Mitama

Mitama (御霊) is a Japanese word and a festival in Japan honoring the dead, much like Obon.

Tama has two meanings depending on the character with which it is written. The first character for tama (玉) also means precious jewel, as in tamagaki (the "jewel fence" surrounding a shrine) or tamagushi, a branch of sakaki used as an offering. The more common meaning of tama in a Shinto context is however the 'tama' (also pronounced 'rei') meaning soul or spirit (see above).

Tama is an entity which is human, animal, or a natural feature (tree, river, waterfall, rock, or mountain among others). Disembodied, the tama may be a kami or an aspect of a kami, the spirit of an ancestor or other dead person. The honorific form is mi-tama or go-rei.

The concept of tama is a key and variously interpreted term in the spiritual psychologies of Shinto and various kinds and functions of spirits of an ancestor or other dead person. The honorific form is used when the spirit excelled in some form, of example through a great sacrifice.

The 'four tama' are:


 * Ara-mitama, a violent or coercive spirit.
 * Nigi-mitama, a gentile and pacifying spirit which have two aspects, namely:
 * Saki-mitama which imparts blessings and
 * Kushi-mitama which causes mysterious transformations.

Mitama Festival
A widely celebrated Shinto festival to the dead in Japan, particularly at the Yasukuni Shrine. Typically in mid-July.