''akitsumikami'' and ''arahitogami''

''Akitsumikami'' is often translated as "divine" or "divinity", but some Western scholars (including John W. Dower and Herbert P. Bix) explained that its real meaning is "manifest

" (or, more generally, " incarnation of a god"), and that therefore the emperor would still be, according to the declaration, an ''arahitogami'' ("living god"), although not an ''akitsumikami'' ("manifest kami"). Jean Herbert explains that, according to the Japanese tradition, the figure of the emperor would be "the extension in time" of the goddess

Amaterasu , often called Amaterasu () for short, also known as and , is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. Often considered the chief deity (''kami'') of the Shinto pantheon, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the () ...

and the previous emperors, representing a ''naka ima'' (中今?). Consequently, it would be inadmissible to deny its divine origin.

Notes

Japanese folklore Political history of Japan Shinto kami {{Suwa Faith Shinto Types of deities

Overview

People as Yorishiro

Difference between ''akitsumikami'' and ''arahitogami''

See also

Notes