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All living things and many non living ones have spirits. Shinto is actually very similar to a number of animist religions, but has become so intermingled with Zen Buddhism that the average Japanese person has trouble telling you the difference between the two.
Kami are gods, but not in the sense of the Christian God the Father (Kami-Samar in Japanese). Kami can be good or evil and are powerful spirits with greater powers than Man, but not necessarily omnipotent or omniscient. There is also a great deal of crossover between Jami and Yoko (also supernatural spirits). In the simplest of terms the hierarchyHyuns from weakest to strongest; animals (excluding supernatural animals like kitsune or tanuki for example), human beings, yokai, then kami at the top. However, humans, animals and yokai may also eventually become kami if they live long enough and are powerful enough.
In general, kami are considered good (their evil counterparts being akuma), but are recorded in ancient stories as occasionally both helping and/or hurting human beings. Humans can make requests of kami and which kami you ask depends upon what exactly you want. In particular these days Japanese people request good grades on entrance exams for high school and college, promotions at work, and fertility for example.
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