Oyagami (祖神, soshin, sojin) is a term in Shinto that refers to an ancestor, deity, or soul (sorei) of an ancestor who was worshipped as a deity in a certain clan.
[2] Some Shinto sects believe that the entire world or cosmos is a living entity, full of vitality and productive power that originates from the oyagami, which is the ultimate existence that gives birth to everything.
In the Tenrikyo religion, the main deity is called "Oyagami," and the sect's founder is known as "Oyasama."
[2] The Imperial Household and many other Japanese clans believe in oyagami as gods they are descended from, also known as ujigami.
Tenrikyo publications typically translate oyagami as God the Parent.