Basic Terms of Shinto 神道基本用語集

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Title
Ujigami
氏神
Text Ancient ancestral or tutelary deity of a clan or family. Since the middle ages, the ujigami has come to be viewed as the tutelary deity of a geographical area such as a village. In Japan, the history of migration by clans is a complex one, leading to variations in the meaning of ujigami, but ancestor worship continues to be a central characteristic of Shinto that contributes to community solidarity with a spirit close to that of blood kinship.