Idea of Kami (神) in Shintō

Idea of Kami (神) in Shintō:

The word “Kami“ consists of the Kanji-Character 神 which actually means “spirit“ but is often falsely translated as “Gods“. Western translators thought of Kami as omnipotent beings who know everything and can do everything, but this idea is not found in Shintō. The Kami are more like nature spirits, they do not know everything nor are all powerful. They can make mistakes. But they can also help. This is a belief that is very similar to that of animism in general.

The ideal of Shintō is to live in harmony with nature.

#Shintō #神 #JapaneseCulture