Genius Loci · Spirits of Place
JAPANESE FOLK RELIGION
The Japanese Mountain Forest
Yama-no-Kami
The Spirit
The mountain deity who descends to the rice paddies each spring as Ta-no-Kami, the field spirit, then returns to the peaks in autumn. This seasonal migration ties the fertility of the lowland fields to the wild power of the forested heights, binding agriculture to wilderness in an eternal cycle.
Offerings & Observances
Rice, sake, mochi placed at mountain shrines during spring descent and autumn return