Note 17 — Chapter XXI · Ancient Mikados and Heroes

Jimmu Tenno, the Empress Jingo, and Yamato-Take were similarly deified and worshipped. A ninth century scholar, Sugahara Michizane, was deified as Temmangû, god of scholars. Living as well as dead Mikados were kami (deities). “The spirits of all the soldiers who died in battle,” writes Yei Ozaki,17 “are worshipped as deified heroes at the Kudan shrine in Tokyo.”