Faith Overview

Preface:

For the sake of roleplay within Sakura village this article seeks to outline the prevailing spiritual and religious forces within its sphere of influence. Outside faiths not based upon Japanese Shinto of Buddhism, such as those traditionally from Forgotten Realms or real life, should not be expected to be known to the people of the land or have influence within the sphere and Sakuran faith is not a one to one recreation of Shinto or Buddhist beliefs. While the cleric themselves may have their spells and power, their god cannot enforce their influence. Nor can these faiths expand their influence to deal with matters of faith beyond their realm, such as managing yokai, traversing to the Sakuran plane of the dead, or cleaning the shrine of a kami. For those interested in roleplaying Miko or other faith based characters, note that Sakura Village does not discriminate which classes are appropriate. If the PC has the backstory or has gone through training in character to be able to tend to shrines, purify shrines, exorcise yokai, or remove curses they can RP with DMs in attempts to do so. The goal of this is to create a specific experience for Sakuran DMs to use and manage, and promote themes of Sakura village and to give player characters a specific reference source as to start roleplaying. It will not be a conclusive answer to every question, for that will be left to find out as apart of the stories to be told.

What is a Kami?

Kami can roughly translate to spirits or gods, however should not be confused with the western concepts by the same name. Kami are not endless omnipotent beings, nor are they explicitly separate of other life by being spirits. Kami may be found in nature as explicit creations such as a volcano while some are personifications of other entities. A local river would likely said to be inhabited by a kami of it, while Amaterasu herself is further personified and greater than simply being the sun. With the understanding there are said to be millions of kami, there can be kami whom are quickly exceptions to the rule and can vastly vary in their association to nature. However, all kami are ‘natural’ beings in faith. They exist as humans may exist and may live just as humans do in the world, one of it’s many residents and apart of it all the same.
The other aspect of kami to understand is not all kami are equal. To speak of Amaterasu, she is close to a traditional god in western faiths. She lives in another spiritual realm from ours, can grant significant influence, have a well defined mythology and aspects of her control. However the local kami of a river would quickly be thought of to live in the human realm.

What is a Yokai?

Yokai to are kami in many cases, however their name is based upon how one would be expected to treat them. In general, a yokai is known to be a neutral or malevolent spirit or being. Something one would care to avoid, or appease for the sake of not attracting its ire. Kitsune can blue the line between kami and yokai in this way, stories of them being tricksters and thieves painting them as yokai while they also can be divine servants to Inari. The main thing to keep in mind is that the term kami generally will be referred to for spirits that are good or worshipped, while yokai specifically is a term that is those that aren’t.

Can Kami or Yokai Die?

Yes and no. Because kami are natural beings, like people, in the basic sense they have been known to be able to die and too have spirits to go to the afterlife of Yomi. However, what is actually ‘killing’ a kami comes into question that can change by the kami. As a quick rule of thumb, powerful or exceptional kami cannot be slain traditionally and may reform as themselves or in a new way. Lesser kami, such as simple kami of the woodlands, can be traditionally slain or exorcised in the case of yokai. The association of a kami to natural things can also mean you are disturbing or killing yokai by destroying their association.
This is different than if one where to destroy a go-shintai of a shrine which are not themselves part of kami, but rather just temporary repositories which make them accessible to human beings for worship. Destroying one however would significantly reduce the influence of a kami until it is repaired, replaced, and or cleansed.

Is there an afterlife?

Yes, for both dead kami and yokai the afterlife is known as Yomi-no-kuni or Yomi for short. The realm is ruled by Izanami after her retreat into the realm. Yomi is known as the land of the dead, or as a world of darkness where all deceased carry on a gloomy and shadowy existence in perpetuity. It cannot be equated to a paradise, or as hell. There is no benefit or punishment related to one’s descent into Yomi.
For human or non kami spirits, there is still a belief in reincarnation for those whom are on the path of enlightenment. Those whom are evil or morally corrupt may end up in Jigoku, a region popularly believed to be composed of a number of hot and cold regions located under the Earth. Damnation is not eternal; the dead are sentenced to fixed periods of time in one region or to several regions in succession. The sentences can be shortened by the intervention of bosatsus (those destined to become enlightened) in response to the prayers of the living.

Is there a heaven?

Yes and No, there is no different afterlife for humans other than Yomi. However, there is a plane of existence for kami not born of the material world known as Takamagahara. Also called the Plain of High Heaven, in this world is where many of the greater kami such as Amaterasu reside. The specifics of this world are not understood by the mortal realm.
What is a Shrine? Shrine’s are any structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami. Miniature shrines (hokora) can occasionally be found on roadsides as well without having the full structure of a proper shrine. Every shrine has an associated shintai, or go-shintai, that houses the kami that the kami may inhabit to exert it’s will. They are not apart of the kami themselves.
The first duty of a shrine is to house and protect its shintai and the kami which inhabits it. For shintai that are portable or artificial, as they need not be completely naturally occurring, a shintai leaves the shrine only during festivals (matsuri), when it is put in portable shrines (mikoshi) and carried around the streets among the faithful.