Okami (æ·¤å ç¾Âç¥Â, Okami-no-kami) in the Kojiki, or in the Nihon Shoki: or , is a legendary Japanese dragon and Shinto deity of rain and snow. In Japanese mythology, the sibling progenitors Izanagi and Izanami gave birth to the islands and gods of Japan. After Izanami died from burns during the childbirth of the fire deity Kagu-tsuchi, Izanagi was enraged and killed his son. Kagutsuchi's blood or body, according to differing versions of the legend, created several other deities, including Kuraokami.
The name Kuraokami combines kura "dark; darkness; closed" and okami "dragon tutelary of water". This uncommon kanji (o)kami or rei é¾Â, borrowed from the Chinese character ling "rain-dragon; mysterious" (written with the "rain" radical , 3 "mouths", and a phonetic of long "dragon") is a variant Chinese character for Japanese rei < Chinese ling "rain-prayer; supernatural; spiritual" (with 2 "shamans" instead of a "dragon"). Compare this 33-stroke é¾ logograph with the simpler 24-stroke variant ("rain" and "dragon" without the "mouths"), read either rei < ling é "rain prayer; supernatural" or ryà  < long é "sound of thunder", when used for ryo < long é reduplicated in ryà Âryà  < longlong éÂÂé "rumble; boom".
Marinus Willem de Visser (1913:136) cites the 713 CE Bungo Fudoki è±Âå¾Â風åÂÂ訠that okami is written èÂÂé¾ "snake dragon" in a context about legendary Emperor Keikà  seeing an okami dragon in a well, and concludes, "This and later ideas about Kura-okami show that this divinity is a dragon or snake." Grafton Elliot Smith provides a Trans-cultural diffusionist perspective. <blockquote>The snake takes a more obtrusive part in the Japanese than in the Chinese dragon and it frequently manifests itself as a god of the sea. The old Japanese sea-gods were often female water-snakes. The cultural influences which reached Japan from the south by way of Indonesia â many centuries before the coming of Buddhism â naturally emphasized the serpent form of the dragon and its connection with the ocean. (1919:101) </blockquote>
In the Kojiki, he is the father of female deity Hikawa-hime (æ¥河æ¯Â売, or Hikaha-hime) married Susanoo's grandson, the male deity Fuwanomojikunusunu (å¸Âæ³¢è½æ¯Âé 习奴é Â奴ç¥Â, or Fuhanomojikunusunu) and from their union gave birth to the male deity Fukafuchi-no-Mizuyarehana (深淵ä¹Âæ°´å¤Â礼è±ç¥Â). Fukafuchi-no-Mizuyarehana is the great-grandfather of the male deity à Âkuninushi (大å½主ç¥Â).
Then, the great-grandson of à Âkuninushi, Mikanushi-hiko (çÂÂ主æÂ¥åÂÂç¥Â) married Hinarashi-hime (æ¯Âé£è¯å¿Âæ¯Â売), who is the daughter of Okami, sister of Hikawa-hime. From the union of Mikanushi-hiko and Hinarashi-hime gave birth to the male deity Tahirikishimarumi (å¤Âæ¯ÂçÂÂå²Âå¿Â麻æµÂç¾Âç¥Â).
The c. 680 CE Kojiki transcribes Kuraokami Kami with man'yà Âgana as éÂÂæ·¤å 羠"dark o-ka-mi god". In the Kojiki version of this myth, Izanagi killed Kagutsuchi with his giant sword, and the blood subsequently created eight kami "gods; spirits". The final two generated from blood that dripped off the hilt onto Izanagi's fingers were Kuraokami and Kuramitsuha Kami éÂÂ御津羽祠"dark mi-tsu-ha god".
<blockquote>Then His Augustness the Male-Who-invites, drawing the ten-grasp sabre that was augustly girded on him, cut off the head of his child the Deity Shining-Elder. Hereupon the names of the Deities that were born from the blood that stuck to the point of the august sword and bespattered the multitudinous rock-masses were: the Deity Rock-Splitter, next the Deity Root-Splitter, next the Rock-Possessing-Male-Deity. The names of the Deities that were next born from the blood that stuck to the upper part of the august sword and again bespattered the multitudinous rock-masses were: the Awfully-Swift-Deity, next the Fire-Swift-Deity, next the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity, another name for whom is the Brave-Snapping-Deity, and another name is the Luxuriant-Snapping Deity. The names of the Deities that were next born from the blood that collected on the hilt of the august sword and leaked out between his fingers were: the Deity Kura-okami and next the Deity Kura-mitsuha. All the eight Deities in the above list, from the Deity Rock-Splitter to the Deity Kura-mitsuha, are Deities that were born from the august sword.</blockquote>
Basil Hall Chamberlain notes, "The etymology of both these name is obscure. Kura, the first element of each compound, signifies 'dark'."
Another Kojiki section listing ancestors of à Âkuninushi 大å½主 "great country master" says Okami Kami's daughter Hikaha Hime æ¥河æ¯Â売 "sun river princess" had a daughter Fukabuchi no mizu Yarehana 深淵ä¹Âæ°´å¤Â礼è± "deep pool water lost flower".
<blockquote>The Deity Fuha-no-moji-Ku-nu-su-nu ... wedded Princess Hikaha, daughter of the Deity Okami, and begot a child: Water-Spoilt-Blossom-of-Fuka-buchi. This Deity wedded the Deity Ame-no-tsudohe-chi-ne, and begot a child: the Deity Great-Water-Master. This Deity wedded the Deity Grand-Ears daughter of the Deity Funu-dzu-nu, and begot a child: the Deity Heavenly-Brandishing-Prince-Lord. This Deity wedded the Young-Princess-of-the-Small-Country, daughter of the Great-Deity-of-the-Small-Country, and begot a child: the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land.</blockquote>
The c. 720 CE Nihon Shoki writes Kuraokami with kanji as éÂÂé¾ "dark rain-dragon". In the Nihongi version, Izanagi killed Kagutsuchi by cutting him into three pieces, each of which became a god: Kuraokami, Kurayamatsumi (éÂÂå±±ç¥Â) "dark mountain respect", and Kuramitsuha éÂÂç½Â象 "dark water-spirit". This mitsuha ç½Â象 is a variant of mà Âryà  éÂÂé "demon; evil spirit" (written with the "ghost radical" 鬼). Kurayamatsumi is alternately written Takaokami é«Âé "high rain-dragon". De Visser says, "This name is explained by one of the commentators as "the dragon-god residing on the mountains", in distinction from Kura-okami, "the dragon-god of the valleys".
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William George Aston footnotes translations for these kami names: Kuraokami "Dark-god", Kurayamatsumi "Dark-mountain-body-god", and Kuramitsuha "Dark-water-goddess". De Visser says Kuramitsuha could be translated "Dark-water-snake", "Valley-water-snake", or "Female-water-snake".
The Man'yà Âshà « poetry collection mentions an Okami æ¼å¯羠"rain dragon" living on an oka 岡 "ridge; knoll; hill". Lady Fujiwara, a daughter of Fujiwara no Kamatari, replies to a poem from her husband Emperor Tenmu () about an unseasonable snowstorm.
Compare Edwin Cranston's translation with that of Burton Watson (1986:22), "I told the water god on my hill to let the snow fall. It scattered, and some must have fallen over your way!"
The diverse Japanese kami of water and rainfall, such as Suijin 水祠"water god" and Okami, are worshipped at Shinto shrines, especially during times of drought. For instance, Niukawakami Jinja 丹çÂÂå·Âä¸Âç¥Â社 in Kawakami, Nara is a center of prayers for Kuraokami, Takaokami, and Mizuhanome ç½Â象女. Some other examples of shrines to Okami are:
In addition, the water-god Takaokami is worshipped at various shrines named Kibune Jinja (), found in places such as Sakyà Â-ku, Kyoto and Manazuru, Kanagawa.