Shinto

Shinto shrines come in many sizes. Often small shrines will be placed in special areas to designate their significance.

Shinto, also kami-no-michi, is an indigenous religion of Japan and the people of Japan. It is defined as an action-centered religion, focused on ritual practices to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient past. Technically existing in archaic forms as early as 660 BC, Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written historical records of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in the 8th century.

Still, these earliest Japanese writings do not refer to a unified "Shinto religion", but rather to a collection of native beliefs and mythology which contain archaic variants. Shinto today is a term that applies to the religion of public shrines devoted to the worship of a multitude of gods (kami), suited to various purposes such as war memorials and harvest festivals, and applies as well to various sectarian organizations. In practice, few Japanese still consider it literal, but see it as more heavily ingrained with and important to Japanese culture.

The word Shinto ("way of the gods") was adopted, originally as Shindo, from the written Chinese Shendao , combining two kanji: "shin", meaning "spirit" or kami; and "tō", meaning a philosophical path or study (from the Chinese word dào). The oldest recorded usage of the word Shindo is from the second half of the 6th century. Kami are defined in English as "spirits", "essences" or "gods", referring to the energy generating the phenomena.

Since Japanese language does not distinguish between singular and plural, kami refers to the divinity, or sacred essence, that manifests in multiple forms: rocks, trees, rivers, animals, places, and even people can be said to possess the nature of kami. Kami and people are not separate; they exist within the same world and share its interrelated complexity. In-game, one can tie this to the fact that demons in some sense are said to pervade and relate to the human mind. Though obviously the kind of partial jungian psychological sense of this that the game also borders on is different from the historical Japanese one.

Shrine maidens, known as Miko are a common staple in Shinto shrines. Some are seen working for Douman in smti.

Shinto is the largest religion in Japan, practiced in some form by nearly 80% of the population, yet only a small percentage of these identify themselves as "Shintoists" in surveys. This is due to the fact that "Shinto" has different meanings in Japan, referring to the priesthood and practices more than to lay followers. Most of the Japanese attend Shinto shrines and beseech kami without belonging to an institutional "Shinto" religion.

The term itself was considered related more to the specific religious practice itself, with the general beliefs in the wider sense historically not really having a name. This also has to do with why many people still consider themselves members, due to engaging in the culture, even though many do not still consider it literal. There were different versions of the practice historically, and even a special variant exclusively for the royal families.

In-game there is an interesting split. The shinto amatsukami show up as law (though are never seen in plot roles on the law side), and the kunitsukami show up as chaos. However, the religion itself is most associated with the neutral churches and shrines. And while the amatsukami are the high gods and main shinto deities, even the chaotic gaian priests and temples and practitioners seems more eastern inspired than the lawful messian religion. So there''s an interesting split in-game for some of the religions between where the gods show up, versus which in-game religions actually look like spiritual successors to certain real ones.

Ryobu shinto refers to the particular form of shinto mixed with shingon buddhism, in which the higher kami are seen as manifestations of buddhas, specifically amaterasu as a manifestation of vairochana. While not a major plot element, the association of amaterasu and the amatsu with the diamond realm in smtii hints at drawing on such a perspective for neutral. Although notably, vairochana himself is not associated with the area, despite being in the game.

Kami - General

Kami or shin is defined in English as "god", "spirit", “phenomenon” or "spiritual essence", all these terms meaning the energy generating a thing. Since the Japanese language does not distinguish between singular and plural, kami refers to the divinity, or sacred essence, that manifests in multiple forms. Rocks, trees, rivers, animals, places, and even people can be said to possess the nature of kami. Kami and people exist within the same world and share its interrelated complexity.

Shinto gods are collectively called yaoyorozu no kami an expression literally meaning "eight million kami", but interpreted as meaning "myriad". They are elements in nature, animals, creationary forces in the universe, as well as spirits of the revered deceased. Many Kami are considered the ancient ancestors of entire clans, and some ancestors became Kami upon their death if they were able to embody the values and virtues of Kami in life. Traditionally, great or charismatic leaders like the Emperor could be kami. In SMTV they talk about the eight million kami in the japanese version, with the chaos ending talking about their restoration.

Kami refers particularly to the power of phenomena that inspire a sense of wonder and awe in the beholder (the sacred), testifying to the divinity of such a phenomenon. The kami reside in all things, but certain objects and places are designated for the interface of people and kami. Since it can also mean phenomena, not all kami were necessarily sentient per say, but there were degrees of independent sentience. This also can tie it in loosely with the jungian ideas present in the game, and how demons are seen to be everywhere, despite not always being strictly speaking independently sentient, as embodiments of natural forces.

In Shinto, Kami are not separate from nature, but are part of nature, possessing positive and negative, good and evil characteristics. They are manifestations of musubi (note nocturne's reference here, though the word has no context really) the interconnecting energy of the universe, and are considered exemplary of what humanity should strive towards. (Note gaians trying to be able to stand toe to toe with demons) Kami are believed to be “hidden” from this world, and inhabit a complementary existence that mirrors our own, shinkai (the world of the Kami) To be in harmony with the awe inspiring aspects of nature is to be conscious of kannagara no michi (the way of the Kami.) Note that kami are not necessarily considered all-good, yet moving in tune with them and nature is considered an ideal anyways. Which is fairly chaotic in tone. In IV, calling a nature dragon a holy beast gives you chaos points. Note also that the dark world in raidou seems to parallel the hidden kami world.

Though the word Kami is translated in multiple ways into English, no one English word expresses its full meaning. In this way, the ambiguity of the meaning of Kami is necessary, as it conveys the ambiguous nature of Kami themselves. As Shinto is an inclusive religion, Kami has been expanded to include things such as Buddhas and the Abrahamic God. (And so parralels in game use of the word demon as all-inclusive) There are other spirits designated as Kami as well. For example, the guardian spirits of the land, occupations, and skills; spirits of Japanese heroes, men of outstanding deeds or virtues, and those who have contributed to civilization, culture and human welfare; those who have died for the state or the community; and the pitiable dead. Not only spirits superior to man can be considered Kami, but also spirits that are considered pitiable or weak have been considered Kami in Shinto. Explaining how people like maskado in game are simply considered demons. And other notable figures as well, like Jeanne d' arc.

There are natural places considered to have an unusually sacred spirit about them, and are objects of worship. They are frequently mountains, trees, unusual rocks, rivers, waterfalls, and other natural things. In most cases they are on or near a shrine grounds. The shrine is a building in which the kami is enshrined (housed). It is a sacred space, creating a separation from the "ordinary" world. The kamidana is a household shrine that acts as a substitute for a large shrine on a daily basis. In each case the object of worship is considered a sacred space inside which the kami spirit actually dwells, being treated with respect.

In the ancient Shinto traditions there were 5 defining characteristics of Kami.

1: Kami are of two minds. They can nurture and love when respected, or they can cause destruction and disharmony when disregarded. Kami must be appeased in order to gain their favor and avoid their wrath. Traditionally, Kami possess two souls, one gentle (nigi-mitama) and the other assertive (ara-mitama); additionally in Yamakage Shinto kami have two additional souls that are hidden, one happy (sachi-mitama) and one mysterious (kushi-mitama).

2: Kami are not visible to the human realm. Instead they inhabit sacred places, natural phenomena or people during rituals that ask for their blessing.

3: They are mobile, visiting their places of worship, of which there can be several, but never staying forever. This can tie to the fact that in-game they are considere embodiments of things, yet when summoned can be seperated from whatever those things are.

4: There are many different varieties of Kami. There are 300 different classifications of Kami listed in the Kojiki, and they all have different functions, such as the Kami of wind, Kami of entryways, and Kami of roads.

5: Lastly, all Kami have a different guardianship or duty to the people around them. Just as the people have an obligation to keep the Kami happy, the Kami have to perform the specific function of the object, place, or idea they inhabit. Explaining of course how they are embodiments of natural things.

Kami are an ever-changing concept, but their presence in Japanese life has remained constant. The Kami’s earliest roles were as earth-based spirits, assisting the early hunter-gatherer groups in their daily lives, worshipped as gods of earth (mountains) and sea. As the cultivation of rice became increasingly important and predominant in Japan the Kami’s identity shifted to more sustaining roles that were directly involved in the growth of crops, such as rain, earth, and rice. This relationship between early Japanese people and the Kami was manifested in rituals and ceremonies meant to entreat the Kami to grow and protect the harvest. These rituals also became a symbol of power and strength for the early emperors.

Kami - Types

There are considered to be two main variations of Kami,

1: amatsu-kami ("kami of heaven"), seen as more akin to angels or polytheistic gods and the rulers of heaven. In the series this is a race that shows up as light-law, excdpt for susano-o who is an exception. Obvious example of an amatsukami being Amaterasu.

One subtle but recurring theme is the fact that the amatsu are meant to actually lean towards law. In the later games, them taking over japan is presented as something they did likely with the help of the angels, and as part of the larger globalist universalist force. You occasionally see amatsu working with law, such as in strange journey with the yatagarasu. However, they are also shown using the diamond realm as a base in II. And so are associated with neutral through this. As such, while they are always law leaning (even in II the law theme plays for them), law leaning figures can still be on the neutral side. Though some are shown explicitly working for law in some later games like SJ, and in an interview they imply that to be the case. So not every universe is necessarily the same.

Despite this, the amatsu alignment rep in V actually works for chaos, albeit a more neutral chaos as opposed to the dark chaos that is normally seen.

2: kunitsu-kami ("kami of earth") are those which live on earth and are closer to nature spirits. Though both types of god can be worshiped, the heavenly ones are generally considered higher. In-game the kunitsu show up as light-chaos.

Note that in the series at large, chaos is associated with the earth. But what is more subtle is that the contrast to this is that law is associated more with the sky. Most flying demons are law for example. Despite many of them not really acting lawful, but even so. Note that heaven in general, despite being used as a name for a spiritual place, also means sky more generally. So law being associated with the sky flies under the radar a bit for people not seeing the word heaven in this light, or not realizing the cloud motifs can be seen as actual clouds. So there is a sky / earth dichotomy going on in the series at large. With neutral in a sense trying to balance these influences and have them work together. (Note that fallen angels are subtly associated with earth in game also. Lucifer talks about being cast to the earth. And in christianity is called the prince of the world, which can be a loose earth association).

The earth kami were considered native to japan itself, while the heavenly kami were considered wider in scope, and in some senses invaders, though ones that were viewed highly, and which the japanese people descended from in a sense. (This has a historical parralel in that many kunitsu were gods of japan natives that were relegated to lower status when yamato people took over. Gods such as Arahabaki were relegated to kunitsu for this reason.) In raidou, you see Sukuna hikona claiming that the heavenly kami were invaders who subjugated the earthly ones, and he wanted revenge for this. You can see the games also loosely interpret this split as relating to angels and demons, or the sides in general. Especially with angels being seen as “outsiders” to japan, and by earthly gods in general. And with some demons under lucifer being represented as never particularly being ex angels at all, but rather simply demonized gods. And though it rarely comes into the main story, there are other polytheistic gods seen working with the angels and gods considering it a more general universal group. The amatsukami representing a more universal scope are thus depicted as law, with the kunitsukami who are native to japan being depicted as more particular.

This is made more obvious in that most flying demons are thrown onto law. And demons and chaos are considered earthly or nature spirits associated with ground, but with law associated with sky. And chaos gods are considered more tied to a particular location, showing differentiation, whereas law professes to be universal, showing a lack of it. (An asian idea being that the sky covers all equally and the same). Though is not generally shown explicitly fighting for the law side as a character. Sukuna Hikona's lines about being subjugated and cast down in raidou paralleling the lines that the demons use, further the demon / earth god association. As does the fact that many of these demons were represented as simply being polytheistic gods before being branded demons. And of course since in shinto the eath and sky gods are not necessarily meant as enemies, you have neutral endings talking about some of them getting along. In this sense, lucifer working alongside shinto earth gods and hindu and buddhist asuras would not be seen as very odd, if he is trying to represent a group that is associated with more earth gods, and rejecting the more universal sky. (obviously the alignments don't have that clean of a split. But you get the idea.) Since chaos often talks about revering nature, whereas law considers its use more pragmatic, this association makes sense as well. And neutral can be considered a balance between them, as it tends to be. Since unlike angels and fallen angels, these sky and earth gods get along better. (Though obviously have fights from time to time.)

In II, the center however represents intolerance as well. They are described as having sided with the earth gods to seal away the heavenly gods. But later, the center betrayed them and sealed them away as well. Which is interesting, considering that they are shown working with tyrants later. So it can possibly reflect their craziness. Using people, and then betraying their own allies, wherever and whoever they may be. Which since the center parallels authoritarian governments is a thing that happens in such cases as well. Note that it is interesting that the center sided with the chaos gods to seal away the japanese law gods.

Mitama refers to the spirit of a kami or the soul of a dead person. The ara-mitama is the rough and violent side of a spirit. A kami's first appearance is as an ara-mitama, which must be pacified with appropriate pacification rites and worship so that the nigi-mitama can appear. The nigi-mitama is the normal state of the kami, its functional side, while the ara-mitama appears in times of war or natural disasters. These two souls are usually considered opposites, and Motoori Norinaga believed the other two to be no more than aspects of the nigi-mitama. Ara-mitama and nigi-mitama are in any case independent agents, so much so that they can sometimes be enshrined separately in different locations and different shintai.

Saki mitama. is the soul of blessing and prosperity. In a scene of the Nihon Shoki, kami Ōnamuchi is described in conversation with his own saki-mitama and kushi-mitama. Within Shinto also exists the idea that this the soul which brings good harvests and catches. Motoori Norinaga and others however believe this to be no more than a function of the nigi-mitama. Kushi mitama. is the "wondrous soul" which appears together with the saki-mitama, the providing soul, which is the power behind the harvest. It is believed to have mysterious powers, to cause transformations and to be able to cure illnesses.

In game, mitamas show up as things that can be used to fuse with demons to enhance different abilities. Presumably what is being gotten at is that adding extra essence to certain parts of the soul enhances those aspects.

Kami - Worship

Within Shinto, it is believed that the nature of life is sacred because the Kami began human life. Yet, man cannot perceive this divine nature, which the Kami created, on his own; therefore, magokoro, or purification, is necessary in order to see the divine nature. This purification can only be granted by the Kami. In order to please the Kami and earn magokoro, Shinto followers are taught to uphold the four affirmations of Shinto.

1: The first affirmation is to hold onto tradition and the family. Family is seen as the main mechanism by which traditions are preserved. For instance, with marriages or births, traditions can be practiced repeatedly. (Both of these involve focusing on your ingroup, which is arguably chaotic, though the structure can be seen as more lawful.)

2: The second affirmation is to have a love of nature. Nature objects are worshipped as sacred because the Kami live within them. Therefore, to be in contact with nature means to be in contact with the gods. Respected as powers of nature, who simply act and generate life, more than total moral. Which you can point out has a chaotic tone, not ideologically, but because chaos is associated with te earth.

3: The third affirmation is to maintain physical cleanliness. Followers of Shinto take baths, wash their hands, and rinse out their mouths often.

4: The last affirmation is to practice matsuri, which is the worship and honor given to the Kami and the ancestral spirits.

Additionally, Shinto followers believe that the Kami are the ones who can either grant blessings or curses to a person. Shinto believers desire to appease the evil Kami to 'stay on their good side,' and also to please the good Kami. In addition to practicing the four affirmations daily, Shinto believers also wear omamori to aid them in remaining pure and protected. Mamori are charms that keep the evil kami from striking a human with sickness or causing disaster to befall him.

The Kami are both worshipped and respected within the religion of Shinto. The goal of life to Shinto believers is to obtain magokoro, a pure sincere heart, which can only be granted by the Kami. As a result, Shinto followers are taught that humankind should venerate both the living and the nonliving, because both possess a divine superior spirit within: the Kami.

Animism. Although shinto is fairly animist, it is not necessarily panpsychist, because it does not necessarily imply that everything is on all levels sentiently animated. Merely that spirits more or less live within everything, or t least most things. Note that in game, this is more or less implied. Not only because there obviously are spirits of everything in-game, but in SJ a crew member points out directly that some cultures think this, and so this is used as an explanation of why its not too odd that there's a god of toilets.

Kami - Major Kami

Obviously there are plenty of gods that could show up in this section. But it will be limited to those most relevant to the games.

Amenominakanushi "All-Father of the Originating Hub", or "Heavenly Ancestral God of the Originating Heart of the Universe") is, according to the Kojiki, the first kami, and the source of the universe according to Shintoism. In mythology he is described as a "god who came into being alone" (hitorigami), the first of the zōka sanshin ("three kami of creation"), and one of the five kotoamatsukami ("distinguished heavenly gods").The theologian Hirata Atsutane identified Amenominakanushi as the spirit of the North Star, master of the seven stars of the Big Dipper. The god was emphasised by the Daikyōin in the Meiji period, and worshiped by some Shinto sects.

The god manifests in a duality, a male and a female function, respectively Takamimusubi and Kamimusubi. In other mythical accounts the originating kami is called Umashiashikabihikoji ("God of the Ashi [Reed]") or Kuninotokotachi (the "God Founder of the Nation"), the latter used in the Nihon Shoki.

Note that shinto is polytheistic, and so this god is not considered something to worship, being too abstract and archaic, but more of a primal source. There's no obvious references to it in game, but you can obviously make a case with it for cramming yhvh or the great will into its role, or since it manifests as male and female, even yhvh and mem aleph, for the duality, arguing for a neutral focus on the more practical gods. Obviously the games don't seem to imply anything like this directly, but since they do seem to loosely try to make most religious ideas overlap with a loose monotheism slightly, it helps to compare the various ways this shows up in various religions to it.

Amaterasu-Ō-Mi-Kami Commonly called Amaterasu, she is the goddess of the sun as well as the purported ancestress of the Imperial Household of Japan. Her full name means "Great Goddess" or "Great Spirit Who Shines in the Heavens"; she may also be referred to as Ōhiru-menomuchi-no-kami. Due to her ties to the Imperial family, she is often considered (though not officially) to be the "primary god" of Shinto. She is the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. The name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning "shining in heaven." The meaning of her whole name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is "the great august kami (god) who shines in the heaven". Based on the mythological stories in Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the Emperors of Japan are considered to be direct descendants of Amaterasu.

Due to association with the sun, some buddhists who practiced ryobu shinto considered her a manifested form of vairocana. Note that since some buddhists consider vairochana the adibuddha that exists outside of all worlds and transcends them / is from before time, that interpretation could almost be more monotheistic. This association of kami and buddhas is the basis of the depiction of the amatsu as part of the diamond realm in smtii.

In Japanese mythology, Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, is the sister of Susanoo, the god of storms and the sea, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon. It was written that Amaterasu had painted the landscape with her siblings to create ancient Japan. (Note this is where the game okami comes from) All three were born from Izanagi, when he was purifying himself after entering Yomi, the underworld, after failing to save Izanami. Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed out his left eye, Tsukuyomi was born from the washing of the right eye, and Susanoo from the washing of the nose.

Some shinto lore considered Virochana and Amatersu to be versions of the same entity. This is more common in forms that treat it more monotheistically. Despite this, virochana in game seems to work more for the chaos side like buddhas are often depicted as.

She became the ruler of the sun and the heavens along with her brother, Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon and ruler of the night. Originally, Amaterasu shared the sky with Tsukuyomi, her husband and brother until, out of disgust, he killed the goddess of food, Uke Mochi, when she pulled "food from her rectum, nose, and mouth". This killing upset Amaterasu causing her to label Tsukuyomi an evil god and split away from him; separating night from day.

The texts also tell of a long-standing rivalry between Amaterasu and her other brother, Susanoo. When he was to leave Heaven by orders of Izanagi, he went to bid his sister goodbye. Amaterasu was suspicious, but when Susanoo proposed a challenge to prove his sincerity, she accepted. Each of them took an object of the other's and from it birthed gods and goddesses. Amaterasu birthed three women from Susano's sword while he birthed five men from her necklace. Claiming the gods were hers because they were born of her necklace, and the goddesses were his, she decided that she had won the challenge, as his item produced women.

The two were content for a time, but her brother became restless and went on a rampage, (note Susano-o aways shows up as chaos while amaterasu shows up as law, explaining her dismay at his chaotic actions) destroying Amaterasu's rice fields, hurling a flayed pony at her loom, and killing one of her attendants in a fit of rage. Amaterasu, who was in fury and grief, hid inside the Ama-no-Iwato ("heavenly rock cave"), thus effectively hiding the sun for a long period of time. Though she was persuaded to leave the cave, Susanoo was punished by being banished from Heaven. Both later amended their conflict when Susanoo gave her the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sword as a reconciliation gift. This story of amaterasu hidden in the cave has a parralel in smtii, where she is seen sealed in a cave, and needing to be rescued.

According to legend, Amaterasu bequeathed to her descendant Ninigi: the mirror, Yata no Kagami; the jewel, Yasakani no Magatama; and the sword, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. This sacred mirror, jewel, and sword collectively became the three Imperial Regalia of Japan.

In-game she tends to not show up in too main of roles. In strange journey it claims she was summoned to be a mother of the schwarzweld, but eventually rejected that role, and leaves. This can place her in lawful or neutral category. In IV she shows up in a small sidequest where in the end she tells you to make the world of your dreams. Which is kind of ambiguous, since its the same line regardless of ending. So they avoid her having too much of ideological connotations there. Ironically, despite this, her alignment is in law, and in interviews they say that she is leaning to the law side.

Due to the fact that they say that in some japanese beliefs she is considered almost the equivalent of a monotheistic god, being by far the primary one. And because in the games in general, the amatsukami are subtly implied to be working closely with the law side. Due to being depicted in their lore as from heaven and as a universalist force that invaded japan. Showing that different layers and analogues of the struggle have existed at various times. This also relates subtly to the japanese jewish common ancestry theory that shows up in the later games, implying a subtle relation between these groups in game.

In syncretist shinto she is often seen as an avatar of vairochana. This likely thing to her role in smtii, and using the diamond realm as a base.

Ame no Uzume is the goddess of dawn and revelry in the Shinto religion of Japan. She famously relates to the tale of the missing sun deity, Amaterasu.

Amaterasu's brother, the storm god Susano-o, had vandalized her sacred buildings and brutally killed one of her maidens because she refused to trust him. In turn, Amaterasu became terrified of his wrath and retreated into a cave. The world, without the illumination of the sun, became dark and the gods could not lure Amaterasu out of her hiding place. The clever Uzume overturned a tub near the cave entrance and began a dance on it, tearing off her clothing in front of the other deities. They considered this so comical that they laughed heavily at the sight.

Amaterasu heard them, and peered out to see what all the fuss was about. When she opened the cave, she saw her glorious reflection in a mirror which Uzume had placed on a tree, and slowly emerged from her hiding spot. At that moment, the god Ame-no-Tajikarawo dashed forth and closed the cave behind her, refusing to budge so that she could no longer retreat. Another god tied a magic rope across the entrance. The deities Ame-no-Koyane and Ame-no-Futodama then asked Amaterasu to rejoin the divine. She agreed, and light was restored to the earth.

The angel seraph may be meant to call uzume to mind, due to it doing a naked fan dance. If amaterasu is conflated to yhvh, then as yhvh's attendant this would add to the association. This would be related to jjcat, and the games conflating together the role of the Angel's and the role of the amatsukami at times.

Naobi no kami (or Nahobi no kami) are deities in Shintoism. They are considered to be deities of purification and the removal of calamities.

In the Japanese myths that deal with the birth of the gods, when Izanagi returned from the underworld of Yomi and underwent misogi (ritual cleansing), the Magatsuhi no kami were produced from the impurity. To rectify the disorder produced by the Magatsuhi no kami, the Naobi no kami were born.

Naobino is used as the name for what you become in smtv, though your relationship to the religious term is rather hazy. Magatushi is used as a term in both nocturne and V.

Amanozako is a goddess of rebellion mentioned in the Wakan Sansai Zue, who is born when Susano-o lets his own ferocious spirit (Ara Mitama) build up inside him until he vomits her out. It is said that she is the ancestor deity of all yokai who share her short-fused temper and disobedience.

Amanozako has a son, named Amanojaku. In keeping with her obstinate nature, she conceives him entirely on her own, without the assistance of a partner. Her son is just as obstinate as she is, and he causes so much trouble that all eight million gods in heaven cannot stand him. Amanozaku is eventually elevated to the position of ruler over all the disobedient and malevolent kami.

Amanozako is said to like possessing the hearts of humans to manipulate their emotions and personalities.

In game she is an artificial proto fiend, similar to susano-o in the form of aogami. Her artificial body was created by the tengu, to be their leader, but escaped from them to be with the protagonist, who she calls her soulmate.

Hachiman Also known as Hachiman-shin or Yawata no Kami, he is the god of war and the divine protector of Japan and its people. Originally an agricultural deity, he later became the guardian of the Minamoto clan. His symbolic animal and messenger is the dove. Some people conflated the figure with yhvh, and so his appearance in-game is that of yhvh if he had a whole body.

Izanagi The forefather of the gods, he is the first male as well as the god of creation and life. He and his wife, Izanami, were responsible for the birth of the islands of Japan and many kami, though she died in childbirth. Later, after his failed attempt to retrieve her from the underworld, he sired Amaterasu, Susanoo and Tsukuyomi, who became the main gods of heaven. Note that while him and izanami are known as the main persona and villain in persona 4, they are also referred to in nocturne as the creators of the previous world. Interesting in that that role is

supposed to be for humans, so it is unclear whether they were being represented as humans, or as the human creators' sponsor deities.

Izanami is Izanagi's wife and sister, she is the first female as well as the goddess of creation and death. She died shortly after the birth of Kagu-tsuchi, and Izanagi followed her

to the underworld, but failed to bring her back to the living world. A marital spat between the pair caused the cycle of life and death for all living beings. Known mainly as the true villain of persona 4, where she tests people to see what it is humanity truly desires. Which is ironic, considering her in game representation makes her seem detached and morally neutral and just doing what she thought people wanted. When her lore based representation has her start as good, and simply become corrupt.

Her and izanami are also depicted as the creators of the original world that nocturne takes place in, with you being able to visit their graves in the vortex world. And she is featured prominently in the original digital devil story, and so has been a main feature of the series since the beginning, with the title of godess metempsychoses referring to her.

In persona 4, the likely reason she is used as a symbol of illusion, and izanagi as a symbol of truth is the story where she asked not to be looked at, but izanagi did anyways. This implying she was trying to cover up her appearance, and izanagi trying to reveal it. Ethics of the story aside, it does loosely correlate to the idea of revealing truths about reality.

Yamata-no-Orochi was the eight headed serpant slain by susano-o in order to save the daughter of a family who it kept eating the daughters of. Due to aogami embodying susano-o, the first boss in smt of you fighting the hydra can be percieved as calling to mind that story.

Omoikane The deity of wisdom and intelligence, who is always called upon to "ponder" and

give good counsel in the deliberations of the heavenly deities. Shows up in-game as a brain of sorts to represent intelligence. In many of the games it shows up like a bonus enemy that one can get particular items from if they defeat in time.

Amatsu-Mikaboshi ("August Star of Heaven") is a god of evil and the stars in Japanese mythology. Sources on it tend to be rather vague, but it is sometimes seen as having been emanated from kagutsuchi. It shows up as an enemy in raidou.

Susanoo-no-Mikoto Alternately romanized as Susano-o), Susa-no-o, and Susanowo. Reportedly called "Futsushi". He is the god of storms as well as in some cases the god of the sea. He is also somewhat of a trickster god, as Japanese mythology extensively documents the "sibling rivalry" between him and Amaterasu. Susanoo also was responsible for the slaying of the monster Yamata no Orochi and the subsequent discovery of the sacred sword Kusanagi. (Most of his story is explained in the amaterasu section).

He is however considered chaotic in game due to his nature, despite being a heaven god. And is listed as part of another race. This has to do in part with their rivalry, as well as the fact that he descended to earth and operated more with the kunitsukami, even marrying one of them. It also relates to how his wrath and anger were what amaterasu was hiding from at the time the gods needed to find a way to get her out. In overclocked he also appears working under okuninushi, and is depicted as the won of izanami, haivng a strong attachment to her which is shown to parralel the family associations of can and abel in that game.

in smtv, aogami is the proto fiend body of susano-o, who merges with the protagonist to become the nahobino. He will follow through any route with you.

Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto Also known as Tsukiyomi, Tsuki no Kami, Tsukiyomino Mikoto, and Tsukiyumi no Mikoto, he is the god of the moon, said to have been born from a mirror held by izanagi. (Note his head here is a mirror.) He killed the goddess of food, Uke Mochi, out of disgust and anger in the way she had prepared a meal. This caused Amaterasu to never face him again, causing the sun and moon to be in different parts of the sky. He shows up in games as a demon, but not particularly in any significant plot role. Interestingly, in-game, masakado shows up with the same mirror tsukuyomi wears.

In smtv, he leads the japanese branch of bethel in a human form, as well as being the japanese prime minister. His true goal however was to bide his time until the forces of chaos were defeated, and then claim the throne of heaven for the amatsukami. His goal upon doing this was still to create a chaotic world, but his vision was closer to that of neutral chaos, and so he still had a vested interest in defeating the dark chaos forces. Since while he aknowledges that his created world would still have a lot of violence, the violence is not meant as the feature itself, and would have a desire of ridding itself of the most dangerous chaotic entities.

Kuzuryu is a dragon deity derived from the Hindu deity Shesha king of Nagas. It first appeared in Japanese folklore during the Nara period and his name means "nine headed dragon". He is also known as Kuzuryushin, which means "nine headed dragon god". As either name suggests, he is depicted commonly as a nine-headed dragon. One famous legend about the Kuzuryu is the Hakone Kuzuryu legend, which is similar to that of Yamata no Orochi. According to the legend, the nine-headed dragon had settled in Lake Ashi in Hakone, where it demanded a sacrifice. The legend continues, saying Mankan saw the dragon reform and change into a Dragon King. He then built a shrine to the dragon. After this the customary offering to the dragon changed from human sacrifice to steamed rice with red beans.

Although it shows up as amane's family's last name, its more important appearance is in II, where it shows up as a super weapon YHVH ordered lucifer to use to destroy the world, but which Lucifer only tried to use to ravage the surface.

Despite being called kuzuryu, its presence in seems to also be based slightly on the hindu Shesha, that kuzuryu derives from. in the hindu section. Kuzuryu was also said to have turned into a mountain in japanese lore, which explains his appearance, and hints at his II appearance being a kind of hybrid of the two figures.

Kagu-tsuchi was a god born when izanami was giving birth to the various gods. Kagu-tsuchi's birth burned his mother Izanami, causing her death. His father Izanagi, in his grief, beheaded Kagu-tsuchi with his sword, and cut his body into eight pieces, which became eight volcanoes. The blood that dripped off Izanagi's sword created a number of deities, including the sea god Watatsumi and rain god Kuraokami.

Kagutsuchi shows up in nocturne as the last boss or second to last boss, as the sphere and avatar of god that gives birth to the new world, and lives only during the world's primal state. kagutsuchi seems like an odd god for them to use as an avatar in this way, but as it refers to a god who only existed for a short time in the early period of the world and then gave birth to lands, there is a loose connection. The actual figure seems to be a composite of several figures however, including vairochana, brahma, and the cosmic egg.

Okuninushi is known in megaten mainly as the end boss on amane's eighth day route in overclocked. But what many people don't know is that his role there parallels his lore in ways that would be more familiar to japanese audiences then western ones. The most obvious way is merely his resurrections. In his lore, his brothers became jealous of him for being the one chosen by Princess Yakami/Yagami to marry, after he was prophesied to by the hare of inaba, who he saved from his brothers. They killed him multiple times, and his mother revived him by various means each time. Which obviously parralels in-game battle mechanics for overclocked's end boss on amane's route. But that's not the interesting part. In shinto, as stated above there's two kinds of gods. Earth gods who are native to japan, and heaven gods who are native to heaven, and descended to japan to interact with it, that are considered "higher" by many. Okuninushi is generally considered the head of the earth gods similar to how amatarasu is the head of the gods of heaven.

Okuninushi after defeating his brothers became god of the "Central Land of Reed Plains," the place now known as japan, but some heaven gods looked at it and declared that it was out of control, and descended to it to take control and restore peace. He wasn't an evil god, so he realized that they were right about it being out of control, and apparently peacefully offered over control, and then left for the spirit world. Since heaven gods are considered kind of "foreign" rather than native, in this instance they're being associated with the foreign universal angels, trying to pacify the entire world. Interestingly, the “foreign” Japanese amatsu are presented as less foreign, with the angels taking the role of even more foreign sky gods. So in shinto there is precedent for superior gods that know better coming from “elsewhere” and fixing problems with japan's native religion and rulership.

Yatagarasu. In Japanese mythology, Yatagarasu has the appearance of the great bird and represents the will of Heaven or divine intervention in human affairs. Although Yatagarasu is mentioned in a number of places in the Shintō canon, there is very little explanation, and much of the material is contradictory. In raidou, The Herald of Yatagarasu is a figure presented as The representative of Yatagarasu, the bird of the sun goddess Amaterasu. She can be called from the nameless shrine found in the heart of the mountains of Shinoda, and has been the guide of the Raidou Kuzunoha Clan for many centuries. She is Raidou's boss, and also his guide to the Dark Realm of The Capital. Yatagarasu also shows up as one of the figures working on the law side in strange journey.

This association with law is possibly in connection to the idea of yhvh as representing sun deities in general, and so it functioning as a messenger like it does for amaterasu in its lore.

Tengu are a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion and are also considered a type of Shinto god (kami) or yōkai (supernatural beings). Although they take their name from a dog-like Chinese demon (Tiangou), the tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey, and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics. The earliest tengu were pictured with beaks, but this feature has often been humanized as an unnaturally long nose, which today is widely considered the tengu's defining characteristic in the popular imagination.

Buddhism long held that the tengu were disruptive demons and harbingers of war. Their image gradually softened, however, into one of protective, if still dangerous, spirits of the mountains and forests. Tengu are associated with the ascetic practice of Shugendō, and they are usually depicted in the garb of its followers, the yamabushi.

Interestingly, the art of many of the later tengu in the games are depicted with jewish characteristics such as Kurama Tengu wearing a teffilin and kippah. Possibly in part since they aesthetically resemble angels, and so are being treated as if they are a similar type of entity. They often (though not exclusively) are even law, showing up as yoma race. This could also tie to the games' use of the japanese jewish common ancestry theory, implying that they may be incarnations of angels who went to japan to influence it, or beings who were in league with them.

Kinmamon. Also known as "the God from Beyond the Sea, Marebito," it is an enigmatic god from Japanese lore. It is related to Amaterasu, which is implied from the few known sources of Kinmamon. Kinmamon is an enigmatic and mysterious deity of Ryuku shinto, which is practiced on the Ryuku islands. Its connections with sea travel and suggestion that it brought life to the Ryukyu Islands imply that it was a deity introduced from across the sea. Kinmamon's name means "The True One" which is believed to be a title for shrine maidens, leading to the belief that Kinmamon is the deity of shrine maidens.

In strange journey his compendium says: "The highest god of Ryukyu Shinto. He comes from the eternal kingdom of Nirai Kanai and has protected the Ryukyu Islands. There is a Yin and a Yang side to this deity; the one that came from the sky is Kiraikanaino Kinmamon, and the one that came from the sea is Ohokakerakuno Kinmamon. He is also a god who brings gifts of wisdom, and appears before people through women."

In keeping with its association with amaterasu, in strange journey amaterasu appears in the form of kinmamon when her memory is lost.

Sukuna-Hikona, also known as Sukunabikona or in full, Sukuna-Hikona no Kami, is the Japanese dwarf deity of healing and sake brewing and is associated with hot springs. He assisted Okuninushi in building the world and formulating protections against disease and wild animals in myths from the Izumo region.

He shows up as a character in multiple games. In smtii, Sukuna-Hikona is one of the Kunitsu who were convinced to ally themselves with the center to confront the Amatsu, only to be betrayed and imprisoned inside a shrine in the Abyss. In apocalypse, he is the final guardian of the ark where krishna is sealed. In the first raidou he is the main villain. And he shows up as the persona of naoto in p4.

Douman, Known as Ashiya Dōman or Dōma Hōshi is an onmyoji, and the rival of Abe no Seimei who had many magical duels between the two in Japanese legend. One duel had him attempt to trick Abe by putting fifteen oranges inside a box, only for Abe to best him by turning them into rats and saying there were fifteen of them. Douman used a talisman with crossed lines.

In SMTI, he shows up doing a ritual to summon demons, and is one of the first major enemies fought, being one of the first major characters to represent chaos. The visionary items in the remake detail a bit about his past, and his rivalry with seimei, and state that he sought to return to earth at a point when someone of equal magic power to him would exist, and that it was the demon summoning program's abilities that triggered this return. And he sealed away part of his soul to help facilitate this return. He states that his ultimate goal is to take over the world, showing a bit of a dynamic of different chaos figures.

Mishaguji was a native god worshiped in the ancient Shinto region of Japan before the Yamato took control, at which point the worship of it became a taboo. Mishaguji was the god of sexual intercourse and if he was left an offering, then sex would become better. It is said that Mishaguji's incarnation on Earth had a very phallic shape, possibly similar to an earthworm, and he would take shelter under rocks or stones. Once Yamato took control however, Mishaguji became seen as a god that only the undesirable and unfaithful would worship.

According to the Japanese scholar Yanagita Kunio, Mishaguji used to be a guardian deity for travelers, worshiped under the guise of a phallic stone pillar; at the same time, due to religious syncretism, one of his other forms was that of a white Japanese rat snake. Note the fact that he was demonized explains why he shows up as vile race. On his form where he is on the pillar, there is also a shinto shinemawa (explained below) beneath him.

Sukuna-Hikona is the Japanese dwarf deity of healing and sake brewing and is associated with hot springs. He assisted Okuninushi in building the world and formulating protections against disease and wild animals in myths from the Izumo region. And in raidou I you see him complaining that the amatsukami came to japan taking it over, and him wanting revenge. in devil survivor overclocked, his friendship with Okuninushi, ad their separation when sukuna hikona was lost is also mentioned.

Kanbari-nyudo is a spirit who shows up in strange journey in the bathroom calling himself a god of toilets. Far from his allegedly benevolent presentation in game however, he comes from a legend of being an old man peeping tom who did progressively worse and worse things until he was killed by someone trying to stop him, and became a ghost that continued being a peeping tom. They say that if you chant his name Kanbari Nyudo in the bathroom, his bald head will sometimes appear in the toilet bowl. If you chant, “Ganbari Nyudo, lesser cuckoo” in your bathroom on New Year’s Eve, he will leave for good.

Interestingly, strange journey presents this as if he is protecting you from other bathroom mishaps, when in reality its mostly you getting rid of him, so that he is not spying on you. Which is interesting, since it is a case of a malevolent entity being depicted as if it were benevolent. Notably however, some say he is based on an actual chinese god of toilets, and it is not uncommon for a kami of toilets to be venerated in shinto. So this may be a deliberate conflation of figures.

The kawaya no-kami or toilet god was a spirit of toilets that was asked for help in shinto. Special rituals at the new year asked for the kawaya no-kami to bring a good harvest. Keeping the toilet clean was thought to lead to more attractive children. While kanbari was not seen as a toilet god in shinto, it seems he is being conflated with the idea of one.

Taira no Masakado was a samurai during the Heian period in Japan. He led a small but thriving rebellion to capture three provinces - Hitachi, Shimotsuke and Kouzuke - now known as the Kanto region's Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma prefectures respectively. As a response to the rebellious member of the Taira clan, the Kyoto central government at the time announced the bounty on his head. At the Battle of Kojima occurring eastward of Kanto, Masakado was killed by Fujiwara no Hidesato and Taira no Sadamori, his cousin. His head was brought to Kyoto, and later to Edo where it was buried. Here he is regarded by the locals as a demigod, and a belief persists that the conditions of his shrine dictates the fortune of the metropolis. Interestingly, there is a legend about his head traveling by itself, paralleling his head following you around in IV. And of him having a large hard body.

In game he is often used as a neutral representative, being a historical human, but also deified. Interestingly, his alignment is rarely neutral / neutral though, often showing up as light / chaos. He is an example of the continuity of humans and gods in eastern ideas, being treated now as a god with his own shrine more than as a mere historical figure. His rebellion against the emperor is presented as a parallel between neutral's rebellion against the order of law as well. And since the later games are based on the fringe Japanese-Jewish common ancestry theory, a parallel is likely being made implying that the emperor was part of a continuous process in the attempt to spread lawful ideology in general. Doubly so since the amatsukami are depicted as law, and in raidou II it talks about how they were close allies with angels.

In SMTII, masakado is also sued as a euphemism for tokyo itself in a sense, with masakado being divided into parts being used to represent a divided tokyo, and with him being reunited reflecting it being rebuild. A similar idea is the basos of his appearance in IV, albeit in a more abstract and symbolic way.

Kokunochi is the kami of trees, called "spirit of trees" (kodama) in Engishiki. According to Kojiki, Kukunochi was born after Izanagi and Izanami finished giving birth to the land (see kuniumi). Nihongi likewise states that Kukunochi was born after Izanagi and Izanami had given birth to the various other kami of the sea, rivers and mountains. In his Kojikiden, Motoori Norinaga interpreted kuku to mean "stalk," and chi as a male honorific. Together with Toyoukehime, this kami is referred to as one of the yafunegami ("kami of houses"), and continues to be worshiped today on the occasion of roof raising ceremonies and the blessing of new houses. He is light law, and in strange journey was one of the kami seen working with the law side.

Kuebiko is a Shinto earth kami of knowledge and agriculture, represented in Japanese mythology as a scarecrow who cannot walk but has comprehensive awareness. The Kojiki ("Record of Ancient Matters") has the earliest reference to Kuebiko in the myth of Ōkuninushi ("Great Land Master"). When Ōkuninushi was at Cape Miho in Izumo, a small kami arrived in a boat. Nobody knew his name, but a toad suggested asking Kuebiko, who revealed the god was a scion of the goddess Kami-musubi named Sukuna-bikona. In SMTIV he shows up as a demon that the ashura kai are trying to drive out, who complains that demons are older than humans, and so humans have no right to push them around. In-game he is not represented with knowledge however, but is represented as violent, saying that violence is the way of the world. He wears shimenawa around his body, and his head looks tied together, calling to mind his scarecrow appearance.

Futsunushi is the nihonshoki sword deity who pacified Ashihara no Nakatsukuni. And he is primarily associated with this story of the amatsu gods of heaven coming to earth to pacify it. His name comes from "futsu," the fashion in which things are cut, and "nushi," his nature as a god. In smtv he shows up as an npc for a side mission where you can either side with him, or with a demon of chaos, the latter of whom thinks they should be able to invade by force.

Nekomata or bakeneko is, in Japanese folklore, a cat with supernatural abilities to appear as a human (usually female) akin to those of the fox or raccoon dog. A cat may become a bakeneko in a number of ways: it may reach a certain age, be kept for a certain number of years, grow to a certain size, or be allowed to keep a long tail. In the last case, the tail forks in two and the bakeneko is then called a nekomata. Lore of cat spirits appearing as human girls is a likely inspiration for the concept of the cat girl in modern japanese culture.

Ethics and other practices

Kannagara In Shinto kannagara, meaning "way [path] of [expression] of the kami", refers to the law of the natural order. It is the sense of the terms michi or to, "way", in the terms "kami-no-michi" or "Shinto". Those who understand kannagara know the divine, the human, and how people should live. From this knowledge stems the ethical dimension of Shinto, focusing on sincerity (makoto), honesty (tadashii) and purity.

Ethics: Shinto moral principles are strongly influenced by Confucianism. It is believed that humans have an innate moral sense, and can be motivated by shame to avoid doing wrong. Acts of wrong-doing are cleansed through acts of purification. Sincerity, which is the harmony of thought and action, is a prized human characteristic. Ethics in Shinto are however cultural and situational; there are no religiously based universal Shinto commandments or precepts forbidding certain actions. This ambiguity may explain why it shows up affiliated mostly with neutral even though its gods seem to be split between law and chaos for amatsukami and kunitsukami respectively.

Generally directly Shinto ethics are not based on a set of commandments or laws that tell the faithful how to behave, but on following the natural flow of the kami. So a follower of Shinto will try to live in accordance with the way of the kami, and in such a way as to keep the relationship with the kami on a proper footing. But it's important to remember that the kami are not perfect - Shinto texts have many examples of kami making mistakes and doing the wrong thing. This clear difference with faiths whose God is perfect is a potential reason why Shinto ethics avoids too discrete of direct moral rules.

The overall aims of Shinto ethics are to promote harmony and purity in all spheres of life. Purity is not just spiritual purity but moral purity: having a pure and sincere heart. This may sound almost lawful, but the game presents shinto as neutral as a whole.

Shinto ethics start from the basic idea that human beings are mostly good, and that the world is good. Evil enters the world mainly from outside, brought by evil spirits. These affect human beings in a similar way to disease, and reduce their ability to resist temptation. When human beings act wrongly, they bring pollution and sin upon themselves, which obstructs the flow of life and blessing from the kami.

However, Things which are usually regarded as bad in Shinto are:things which disturb kami, things which disturb the worship of kami, things which disrupt the harmony of the world, things which disrupt the natural world, things which disrupt the social order, and things which disrupt the group of which one is a member.

Impurity: Shinto teaches that certain deeds create a kind of ritual impurity that one should want cleansed for one's own peace of mind and good fortune rather than because impurity is simply wrong. Wrong deeds are called "impurity" which is opposed to "purity". Note that although western religion is the more likely source, merkabah and the angels in IV using clean and unclean as placeholder words for morality is something that shinto followers would not find overly uncommon. Even though in IV, unclean does not necessarily mean evil, but more like detrimental, with them pointing out that some people who are not evil end up unclean, like merkabah says about itself and you on the law end. But merkabah and the angels see focusing on this clean / unclean distinction as more important than that of simply assessing who is evil, which is more of a statement of character than pragmatics. Though merkabah does call lucifer evil.

Those who are killed without being shown gratitude for their sacrifice will hold a grudge (grudge) and become powerful and evil kami who seek revenge (aragami). Additionally, if anyone is injured on the grounds of a shrine, the area must be ritually purified.

Purification: Purification rites called Harae are a vital part of Shinto. They are done on a daily, weekly, seasonal, lunar, and annual basis. These rituals are one of the cores of the practice of Shinto. Such ceremonies have also been adapted to modern life. New buildings made in Japan are frequently blessed by a Shinto priest called kannushi during the groundbreaking ceremony (Jichinsai), and many cars made in Japan have been blessed as part of the assembly process. Moreover, many Japanese businesses built outside Japan have had ceremonies performed by a Shinto priest, with occasionally an annual visitation by the priest to re-purify.

Objects: The kami reside in all things, but certain objects and places are designated for the interface of people and kami. Some of such objects are

1: Yorishiro, is an object capable of attracting kami, thus giving them a physical space to occupy during religious ceremonies. Yorishiro are used during ceremonies to call the kami for worship. The word itself literally means approach substitute. Once a yorishiro actually houses a kami, it is called a shintai. Note that swords can be an instance of this, and are treated as such in game with sword alchemy.

The shimewana shows up in game being used by both neutral and chaos at times.

Ropes called shimenawa decorated with paper streamers called shide often surround yorishiro to make their sacredness manifest. (They show up both in the abstract offhand shrines as well as in the first game) Persons can play the same role as a yorishiro, and in that case are called yorimashi. This obviously shows up in a lot of games or stories in general, but in game can show up in forms like fusing demons with swords, which can be done in some games, making them reside within. Note that the gaian temple in I and II has a shimenawa in it, which ties shinto a bit to the gaians. Which can make sense if you think of nature gods as acting random and chaotic like nature, yet still being worshipped. The neutral healing dojo does also, but its art is hard to make out. But which is interesting to see, when all the highest shinto gods are law aligned, and subtly implied to lean that way, though not as strongly as angels. Since alignment of demons is not necessarily the same as what side they are on. If a religions gods are divided into law and chaos, it might imply they come together to be neutral. Ironically, even angels and fallen angels are shown doing this in IV under the watch of mastema.

The healing dojo is designed to look somewhat like a shinto shrine. It has the mirror of shinto on the back table. Later in II the repair garage would also have a small shinto shrine at the back of it.

2: shrines, are a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami. Its most important building is used for the safekeeping of sacred objects, and not for worship. Structurally, a Shinto shrine is usually characterized by the presence of a honden or sanctuary, where the kami is enshrined. The honden may however be completely absent, as for example when the shrine stands on a sacred mountain to which it is dedicated, and which is worshiped directly. The honden may be missing also when there are nearby altar-like structures called himorogi or objects believed capable of attracting spirits called yorishiro that can serve as a direct bond to a kami. Shinto looking shrines do tend to show up in various games from time to time. Obviously so, since they are in tokyo. But ironically, ones that look overtly shinto tend to not come off too alignment based ever, or are more neutral. Such as the obviously shinto based shrines in II. Which is interesting, since the symbol used in the back is one also used by gaians (see below). Just to note, the demons seen in these shrines tend to be shinto's earth gods (also baphomet for some reason). So its up for grabs whether they are meant to be more neutral or chaotic shrines. There's also a large series of shrines called hikawa shrines in japan.

The Torii is often used as the general symbol of shinto.

A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred. The presence of a torii at the entrance is usually the simplest way to identify Shinto shrines, and a small torii icon represents them on Japanese road maps.[They are however a common sight at Japanese Buddhist temples too, where they stand at the entrance of the temple's own shrine, called chinjusha and are usually very small.

The mirror is used as the centerpiece of the alter in the neutral churches in both I and II.

The circular mirror of Shinto is a potent symbol. One often sees it when visiting shrines, where it stands on the altar as representative of the kami. It can play a more vital role too, for it sometimes functions as the ‘spirit-body’ (goshintai) of the kami. The idea is that the spirit enters into the object to take physical form. The mirror thus acts as an interface between the physical and spiritual realms of existence. What could be more appropriate for the meeting between them than the illusionary nature of a reflecting mirror? Japanese mythology claims that the original ‘spirit-body’ was that of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, who gave a circular mirror to her grandson, Ninigi, when he descended to earth. It had been used previously in an elaborate ruse to lure her out of a cave in which she was hiding. In I, you see a mirror of this kind on the altar of the healing dojo. And it looks identical to the one masakado wears in-game.

Taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum. You see taiko drums in the neutral healing dojo in I.

3: kamidana are miniature household altars provided to enshrine a Shinto kami. They are most commonly found in Japan, the home of kami worship.

Magatama beads are commonly used in shinto.

Magatama, less frequently, are curved, comma-shaped beads that appeared in prehistoric Japan from the Final Jōmon period through the Kofun period, approximately ca. 1,000 BC to the 6th century AD.The beads, also described as jewels, were made of primitive stone and earthen materials in the early period, but by the end of the Kofun period were made almost exclusively of jade. Magatama originally served as decorative jewelry, but by the end of the Kofun period functioned as ceremonial and religious objects. Archaeological evidence suggests that magatama were produced in specific areas of Japan and were widely dispersed through the entirety of the Japanese archipelago by trade routes. In nocturne they show up as small insect like entities that can turn people into demons or grant them abilities. They show up in more regular appearances in other places in the backgrounds or as items. In nocturne they also curl up to magatama shape.

The domoe is usually depicted with three wheels, but is also sometimes shown with two.

Mitsudomoe or Tomoe (Mitsu tomoe, Futatsu tomoe, Tomoe-mon, or Fire-wheel) This symbol is ubiquitous on Buddhist and Shinto temples all over Japan. Its name is tomoe, meaning turning or circular, referring to the motion of the earth. The tomoe is related to the yin yang symbol, and has a similar meaning, representing the play of forces in the cosmos. Visually, the tomoe is made up of interlocked flames (or magatama) resembling tadpoles. The most common tomoe emblem has three flames (triple, or ‘mitsu’ tomoe), but one, two, or four are not uncommon. A mitsu- tomoe reflects the threefold division of Shinto cosmology, and is said to represent the earth, the heavens, and humankind. It is often associated with the Shinto war deity Hachiman. It shows up a few places in-game, such as the above mentioned shrines. Another Ironically being Okuninushi's art in devil children. The more important one however being the gaian race human in II, Onmyoji.

The onmyoji in game works for the gaians. Interesting, considering that the biggest taoist association in the churches was for neutral. But neutral does not have its own race of humans that shows up as figures.

Onmyoji were professional practitioners of Onmyodo, the mystical art of Yin and Yang in Japan. They are masters of magic and divination, capable of summoning both auspicious and malign influences from the earth. They could also summon spirits called Shikigami. Showing up as gaian race does seem to tie the gaian religion more to shinto, since messian race tends to look less eastern. These aesthetics ironically apply more to the humans and churches than exclusively to the gods aligned with them though. In-game, the onmyoji is shown with ofuda attached to their body.

O-fuda is a type of household amulet or talisman, issued by a Shinto shrine, hung in the house for protection, a gofu. It may also be called shinpu. It is made by inscribing the name of a kami and the name of the Shinto shrine or of a representative of the kami on a strip of paper, wood, cloth, or metal. It is to be renewed yearly, typically before the end of a year, and attached to a door, pillar, or ceiling. It may also be placed inside a private shrine (kamidana). It is believed to protect the family in residence from general harm, such as a disease. A more specific o-fuda may be placed near particular objects such as one for kitchen to protect from accidental fire. A popular o-fuda called jingū-taima or simply taima is issued by Ise Shrine. It is made from hemp cloth; the use of hemp as a material was common from antiquity.

A portable form of o-fuda, commonly called omamori ( or , o-mamori) is typically given out wrapped in a small bag made of decorated cloth. This originates from Onmyōdō and Buddhism, but was subsequently adopted by Shintoism. Both Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines give out these o-mamori. While an o-fuda is said to protect a whole family, an o-mamori offers support for personal benefits. These papers are the basis of the light based **expel skills** in all the games, and the fact that they are seen more as exorcism sheets that repel demons explains why they do not work on human races.

Afterlife

It is common for families to participate in ceremonies for children at a shinto shrine, yet have a Buddhist funeral at the time of death mostly due to the negative Japanese conception of the afterlife and death as well as Buddhism's historical monopoly on funeral rites. In old Japanese legends, it is often claimed that the dead go to a place called yomi, a gloomy underground realm with a river separating the living from the dead mentioned in the legend of Izanami and Izanagi. This yomi is very close to the Greek Hades; however, later myths include notions of resurrection and even Elysium-like descriptions. Shinto tends to hold negative views on death and corpses as a source of pollution called kegare. However, death is also viewed as a path towards apotheosis (divinization) in Shintoism as can be evidenced by how legendary individuals become enshrined after death. In SMTII, when you fight baphomet he tells you he will send you to yomi.

Unlike many religions, one does not need to publicly profess belief in Shinto to be a believer. Whenever a child is born in Japan, a local Shinto shrine adds the child's name to a list kept at the shrine and declares him or her a "family child" . After death an ujiko becomes a "family spirit", or "family kami". One may choose to have one's name added to another list when moving and then be listed at both places. Names can be added to the list without consent and regardless of the beliefs of the person added to the list. This is not considered an imposition of belief, but a sign of being welcomed by the local kami, with the promise of addition to the pantheon of kami after death.

Nonetheless, beliefs on death in shinto were often vague and not totally set in stone, which is why they were open to taking the Buddhist ideas to them alongside their own Japanese myths. In some Japanese mythology, Enma-O (The japanese interpretation of yama or Enma Dai-O judges souls in Meido, the kingdom of the waiting dead. Those deemed too horrible are sent to Jigoku, a land more comparable to the Christian hell. It is a land of eternal toil and punishment. Those of middle note remain in meido for a period awaiting reincarnation. Others, of high note, become honored ancestors, watching over their descendants.

Interestingly, though not necessarily on purpose this parallels smt in a way. In smt, what happens after death is left a little ambiguous. People seem to be sent to an underworld at first, which resembles the greek one, often having charon watching over it. But ghosts can become “demons,” and they talk about karma and different places people can end up, as well as reincarnation.

History

originally in shinto history shrines were not permanent buildings but local ones designed to be set up where they were needed. (You can tie that to chaos if you're creative. SJ does tie it to early primal tribal practice.) The arrival of Buddhism changed the situation, introducing to Japan the concept of the permanent shrine. A great number of Buddhist temples were built next to existing shrines in mixed complexes called jingū-ji lit. shrine temple to help priesthood deal with local kami, making those shrines permanent. Some time in their evolution, the word Miya meaning "palace" came into use, indicating that shrines had by then become the imposing structures of today. Once the first permanent shrines were built, Shinto revealed a strong tendency to resist architectural change, a tendency which manifested itself in the so-called Shikinen sengū-sai, the tradition of rebuilding shrines faithfully at regular intervals adhering strictly to their original design. This custom is the reason ancient styles have been replicated through the centuries to the present day, remaining more or less intact. Ise Shrine, still rebuilt every 20 years, is its best extant example. The tradition of rebuilding shrines or temples is present in other religions, but in Shinto it has played a particularly significant role in preserving ancient architectural styles. Izumo Taisha, Sumiyoshi Taisha and Nishina Shinmei Shrine in fact represent each a different style whose origin is believed to predate Buddhism in Japan, a religion which arrived in Japan around the beginning of the sixth century. These three styles are known respectively as taisha-zukuri, sumiyoshi-zukuri and shinmei-zukuri (see description below).

With the introduction of Buddhism and its rapid adoption by the court in the 6th century, it was necessary to explain the apparent differences between native Japanese beliefs and Buddhist teachings. One Buddhist explanation saw the kami as supernatural beings still caught in the cycle of birth and rebirth (reincarnation). The kami are born, live, die, and are reborn like all other beings in the karmic cycle. However, the kami played a special role in protecting Buddhism and allowing its teachings of compassion to flourish.

This explanation was later challenged by Kūkai, who saw certain kami as different embodiments of the Buddhas themselves (honji suijaku theory). For example, he linked Amaterasu (the sun goddess and ancestor of the Imperial family) with Dainichi Nyorai, a central manifestation of the Buddhists, whose name means literally "Great Sun Buddha". In his view, the main heavenly kami were just Buddhas by another name. Buddhism and Shinto coexisted and were amalgamated in the shinbutsu shūgō and Kūkai's syncretic view held wide sway up until the end of the Edo period.

In the 18th century, various Japanese scholars, in particular Motoori Norinaga, tried to tear apart the "real" Shinto from various foreign influences. The attempt was largely unsuccessful, since as early as the Nihon Shoki parts of the mythology were explicitly borrowed from Taoism doctrines. For example, the co-creator deities Izanami and Izanagi are explicitly compared to yin and yang. However, the attempt did set the stage for the arrival of state Shinto, following the Meiji Restoration, when Shinto and Buddhism were separated (shinbutsu bunri).

Humanity Declaration is an imperial rescript issued by the Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) as part of a New Year’s statement on 1 January 1946 at the end of world war II at the request of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers. This was an official declaration by the emperor that contrary to previous beliefs, he was not in fact descended from or himself a god. And this declaration, cutting at one of the core shinto beliefs led to a huge downturn in its serious practice.

Japanese Creation Myth

(This is obviously mostly taken directly from it being written down. Its important to include though). When heaven and earth began, three deities came into being, The Spirit Master of the Center of Heaven, The August Wondrously Producing Spirit, and the Divine Wondrously Producing Ancestor. These three were invisible. The earth was young then, and land floated like oil, and from it reed shoots sprouted. From these reeds came two more deities. After them, five or six pairs of deities came into being, and the last of these were Izanagi and Izanami, whose names mean "The Male Who Invites" and "The Female who Invites".

The first five deities commanded Izanagi and Izanami to make and solidify the land of Japan, and they gave the young pair a jeweled spear. Standing on the Floating Bridge of Heaven, they dipped it in the ocean brine and stirred. They pulled out the spear, and the brine that dripped of it formed an island to which they descended. On this island they built a palace for their wedding and a great column to the heavens.

Izanami examined her body and found that one place had not grown, and she told this to Izanagi, who replied that his body was well-formed but that one place had grown to excess. He proposed that he place his excess in her place that was not complete and that in doing so they would make new land. (Because that's apparently how you get new land) They agreed to walk around the pillar and meet behind it to do this. When they arrive behind the pillar, she greeted him by saying "What a fine young man", and he responded by greeting her with "What a fine young woman". They procreated and gave birth to a deformed creature, which they put in a basket and let float away. Then they gave birth to a floating island, which likewise they did not recognize as one of their children.

Disappointed by their failures in procreation, they returned to Heaven and consulted the deities there. The deities explained that the cause of their difficulties was that the female had spoken first when they met to procreate. Izanagi and Izanami returned to their island and again met behind the heavenly pillar. When they met, he said, "What a fine young woman," and she said "What a fine young man". They mated and gave birth to the eight main islands of Japan and six minor islands. Then they gave birth to a variety of deities to inhabit those islands, including the sea deity, the deity of the sea-straits, and the deities of the rivers, winds, trees, and mountains. Last, Izanami gave birth to the fire deity, and her genitals were so burned that she died.

Izanagi grieved over Izanami, and a deity was born from his tears. Distraught after burying Izanami, he used his long sword to behead his son, the deity of fire, whose birth had killed Izanami. From the blood on the sword came three deities of rocks, two deities of fire, and one of water, all of which are needed to make a sword. Eight more deities arose from the body of Izanagi and Izanami's slain son. (Because apparently gods killing or abandoning their own children all the time is just normal. To be fair, note that Izanagi is a primal god, not a god that is worshiped. Note that in nocturne, as the creator of the previous world, the wold you start in was thus created by him attacking tht world's kagutsuchi, thus loosely paralleling the myth, but totally out of context.)

Izanagi still longed for Izanami, and he went to the underworld in search of her. Finding her in the darkness, he called to her and asked her to come back to the land of the living with him. She promised him that she would go ask the gods of the underworld, but she begged him to not look at her as she did so. She was gone long, however, and eventually he broke off the end of a comb in his hair and set it afire for a light. He found her body with maggots consuming it, and these maggots were the eight deities of thunder. (Note in persona 4 her true form after being revealed is a rotting corpse) Ashamed to be seen in this condition, Izanami chased Izanagi out of the underworld. First she sent the thunder deities after him, and then she herself pursued him. At last he grasped a huge rock and used it to close the passage to the underworld. Enraged, she shouted to him that she would each day strangle one thousand people of Japan. He responded that if she did so, he would each day cause fifteen hundred Japanese people to be born. This is why fifteen hundred children are born each day and one thousand people die each day.

Izanagi returned to his home and bathed to purify himself after this terrible experience. As he disrobed, new deities arose from his clothing, and more arose from the water as he bathed. Three of these were ancestors of Japanese families. The last of the deities was a son, Susa-nš-wo, who became the deity of the sea. He was eventually exiled to earth for his behavior in the heavens, (Note that despite being amatsu who are usually law, he is shown as chaos) but he and his sister, the Goddess of the Sun, parented eight deities. Among these was the ancestor of Yamato family that ruled Japan, and two others were ancestors of nineteen of its highest families.

When the deities had pacified the land, the Goddess of the Sun dispatched Japan's first ruler from the heavens to the earth. Descending from the Floating Bridge of Heaven to the mountain tops, he built his palace. Eventually he met a beautiful young woman, Princess Brilliant Blossoms, and asked her to marry him. She deferred to her father's judgment, and her father gave him both Princess Brilliant Blossoms and her older sister, Princess Long as the Rocks. The new emperor refused the older sister, however, because of her ugliness. When the father heard this, he explained that he had offered Princess Long as the Rocks because her children would have lived eternally. Instead, the children of Princess Brilliant Blossoms were mortal, which is why the emperors have never had long lives.

Princess Brilliant Blossoms was soon with child, so soon that the emperor could hardly believe that she bore his children. To prove herself, she built a palace and shut herself in it and set fire to it, knowing as he did that the children of anyone but the emperor could not survive the flames. Amidst the flames she gave birth to three deities, and ultimately their descendants were the imperial family of Japan.