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What role do the spirits known as kami play in Shinto?

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Small wooden shrine at Arakura Sengen Shinto Shrine in Fujiyoshida, Japan, flanked by two traditional orange lanterns and surrounded by green foliage. — Shintō Shintō shrine with paper streamers, Fujiyoshida, Japan.

In Shintō, kami are objects of worship and represent sacred powers or forces. These can include deities, spirits of distinguished individuals, and natural phenomena like plants, rocks, and animals. The term kami is often translated as "god" or "deity," but it encompasses a broader range of revered entities, both good and evil.12

Kami are believed to possess divine personalities and respond to truthful prayers. They are seen as the source of human life and existence, guiding people to live in accordance with their will, known as makoto. The concept of kami transcends human cognitive abilities, understood through faith. Shintō mythology speaks of an infinite number of kami, with new ones continuing to be recognized.31