Chinjugami
Chinjugami (鎮守神; lit. guardian deity) is a kami that is worshipped in order to gain its protections for a specific building or region. Anyone living on the land worships them regardless of blood ties. A shrine enshrining a chinjugami is called a chinjusha.
↻ synthesized from 4 sources
When
- First attested
- 1300 CE
- Attested period
- 1300 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Associated with local identity.
Relationships
- co occurs with
- ujigami, Ubugami, Ōyamakui-no-kami, Ubusunagami, Hitogami, Sorei
- syncretized with
- ujigami, Ubusunagami, ubusuna
- served by
- jinushi-no-kami
Mentioned by
Sources
Source passages
“Chinjugami are said to have their origin in the Sangharama of China. Protective kami began to be worshipped in Japanese Buddhist temples as well as Buddhism spread throughout Japan and shinbutsu-shūgō progressed. Later, such protective kami became worshipped in not only temples but other buildings as well and even set regions.”
#9249 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“A chinjugami is the tutelary kami of a specific area or building, as for example a village or a Buddhist temple. The term today is a synonym of ujigami (clan's tutelary ancestor) and ubusuna (産土神, lit. native place kami); however, the three words had originally a different meaning.”
#9256 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Ubusunagami are distinct from chinjugami because one maintains the link to their ubusunagami throughout their entire life, even if they move to a new location. Nonetheless ubusunagami, ujigami, and chinjugami are often conflated in the modern day, and all three are seen as strengthening local identity.”
#10633 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001
“Chinjugami Glossary of Shinto”
#10644 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001