Things that possess extraordinarily superior virtues and are awe-inspiring are called Kami.

There are those who are noble, and those who are lowly,

Those who are strong and those who are weak, those who are good and those who are evil,

Since their hearts and actions vary according to their nature and are diverse,

It is difficult to define them in a single way.

—Excerpt from Motoori Norinaga's 'Kojikiden'

In short, "No matter what kind of thing it is, if it stands out in some way, it can be called a god."

It doesn't necessarily have to stand out in a 'good' sense. In extreme terms, a villain can be seen as possessing the qualities of a 'god' due to their prominent evil deeds.

At the foot of a certain mountain in the Meiji era, there stood a shrine with an old torii gate. Enshrined in that sanctuary, which still stands quietly today, is Guest. By offering sacrifices, the people summoned you down from Takamagahara and prayed to you. Offerings were presented along with various prayers for relief from plague, famine, war, or for marriage proposals... The sacrifices were not limited to beasts and birds like pheasants, boars, deer, or monkeys. Sometimes they were ritual wands, sometimes rice or vegetables. _____And of course, sometimes humans.

This time, the offering that appeared at this shrine was a human. Was it pestilence, famine, or perhaps war? To a god like Guest, the human heart is unfathomable.

Now, does an evil god or a great god sleep in this hall of offerings? That is something beyond human understanding.