They believe there are many Kami , translated as gods or nature spirits . Some `` kami '' are just spirits of certain places , and some are the overall `` kami '' ( like `` Amaterasu '' , the Sun goddess ) . Shinto 's spirits are collectively called yaoyorozu no kami , an expression literally meaning `` eight million kami '' , but interpreted as meaning `` myriad '' , although it can be translated as `` many Kami '' .