The hitogami type of belief is evident in the deification of heroes such as Hachiman, god of war, and Tenjin, god of calligraphy; in the ecstatic singing and dancing of Japanese festival processions; and in the charismatic leadership of some of the "new religions" of Japan.
Aid was also requested of the kami (god) Hachiman, and a branch of the (Shintō) Usa Hachiman Shrine on the island of Kyushu was built in the compound of the (Buddhist) Tōdai Temple to protect it.
The city developed around the site of the first and most famous of shrines dedicated to the Shintō god Hachiman, Usa Hachiman Shrine, which dates to about 717 724.
According to legend, her unborn son Ōjin, later deified as Hachiman, the god of war, remained in her womb for three years, giving her time to complete the conquest and return to Japan.
Ōjin was deified as Hachiman, god of war.
Of the Hachiman shrine in Kamakura, Japan, he says, "The temple does not stand in a beautiful landscape, but the temple and the landscape are one.
He is seldom worshipped alone, however, and Hachiman shrines are most frequently dedicated to three deities: Hachiman as Ōjin, his mother the empress Jingō, and the goddess Hime-gami.
The Shintō shrine of Osaki Hachiman is valued for its architectural beauty.
The Hachiman Plateau is dotted with volcanoes such as Mount Komaga (5,371 feet [1,637 m]), near the eastern border with Iwate prefecture.
Hachiman, (Japanese: Eight Banners) one of the most popular Shintō deities of Japan; the patron deity of the Minamoto clan and of warriors in general; often referred to as the god of war.
