Kami

=== Amatsukami and Kunitsukami ===
{{Main|Amatsukami|Kunitsukami}}
[[Amatsukami]] and [[Kunitsukami]] are categories of kami in [[Japanese mythology]].<ref name="N">[[薗田稔]]、茂木栄 『日本の神々の事典 神道祭祀と八百万の神々』 [[学研ホールディングス|学研]]</ref>

Amatsugami is a generic term for the gods in [[Takamagahara]] or those who descended from [[Tenson kōrin]], while Kunitsugami is a generic term for the gods who appeared on the earth ([[Ashihara no Nakatsukuni]]).<ref name="Y">[[戸部民夫]] 『八百万の神々 日本の神霊たちのプロフィール』 [[新紀元社]]</ref>

In Japanese mythology, the acceptance of the transfer of the land ([[Ashihara no Nakatsukuni]]) by the Kunitsugami to the Amatsu deities led by [[Ninigi-no-Mikoto|Ninigi]] is described as [[Kuni-yuzuri|Kuni Yuzuri]]. It is thought that the deity worshipped by the people of the region ([[Emishi]], [[Hayato people|Hayato]], etc.) who were pacified by the [[Yamato Kingship]] became the Kunitsugami, and the deity worshipped by the imperial family and powerful clans of the [[Yamato Kingship]] became the Amatsukami.<ref name="N" /> Many of the original traditions of the Kunitsugami were altered when they were incorporated into the Chronicles, and many of them have not survived.<ref name="K">藤巻一保 『古事記外伝 正史から消された神話群』 学研</ref>[[Nihon Shoki|The Chronicles of Japan]] cites certain passages (e.g., "Ichi Sho Saying" and "Aru Hon Yun" in most volumes of the Nihon Shoki), but the original recorded documents have been lost in later generations.<ref name="K" />

''Tsu'' is a case particle in [[Old Japanese]], meaning "god of heaven" or "god of the country" in modern Japanese.<ref>[[菅田正昭]] 『面白いほどよくわかる神道のすべて』 [[Nihon Bungeisha|日本文芸社]]</ref> Sometimes written "Amatsugami" or "Kunitsugami.<ref>[[山折哲雄]]、田中治郎 『面白いほどよくわかる日本の神様 古事記を彩る神々の物語を楽しむ』 日本文芸社</ref>{{Further explanation needed|reason=Sentence is unclear and needs a coherent point|date=January 2024}}

Amatsugami are also called Tenjin, and Kunitsukami are called {{Nihongo|Chigi|地祇}}.<ref>山北篤 『東洋神名事典』 新紀元社</ref> Some people believe that the names "{{Nihongo|Tenjin Chigi|天神地祇}}" and "{{Nihongo|Jingi|神祇}}" are derived from the Chinese classics. The different theory that the concept is completely different and different from the Japanese one has been presented.<ref name="N" />

Another similar concept is {{Nihongo|Tenchi Shinmei|天地神明}}.<ref name=":0">[https://kotobank.jp/word/天地神明-578490 天地神明とは] - [[Kotobank|コトバンク]]</ref>

{{lang|ja|天地神明}} (Tenchi-Shinmei) is a Japanese four-character idiom that refers to the gods of heaven and earth. It is used in expressions such as "I swear by the gods of heaven and earth" and conveys a sense of reverence and commitment.<ref name=":0" /> The origins of the term can be traced back to ancient Chinese classical texts, where the expression "{{lang|ja|天地}}" (Tenchi) and "{{lang|ja|神明}}" (Shinmei) were often used together to refer to the gods of heaven and earth, or to the gods and the universe as a whole. However, there are also instances where the expression was used to refer specifically to the gods of heaven and earth.<ref name=":0" /> In Japan, the term {{lang|ja|天地神明}} has been in use for centuries and is often associated with the image of the numerous gods and deities that have been worshipped in Japanese folklore and mythology.<ref name=":0" />

[[Susanoo-no-Mikoto]], who was cast out of Takamagahara, and his descendants, such as [[Ōkuninushi]], are considered to be Kunitsugami.

{{ill|Ogasawara Shozo|lt=Ogasawara Shozo|ja|小笠原省三}} proposed a system justifying [[Japanese Imperialism]] where Japanese people in the colonies were seen as [[Amatsukami]] and natives were seen as [[Kunitsukami]],<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last1=Kōji |first1=Suga |last2=𳜳𨀉𠄈 |date=2010 |title=A Concept of "Overseas Shinto Shrines": A Pantheistic Attempt by Ogasawara Shōzō and Its Limitations |journal=Japanese Journal of Religious Studies |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=47–74 |jstor=27822899 |issn=0304-1042}}</ref> however he was later censored as his position was considered too supportive of the rights of colonized peoples.<ref name=":02" />