Ujigami

An is a guardian kami of a particular place in the Shinto religion of Japan. The ujigami are prayed to for a number of reasons, including protection from sickness, success in endeavors, and good harvests.

History

While the exact origin of is uncertain, the term is believed to have first appear in the eighth century. Some believe have their origins in the worship of ancestral kami who returned to the homes of their descendents to watch over them. In its current form, the term is used to describe several other types of Shinto deities. Originally, the term referred to a family or clan god. It is believed that, at first, these deities were worshiped at temporary altars.

After the Heian period, the Japanese manorial system was established and nobles, warriors and temples had their own private land, the family-based society fell out of use, and belief in ujigami diminished. In turn, the lords of the manors began to pray to the deities to protect their land. These guardian deities were referred to as . In the Muromachi period the manorial system declined, and so the guardian deities were enshrined along with the . An is a god of the land of one's birth. Over time, the ubusunagami and chinju came to be seen as the heart of the community, and were eventually referred to as .

With the increased urbanization of Japan seen since the 1960s, people have become less connected to their home shrine and , though there have been attempts to reintroduce to places such as apartment complexes where many people live together who have come from different regions.

Ujiko

The term refers to a person or household belonging to the parish of an , bringing them under the kami's protection which traditionally came along with obligations to assist in shrine upkeep and event preparation.

Usually, the relationship between and is established when an individual undergoes an ritual at the shrine of their family’s or a shrine in the region in which they live. This is similar to miyamairi rituals which are held to introduce a child to their ubusunagami, the kami of the region they were born in, and it is common for one’s to also be their .

While a child’s is not always their , it has become common since the distinction between and has disappeared for miyamairi to also refer to . Because of this, shrines often issue to children at their which acts as proof that they are of that shrine. At the same time, as worship of has declined over the generations, it is common among families who are not actively engaged in shrine activities or worship to not think of themselves as .

It is also common for the spouse who has newly entered their partner’s family to attend an in order to become an of the same as their new family. As the population of those engaged in shrine activities grows older and declines, fewer also engage in these activities and what had been an ’s duty in terms of supporting the shrine and worshipping the have become nothing more than superficial rituals which often extend no further than the home in the act of placing or charms in their kamidana.

Ujigami shrine

An is a shrine dedicated to an . While their are generally from the local region, some shrines attempt to gather from further afield through the creation of unique aspects of worship at the shrine, such as pilgrimages or collaboration with corporations for their matsuri.

See also

• Chinjugami
• Glossary of Shinto
• Hitogami
• Sorei
• Ubusunagami
• Uji (clan)

Bibliography

• Tamaru, Noriyoshi; Reid, David; Abe, Yoshiya (1996). Religion in Japanese culture: where living traditions meet a changing world. Tokyo New York London: Kodansha international. ISBN 978-4-7700-2054-3.
• Reader, Ian (1991). Religion in contemporary Japan. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-1353-6.

Further reading

• Hambrick, Charles H. "Tradition and Modernity in the New Religious Movements of Japan." Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1 (1974): 217–52. JSTOR. Web. 21 Sept. 2010.
• Teeuwen, Mark, John Breen, and Ito Satoshi. "Shinto and the Populace: the Spread of Ritual and Teachings." Shinto, a Short History. New York: New York Taylor & Francis, 2003. 126. NetLibrary. Web. 21 Sept. 2010.
• Hiroshi, Iwai. "Kami in Folk Religion : Ujigami." Encyclopedia of Shinto - Home. Kokugakuin University, 13 Mar. 2005. Web. 21 Sept. 2010. <http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=231>.
• "Religion and Spiritual Development: Japan." Martial Arts of the World. Santa Barabara: ABC-CLIO, 2001. Credo Reference. Web. 7 October 2010
• Earhart, Bryon H. "A Branch Meeting in Suburban Tokyo: "I" Branch." Gedatsu-Kai and Religion in Contemporary Japan: Returning to the Center. Bloomington Indiana UP, 1989. 122–27. NetLibrary. Web. 21 Sept. 2010.