You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in Japanese. (March 2020)Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the Japanese article. Machine translation, likeDeepL orGoogle Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Consideradding a topic to this template: there are already 1,536 articles in themain category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. Youmust providecopyright attribution in theedit summary accompanying your translation by providing aninterlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary isContent in this edit is translated from the existing Japanese Wikipedia article at [[:ja:式神]]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template{{Translated|ja|式神}} to thetalk page. For more guidance, seeWikipedia:Translation.

Shikigami (式神) (also read asShiki-no-kami (式の神)) is the term for a being fromJapanesefolklore. According to theShinto scholarInoue Nobutaka, it is thought to be some sort ofkami, represented by a smallghost.^[1] The belief ofshikigami originates fromOnmyōdō. According to the tradition ofOnmyōdō,shikigami is a symbol ofonmyōji's power becauseonmyōji can freely useshikigami with magical powers. It has been associated with "curses" since the 1000s of theHeian period, and was often depicted as a bird or a child inJapanese literature andEmakimono.^[2]

Shikigami are conjured beings, made alive through a complex ceremony. Their power is connected to the spiritual force of their master, where if the invoker is well introduced and has much experience, theirshiki can possess animals and even people and manipulate them, but if the invoker is careless, theirshikigami may get out of control in time, gaining its own will and consciousness and can even raid its own master and kill them in revenge. Usuallyshikigami are conjured to exercise risky orders for their masters, such as spying, stealing and enemy tracking.Shikigami are said to be invisible most of the time, but they can be made visible by binding them into small, folded and artfully cut paper manikins. There are alsoshikigami that can show themselves as animals.^[1][3][4]

In theIzanagi-ryū (Japanese:いざなぎ流)folk religion, the most eliteonmyōji could also conjure an exceptionally powerful type ofshikigami called ashikiōji (Japanese:式王子) to ward off disasters or demons that cause sickness. Regular mystics could not attempt to summon it without risking losing control of it due to itsoni-like nature.

Within the realm of the manga and anime seriesJujutsu Kaisen, shikigami play a pivotal role in the arsenal of jujutsu sorcerers, notablyMegumi Fushiguro. The supernatural entities are conjured through the manipulation of cursed energy, typically facilitated by talismans and summoning magic.^[5]

TheTouhou Project series ofbullet hell shoot-'em-ups features two shikigami characters:Ran Yakumo, akitsune servant of the powerfulyōkaiYukari Yakumo,^[6] andChen, Ran'snekomata shikigami.^[7]

• Dogū
• Familiar
• Haniwa
• Hōko (doll)
• Kokeshi
• Paper doll
• Pelesit
• Poppet
• Spirit animal (disambiguation)
• Totem
• Ushabti
• Voodoo doll
• Zuijin

• Japanese folklore
• Japanese ghosts
• Shinto kami
• Onmyōdō

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