8 Major Japanese Gods and Goddesses You Should Know About

When we talk about the Japanese gods and goddesses, we must understand that much of the mythology and pantheon is derived from the traditional folklores of the Shinto – one of the major religions of Japan. And interestingly enough, much like Hinduism, Shinto, or kami-no-michi (‘the Way of the Gods’) is a polytheistic mode of religion that results from the highly pluralistic culture of Japan throughout history. In essence, Shinto, without any proclaimed founder or prescribed tenets, can be perceived as the evolution of local animalistic beliefs of Yayoi culture (300 BC – 300 AD) that were further influenced by both Buddhism and even Hinduism throughout the course of centuries.