This list includes 17 Japanese gods that start with A, from “Ajisukitakahikone” to “Azumi-no-Isora”. It covers major Shinto kami and notable regional or folk deities, useful for students, writers, and travelers.
Japanese gods that start with A are Shinto kami and local deities whose names begin with “A” in Hepburn romanization. They include major figures like Ajisukitakahikone and coastal guardians such as Azumi-no-Isora, reflecting Japan’s close link between landscape and ritual.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Romanization, Domain, Shrine/Region, Symbols, and Notes.
Name: The primary romanized name of the deity, letting you identify each entry quickly and match it to other references.
Romanization: The standardized Hepburn spelling used so you can alphabetize, pronounce, and cross-reference names consistently across resources.
Domain: Concise phrase describing the deity’s sphere (for example: sea, agriculture, thunder) so you understand roles quickly.
Shrine/Region: Primary shrine or geographic area associated with the deity to help you plan visits or contextualize local traditions.
Symbols: One to three common iconographic items or motifs linked to the deity, helping you recognize shrine imagery and art.
Notes: Short contextual details, alternate names, or ritual associations that give extra background useful for study or field visits.
Japanese gods that start with A
Name
Native spelling
Symbols
Domain
Ajisukitakahikone
阿遅鉏高日子根 (あじすきたかひこね)
Plow, thunder, snake
Thunder, agriculture, real estate
Akiba Gongen
秋葉権現 (あきばごんげん)
Fire, crow, tengu
Fire protection
Amaterasu
天照 (あまてらす)
Sun disc, mirror, weaving loom
Sun, light, imperial family
Amatsu-Mikaboshi
天津甕星 (あまつみかぼし)
Star, darkness, chaos
Stars, chaos, opposition
Amatsumara
天津麻羅 (あまつまら)
Bellows, hammer, metal
Blacksmithing, metalworking
Amenohoakari
天火明 (あめのほあかり)
Light, fire, rice plant
Sun, light, agriculture
Amenominakanushi
天之御中主 (あめのみなかぬし)
North Star, universe
Center of the universe, creation
Amenouzume
天宇受売 (あめのうずめ)
Kagura bells, overturned tub, festive clothing
Dawn, dance, revelry
Ame-no-Koyane
天児屋 (あめのこやね)
Sakaki branch, ritual prayers, deer
Rituals, prayers, divination
Ame-no-Oshihomimi
天忍穂耳 (あめのおしほみみ)
Rice ears, mirror
Agriculture, imperial rule
Ame-no-Tajikarao
天手力男 (あめのたぢからお)
Cave door, rope, muscular arms
Strength, physical power, sports
Ame-no-Tokotachi
天之常立 (あめのとこたち)
Sky, pillar
Heaven, creation, primordial existence
Ame-no-Wakahiko
天若日子 (あめのわかひこ)
Bow, arrow, birds
Messengers, archery
Ashinazuchi
足名椎 (あしなづち)
Sake, cypress tree
Earthly kami, protection
Atsuta-no-Okami
熱田大神 (あつたのおおかみ)
Sword (Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi)
National protection, martial arts
Awashima no Kami
淡島神 (あわしまのかみ)
Doll, needle, boat
Healing, women’s health, fertility
Azumi-no-Isora
阿曇磯良 (あずみのいそら)
Tide jewels, barnacles, white cloth
Sea tides, navigation, seafaring
Descriptions
Ajisukitakahikone
A powerful kami of thunder and farming whose radiance was so bright he was mistaken for the sun god. His loud crying as a baby could shake the entire land.
Akiba Gongen
A guardian deity who protects against fire. Often depicted as a tengu (a winged mountain spirit) and is widely worshipped at Akiba shrines across Japan.
Amaterasu
The most important kami in Shinto and ruler of the heavens. She is the goddess of the sun, and the Japanese imperial family traces its lineage directly to her.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi
A primeval star god of chaos who resisted the heavenly kami. Sometimes called the “Dread Star of Heaven,” representing a primordial force of opposition from before creation.
Amatsumara
The kami of blacksmiths and metalworkers. He helped forge the sacred mirror used to lure Amaterasu out of her cave, a key event in Japanese mythology.
Amenohoakari
A god of sun and agriculture, sometimes considered a grandson of Amaterasu. He is the divine ancestor of the powerful Owari clan of central Japan.
Amenominakanushi
The very first kami to exist, emerging alone at the time of creation. As the “Master of the August Center of Heaven,” he is a supreme, abstract primordial deity.
Amenouzume
The goddess of the dawn, mirth, and the performing arts. She performed a comical and lewd dance that made the other gods laugh, luring Amaterasu from her cave.
Ame-no-Koyane
The kami of rituals and spoken words. He recited powerful prayers to help lure Amaterasu from her cave and is the divine ancestor of the influential Fujiwara clan.
Ame-no-Oshihomimi
The son of the sun goddess Amaterasu. He was originally designated to rule the earth but deferred to his own son, Ninigi, the ancestor of the Japanese emperors.
Ame-no-Tajikarao
A kami of immense physical strength. He is famous for pulling the sun goddess Amaterasu from the rock cave she was hiding in, thus restoring light to the world.
Ame-no-Tokotachi
One of the very first deities to emerge at the beginning of creation. As a primordial kami, he represents the eternal and stable nature of heaven itself.
Ame-no-Wakahiko
A handsome messenger god sent from heaven to pacify the earthly realm. He was killed by a returned arrow, and his dramatic funeral is a famous mythological scene.
Ashinazuchi
An earthly kami and the father of Kushinadahime, the maiden rescued by the hero god Susanoo from an eight-headed serpent. He is venerated as a local guardian deity.
Atsuta-no-Okami
The main deity of the great Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya. This kami is strongly associated with the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the sacred grass-cutting sword of Japanese legend.
Awashima no Kami
A deity widely venerated for healing illnesses, especially those concerning women. The Awashima shrine cult is famous for its Hina Nagashi doll floating ceremony for purification.
Azumi-no-Isora
A mysterious sea kami, lord of the tides, and ancestor of the Azumi seafaring clan. He is said to live at the bottom of the sea, his body covered in shells and barnacles.
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