Makami

Makami
Character Data
Japanese Name: マカミ Romanised Name: Makami First Featured in: Kemono Friends 3
Cryptid Data
Classification: Legendary Creature Cultural Origin: Japanese First Recorded Appearance: Unknown Animal Based On: Wolf Read More: Makami Japanese Wiki Corpus Conservation Status:

Makami​

KF3

Makami is a goddess Friend that first appeared in Kemono Friends 3.

Appearance

Makami has a pair of wolf ears, bluish grey hair with a long forked drip at each side. There is a dark tip at her bang at forehead while the ends of fringes at each side is white. She has greyish blue forked eyebrows and bright yellow eyes with a yellowish green gradient. She wear blue eyeshadow. She has a thick tail with the same color as her hair.

She is in a Miko clothing where the robe is off-white and has wide back sleeves like the traditional costume. There is a purple "upper finger thread" decoration on the edge of the sleeves; each thread end has tied to a bright green Magatama (勾玉), a type of comma-shaped bead from ancient Japan, with either a red or yellow patch on it. She also has a thick, light grey furry scarf and a white ruff round. There is a purple thread with blue ends tied around her neck. The thigh-length trousers, or hakama, is in a very light indigo with a hakama belt tied with a big ribbon of the same color at the front; underneath there is a purple thread decoration on the waist. She wears white tights and tabi (足袋), a kind of traditional Japanese socks, with white furry welts. She has a pair of dark zōri.

A pair of wolf statues in Ōkuchimagami Shrine (大口真神社) in Ome City, Tokyo. The Friend's design is likely inspired from their appearance. Photo from Yaokami website.

The overall design of Makami is likely inspired by the twin wolf statures in Ōkuchimagami Shrine (大口真神社) in Ome City, Tokyo. The 'wavy' mane around the neck and brush-like forked tails for example resemble the Friend's features.

Origins

A statue of White Wolf in Yamatsumi Shrine, Fukushima Prefecture

Makami, also called Okuchi no Magami (大口真神, Ōguchi no Magami) or Mikamiinu (御神犬), is deification of now extinct Japanese Wolf. In ancient Japan, an old wolf was said to have eaten many people in Asuka area of Yamato Province, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture. It was then deified for its ferocity and worshipped as a guardian to protect crops from wild boars and deers. Makami is said to be able to understand human words and discern good and evil. It punishes the wicked while protects the good. It is also believed to have a strong power to ward off back luck, especially conflagration and theft.

Worship of Makami declined as the population of Japanese wolves rapidly dropped and eventually went extinct in the early 1900s due to hunting by human. Today, Makami is a relatively obscure deity. Yet it remains enshrined in various places, such as the Mitsumine Shrine (三峯神社) in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture. A celebration in honor of the sacred wolf is held every January at the Musashi Mitake Shrine, on Mount Mitake.

Trivia

• Makami was an old name and alias for Japanese wolf in ancient Japan. Makami can also mean "true god" in Japanese.
• Makami, which is said to be in the form of a white wolf, also take the shape of a dog. Shrines worshipping Makami are becoming popular for dog lovers to pray for their pets' health.