is a category of

kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the ...

Japanese mythology Japanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in the islands of the Japanese archipelago. Shinto and Buddhist traditions are the cornerstones of Japanese mythology. The history of thousands of year ...

. Generally speaking, it refers to kami born in, or residing in, Takamagahara. ''Amatsukami'' is one of the three categories of kami, along with their earthly counterpart , and . Modern

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoist ...

no longer makes the distinction between Amatsukami and Kunitsukami. According to Yijiang Zhong the distinction was made by the writers of the Nihon Shoki and the

Kojiki The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperi ...

to formulate a political discourse.

Mythology

''Amatsukami'' refers to kami residing in Takamagahara, along with kami who were born in Takamagahara but later descended to Japan. In the mythological event of kuni-yuzuri, the descendants of ''amatsukami'' descended to pacify the world, which was occupied by the ''kunitsukami''. In

practice, there is no clear distinction between ''amatsukami'' and ''kunitsukami'', as their definitions change with time and in different source materials.

List of ''amatsukami''

* Kotoamatsukami ** Amenominakanushi **

Takamimusubi Takamimusubi (高御産巣日神, lit. "High Creator") is a god of agriculture in Japanese mythology, who was the second of the first beings to come into existence. It is speculated that Takamimusubi was originally the tutelary deity for the J ...

** Kamimusubi ** Umashi'ashikabihikoji ** Amenotokotachi * Kamiyonanayo ** Kuninotokotachi **Toyo-kumono-no-kami **Uhijini and Suhijini **Tsunuguhi and Ikuguhi **Ōtonoji and Ōtonobe **Omodaru and Aya-kashiko-ne **

Izanagi Izanagi (イザナギ/伊邪那岐/伊弉諾) or Izanaki (イザナキ), formally known as , is the creator deity (''kami'') of both creation and life in Japanese mythology. He and his sister-wife Izanami are the last of the seven generations of ...

*Shusaishin ** Amaterasu *Others ** Ame-no-oshihomimi **

Ninigi is a deity in Japanese mythology. Grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, Ninigi is regarded according to Japanese mythology as the great-grandfather of Japan’s first emperor, Emperor Jimmu. The three sacred treasures brought with Ninigi fro ...

** Takemikazuchi ** Omoikane **

Ame-no-Koyane Ame-no-Koyane-no-mikoto ( 天児屋命, 天児屋根命) is a ''kami'' and a male deity in Japanese mythology and Shinto. He is the ancestral god of the Nakatomi clan, and Fujiwara no Kamatari, the founder of the powerful Fujiwara clan. An ''Amat ...

** Ame-no-Uzume ** Ame-no-Tajikarao ** Tamanooya ** Futodama ** Ame-no-Wakahiko ** Ame-no-Hohi

References

{{Jmyth navbox long Shinto terminology Shinto kami