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Oct 07, 2010  Shinigami is a 'Death Spirit' Pretty much the Japanese answer to the grim reaper. A Shikigami is more like a Goblin or Gremlin. Summoned by a use of Maho. (Japanese magic) If you have ever played D&D, just think wizard familiar. One is not 'From' the other. They just have simmilar names. The -gami suffix basically meaning spirit. Onmyoji is a fun turn-based mobile game set in mythical ancient Japan. This is a fan made site hoping to help English speakers play the game.

Shinigami (死神, 'god of death', 'death bringer' or 'death spirit') are gods or supernatural spirits that invite humans toward death in certain aspects of Japanese religion and culture. Shinigami have been described as monsters, helpers, creatures of darkness, and fallen angels.

Japanese religion[edit]

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In Buddhism, there is the Mara that is concerned with death, the Mrtyu-mara.^[1] It is a demon that makes humans want to die, and it is said that upon being possessed by it, in a shock, one should suddenly want to die by suicide, so it is sometimes explained to be a 'shinigami'.^[2] Also, in the Yogacarabhumi-sastra, a writing on Yogacara, a demon decided the time of people's deaths.^[3]Yama, the king of the Underworld, as well as oni like the Ox-Head and Horse-Face are also considered a type of shinigami.^[4]

In Shinto and Japanese mythology, Izanami gave humans death, so Izanami is sometimes seen as a shinigami.^[4][5]

However, Izanami and Yama are also thought to be different from the death gods in western mythology.^[3][6] Some forms of Buddhism do not involve believing in any deities, so it is sometimes thought that the concept of a death god does not exist to begin with.^[3] Even though the kijin and onryō of Japanese Buddhist faith have taken humans' lives, there is the opinion that there is no 'death god' that merely leads people into the world of the dead.^[6] After the war, however, the western notion of a death god entered Japan, and shinigami started to become mentioned as an existence with a human nature.^[3]

Ningyō jōruri[edit]

Generally the word 'shinigami' does not appear to be used in Japanese classical literature, and there are not many writings about them,^[7] but going into the Edo period, the word 'shinigami' can be seen in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's works of ningyō jōruri and classical literature that had themes on double suicides.

In Hōei 3 (1706), in a performance of the 'Shinchuu Nimai Soushi', concerning men and women who were invited towards death, it was written 'the road the god of death leads towards',^[8] and in Hōei 6 (1709), in 'Shinchuuha ha Koori no Sakujitsu', a woman who was about to commit double suicide with a man said, 'the fleetingness of a life lured by a god of death'.^[9] It never became clear whether the man and woman came to commit double suicide due to the existence of a shinigami, or if a shinigami was given as an example for their situation of double suicide,^[4] and there are also interpretations that the word 'shinigami' is an expression for the fleetingness of life.^[10]

Other than that, in Kyōhō 5 (1720), in a performance of The Love Suicides at Amijima, there was the expression, 'of one possessed by a god of death'. Since the character was seller of paper, the character who confronted death wrote 'paper' (紙, kami) as 'god' (神, kami),^[11][12] but there are also interpretations that Chikamatsu himself didn't think about the existence of a shinigami.^[4]

Onmyoji Arena Dmg Reduce Shinigami Skin

Classical literature[edit]

In the classical literature of the Edo period, shinigami that would possess humans are mentioned. In the Ehon Hyaku Monogatari from Tenpō 12 (1841), there was a story titled 'Shinigami', but in this one, the shinigami was the spirit of a deceased one and had bad intent, and acting in jointly with the malicious intent already within people who were living, those people were led on bad paths, which caused repeat incidents to occur at places where there was previously a murder incident, for example by causing the same suicide at places where people have hanged themselves before,^[13] and thus these shinigami are somewhat like a possession that would cause people to want to die.^{[7][14][clarification needed]} Close to this, according to the essay of the Bakumatsu period titled 'Hogo no Uragaki', there were the itsuki that made people want to commit suicide through hanging, as well as things told through folk religion such as gaki-tsuki and shichinin misaki.^[3]

In the later Edo Period, the essay 'Shōzan Chomon Kishū' in Kaei 3 (1850) by the essayist Miyoshi Shōzan, the one titled 'upon possession by a shinigami, it becomes difficult to speak, or easier to tell lies' was a story where a prostitute possessed by a shinigami invites a man to commit double suicide,^[15][16] and in the kabukiMekuranagaya Umega Kagatobi by Kawatake Mokuami in Meiji 19 (1886), a shinigami enters into people's thoughts, making them think about bad things they have done and want to die.^[17] These are, rather than gods, more like yūki (meaning ghosts and yūrei^[18]), or evil spirits.^[4]

In the San-yūtei Enchō of classical rakugo, there was a programme titled 'Shinigami', but this was something that was not thought of independently in Japan, but rather from adaptions of the Italian opera the Crispino e la comare^[19] and the Grimm Fairy Tale 'Godfather Death'.^[20]

Folk religion[edit]

Shinigami are also spoken about in folk religion after the war. According to the mores of Miyajima, Kumamoto Prefecture, those who go out and return to attend to someone through the night must drink tea or eat a bowl of rice before sleeping, and it is said that a shinigami would visit if this was ignored.^[21]

In the Hamamatsu area, Shizuoka Prefecture, a shinigami would possess people and lead them to mountains, seas, and railroads where people have died. In those places, the dead would have a 'death turn' (shiniban), and as long as there is nobody to die there next, they shall never ascend even if they were given a service, and it was said that people who were alive would be invited by the dead to come next.^[15] Also, it is ordinary to visit graves for the sake of Higan during noon or when the sun sets, but in the Okayama Prefecture, visiting the grave for Higan during sunrise without a previous time would result in being possessed by a shinigami. However, once one has visited the grave in sunset, then it would become necessary to visit the grave again during sunrise, to avoid a shinigami possessing one's body.^[15] With this background of folk belief, it is also thought that sometimes people would consider the ghosts of the deceased, who have nobody to deify them, to be seeking companions and inviting people to join them.^[15]

In popular culture[edit]

Shinigami play a central role in the Japanese manga series Death Note, written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. A shinigami named Ryuk follows the protagonist Light Yagami and is responsible for the Death Note to fall into the hands of humans.

In the manga series Bleach written by Tite Kubo, high school student Ichigo Kurosaki becomes a shinigami who helps wayward spirits find peace by passing on to the afterlife.^[22]

Shinigami is a mystic witch character in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe.

In the manga series Naruto, Shinigami is called upon for completion of the reaper death seal.

See also[edit]

• Ankou - the equivalent in Celtic mythology
• Azrael - the Angel of Death in Abrahamic religions
• Death (personification) - the Grim Reaper
• Psychopomp - any entity that guides the souls of the dead to the afterlife
• Thanatos - the god of Death in Greek mythology

Notes[edit]

1. ^中村元 (2001). 広説佛教語大辞典. 中巻. 東京書籍. p. 720. ISBN978-4-487-73177-0.
2. ^大栗道栄 (1997). 図説「理趣経」入門 密教の核心. 鈴木出版. p. 101. ISBN978-4-7902-1074-0.
3. ^ ^abcde多田 1997, pp. 127–128
4. ^ ^abcde七会 2009, pp. 168–193
5. ^河野信子編 (1995). 女と男の時空. 1. 藤原書店. p. 115. ISBN978-4-89434-022-0.
6. ^ ^ab木村 2007, p. 141
7. ^ ^ab村上 2005, pp. 166–167
8. ^鳥越他訳 1998, p. 76.
9. ^鳥越他訳 1998, p. 266.
10. ^スズキトモユ (2005-07-04). '日刊! ニュースな本棚'. エキサイト. Archived from the original on 2013-04-10. Retrieved 2012-09-22.
11. ^鳥越他訳 1998, p. 424.
12. ^'近松の世話浄瑠璃'. 文化デジタルライブラリー. 日本芸術文化振興会. 2010. Retrieved 2012-09-22.External link in |website= (help)
13. ^桃山人 (2006). 桃山人夜話 絵本百物語. 角川ソフィア文庫. 角川書店. p. 131. ISBN978-4-04-383001-5.
14. ^村上 2000, p. 69
15. ^ ^abcd大藤他 1986, p. 100
16. ^三好想山 (1970). '想山著聞奇集'. In 谷川健一 他編 (ed.). 日本庶民生活史料集成. 第16巻. 三一書房. pp. 81–83. NCIDBN02048386.
17. ^河竹黙阿弥 (1970). 河竹黙阿弥集. 名作歌舞伎全集. 第12巻. 戸板康二 他監修. 東京創元新社. p. 218. ISBN978-4-488-02512-0.
18. ^松村明 編 (2006). 大辞林 (第3版 ed.). 三省堂. p. 2579. ISBN978-4-385-13905-0.
19. ^永井啓夫 (2011). 三遊亭円朝. 青蛙選書 (新装版 ed.). 青蛙房. pp. 271–272. ISBN978-4-7905-0875-5.
20. ^北村正裕 (August 2000). '死神のメルヘン グリム童話と日本の落語'. 駿台フォーラム (第18号): 54–68. NCIDAN10084875.
21. ^八木三二 (July 1933). '熊本県宮地町地方'. 旅と伝説 (第6年7月号): 178. NCIDAN00139777.
22. ^https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434665/plotsummary

References[edit]

• 大藤時彦 他 (1986). 相賀徹夫 編 (ed.). 日本大百科全書. 第11巻. 小学館. ISBN978-4-09-526011-2.
• 木村文輝 (2007). 生死の仏教学. 法藏館. ISBN978-4-8318-2418-9.
• 多田克己 (1997). '『絵本百物語』の妖怪たち'. 絵本百物語 桃山人夜話. 国書刊行会. ISBN978-4-336-03948-4.
• 近松門左衛門 (1998). 近松門左衛門集. 新編日本古典文学全集. 2. 鳥越文蔵 他校中・訳. 小学館. ISBN978-4-09-658075-2.
• 七会静 (2009). よくわかる「世界の死神」事典. 廣済堂文庫. 廣済堂. ISBN978-4-331-65459-0.
• 村上健司 他編著 (2000). 百鬼夜行解体新書. コーエー. ISBN978-4-87719-827-5.
• 村上健司編著 (2005). 日本妖怪大事典. Kwai books. 角川書店. ISBN978-4-04-883926-6.

'A brilliant onmyoji who is highly renowned in Kyoto.

For reasons unknown, he has lost his memory.

Will his memories reveal long-lost joys?

Or a horrific truth that he cannot bear to remember?'

Uses an amulet to attack the target. Deals damage equal to 100%of his ATK.

LV2 Has a 50% (+ Effect HIT) chance of inflicting the Amulet: Chaos effect on the target. This decreases the damage it deals by 20%. Lasts2 turns.

LV3 The chance of inflicting the Amulet: Chaos effect increases to 100% (+ Effect HIT)

LV4 Amulet: Chaos effect enhancement: Damage dealt decreases by 40%.

LV5 Skill damage increases by 20%.

Binds the target with a field. This increases the damage the target takes by 10%. Also has a 50% (+ Effect HIT) chance of inflicting Bind on the enemy. The bound enemy can use normal attacks to break the bind.The energy barrier inherits 5% of the onmyoji's HP. Skill cooldown is 2 turns.

LV2 Spell: Bind effect enhancement: Increases the damage taken by 20%.

LV3 Spell: Bind effect enhancement: Increases the damage taken by 30%.

LV4 Spell: Bind effect enhancement: Increases the damage taken by 40%.

LV5 HP inherited by the energy barrier is equal to 10% of Seimei's HP.

Forms a large defensive barrier so the enemy cannot damage allies. The barrier fails when the onmyoji moves 2 times or it has inherited 10% of the onmyoji's max HP. Skill cooldown is 3 turns.

LV2 The HP absorbed increases to 11% of the onmyoji's max HP.

LV3 The HP absorbed increases to 12% of the onmyoji's max HP.

LV4 The HP absorbed increases to 13% of the onmyoji's max HP.

LV5 The HP absorbed increases to 14% of the onmyoji's max HP.

Explodes all amulets on the battlefield and eliminates their effects. Each amulet an ally has restores their HP by 10%. Each amulet an enemy has deals it damage equal to 10% of Seimei's ATK.

Onmyoji Arena Dmg Reduce Shinigami X

This skill cannot be leveled up.

Onmyoji Arena Dmg Reduce Shinigami 3

Inflicts Amulet: Death on all enemies. This increases the damage the target takes by 15%. The effect disappears after the target moves 2 times.

LV2 Amulet: Death effect enhancement: Increases the damage the target takes by 20%.

LV3 Amulet: Death effect enhancement: Increases the damage the target takes by 25%.

LV4 Amulet: Death effect enhancement: Increases the damage the target takes by 30%.

LV5 Increases duration of 'Amulet: Death' by 1 turn.

Gives allies Amulet: Life. This decreases the damage they take by 15%. Lasts 2 turns.

LV2 Increases duration of 'Amulet: Life' by 1 turn.

LV3 Amulet: Life effect enhancement: Damage taken decreases by 20%.

LV4 Amulet: Life effect enhancement: Damage taken decreases by 30%.

LV5 The Amulet: Life effect also applies to the onmyoji.

When Seimei is attacked, there is a 10% chance that he will summon Shinryu. Shinryu invokes lightning that attacks all enemies. Deals damage equal to 100% of Seimei's ATK.

LV2 Has a 10% (+ Effect HIT) chance of inflicting Daze on the target for 1 turn.

LV3 Skill damage increases by 10%.

LV4 The chance of inflicting Daze increases to 20% (+ Effect HIT).

LV5 Skill damage increases by 10%.

Onmyoji Arena Dmg Reduce Shinigami 2

Forms a pentagram that increases the damage all allies deal by 15%. Lasts 2 turns.

LV2 Spell: Star effect enhancement: Damage dealt increases by 20%.

Onmyoji Arena Tips

LV3 Spell: Star effect enhancement: Damage dealt increases by 25%.

LV4 Spell: Star effect enhancement: Damage dealt increases by 30%.

Onmyoji Arena Dmg Reduce Shinigami Free

LV5 Increases duration of 'Spell: Star' by 1 turn.