The gods behind the festivals
Most Japanese festivals are held for a kami, the deity of a local shrine. Knowing who they are makes every parade and ritual easier to understand.
Amaterasu
The sun goddess who once hid in a cave and plunged the world into darkness. She is the most important kami in Shinto and the ancestor of Japan's imperial family.
Hachiman
The kami of archery and protection, guardian of the samurai and of the nation. Tens of thousands of Hachiman shrines stand across Japan.
Inari
The kami of rice and prosperity, famous for tunnels of orange torii gates and stone foxes. More shrines in Japan are dedicated to Inari than to any other kami.
Susanoo
The storm god who was thrown out of heaven, slew an eight-headed serpent, and is now the guardian at the center of Kyoto's Gion Matsuri.
Tenjin
A brilliant scholar who died in exile and was feared as an angry spirit, then honored as a kami. Today Tenjin is the god of learning, and students pray to him before exams.