Dobutsaka

**Dobutsaka** (Tampog: Dobutsa, English: nature-spirit), also known as **onajiminesuhai** (English: familiar-worship) is a religion which originated in Asakia. Classified as an East Azianan religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as the indigenous religion of Asakia and of the Tampog "Mountain Folk" peoples, and even as "the Pacific religion." Dobutsaka is a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners *Dobutsakists*, although adherents rarely use this term themselves. There is no central authority regarding Dobutsaka, although much of Dobutsaka throughout the Pacific is somewhat unified in religious beliefs and practices regarding the religion are almost all identical from region to region, with the most differences in practice seen in areas such as Papua New Guinea, West Amerika, and Paragonia.

Dobutsaka is polytheistic and revolves around the *onajimi* ("familiars"), spiritual entities believed to act as guardian angels to specific people, animals, plants, and even larger groups of these examples and of humankind itself. The link between the *onajimi* and natural world has led to Dobutsaka being considered animistic and pantheistic. At the age of 20, Dobutsakists are assigned by *ronbun* (paper-ceremony), a coming-of-age ritual, their *onajimi*, to be considered their guardian, chief confidant, spiritual protector and guide, and creative muse. *Onajimi* are usually animals, the most popular being tanuki, foxes, cats, dogs, and mice, although other animals and even plants are possible to be chosen in *ronbun*. *Ronbun* usually start with a prayer uttered by the *chifu*, the leading religious figure in the village or city the *ronbun* takes place, and immediately afterwards, participants choose from a bowl of paper tags with an *onajimi* name enscribed on them; these are then read aloud by the participants, in which they receive their *mimikku,* paper garments fashioned to resemble animal ears and tails (or in the case of plants, leaves and roots.) *Mimikku* are then worn by Dobutsakists at special events, such as bonding rituals, birthdays, funerals, and holidays, and during religious occasions, such as morning and evening prayers. Worship of *onajimi* takes many forms, from prayer to dedicating *onajimi* in art and even partying and ritual dancing.

Although historians debate at what point it is suitable to refer to Dobutsaka as a distinct religion, onajimi veneration can be traced back to the foundation of Asakese civilization at around 1000 BCE. Dobutsaka remains relatively untouched by any other religious influence largely related to Asakia's relative isolation from other nations, especially compared to nearby Doitxok and Papua. Dobutsakist history is relatively uniform; the religion has been widely promoted and maintained by the Council of the Cherished, and is the official state religion of the Land of Asakia from which it calls home. Tampog peoples from Kamchatka to Inujima practice Dobutsaka, and Satka Island is widely regarded a holy island as it was, according to the Dobutsaka creation story, the tanuki familiar of humankind, Tada, created Satka Island before all other landmasses as the realm of the birth of onajimi. Settlement efforts by the Asakese have recently begun there to keep the island in the hands of the official Dobutsakist government.

Dobutsaka is primarily found in Asakia, although significant minorities of believers live in Doitxok, Sokpop, Papua, and in the Pacifican colonies. Over 100,000 Dobutsakist onajimi shrines exist throughout Asakia, many of them for formal prayer, celebrations, or both. Onajimi shrines are famous for their art, in which some of the most famous Asakese paintings, poems, songs, dances, and cuisines originate from. Dobutsaka is remarkable for its early espousing of ideals for total social equality, the separation of gender and sex, the existence of non-binary genders and of transgender people, and of LGBTQIA+ equality. 27% of Dobutsakists practice some sort of vegetarianism as part of their ideals on human-animal equality, one of the highest percentages of vegetarianism in any religion currently in existence. Dobutsakist doctrines on relationships and marriage are different as well, with the ideas of *setchaku* (bonded-familiarities) taking precedent over actual marriage; as this is not limited to two people, this makes polyamory a common and acceptable practice in Dobutsaka. Pet ownership is also encouraged in Dobutsaka, as is providing offerings to stray animals in the forms of food, water, and shelter, and over half of the Dobutsakist population worldwide owns at least one animal in their care.

## Beliefs

### ***Onajimi***

Dobutsaka is a polytheistic belief system involving the veneration of many deities, known as *onajimi.* As is often the case in the Northern and Southern Asakese languages, no distinction is made here between singular and plural, and hence the term *onajimi* refers to both individual onajimi and the collective group of onajimi. This term has been varyingly translated into English as "familiar" and "guardian." According to Asakese mythology, there are 12 *chikyujimi*, or earth-familiars, and a limitless amount of *hogoshajimi*, or guardian-familiars. Chikyujimi act as the pantheon of Dobutsaka, similar in terms to deities, and hogoshajimi are the personalized manifestations of a specific person or group of people's onajimi. Although the presence of chikyujimi is static and unchanging, hogoshajimi enter and exit the living world with the birth and passing of their humans. Hogoshajimi are the manifestations of a person's person guardian, creative muse, and internal friend and companion. They stay with their human, invisible and untouchable until their human passes, in which their soul merges with the soul of the human into a new hybrid form in the afterlife.