Naobi no kami (直毘神)
Naobi no kami (or Nahobi no kami) are deities in Shintoism. They are considered to be deities of purification and the removal of calamities.
In the Japanese myths that deal with the birth of the gods, when Izanagi returned from the underworld of Yomi and underwent misogi (ritual cleansing), the Magatsuhi no kami were produced from the impurity. To rectify the disorder produced by the Magatsuhi no kami, the Naobi no kami were born. According to the "Kojiki" (Records of Ancient Matters), the appearance of the evil Yasomagatsuhi no kami and Omagatsuhi no kami was followed by the production of three deities: Kaminahobi no kami, Onahobi no kami, and Izunome. In the sixth addendum to chapter five of the "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan), the appearance of Yasomagatsuhi no kami was followed by the production of two deities, Kaminahohi no kami and Ohonahohi no kami. In the tenth addendum to the same chapter, the description differs slightly from the previous one in that Izanagi produced Ohonahohi no kami during the misogi and later produced Oayatsuhi no kami (synonymous with Omagatsu no kami).
"Naho" means to correct something abnormal. "Bi" is said to be the "bi" in "kushibi," a divine spirit; "naobi" is also said to be the noun form of "naobu." In any case, Naobi no kami are deities who change misfortune into fortune. "Naho" forms a counterpart to "maga." Nobuo ORIGUCHI pointed out that the Nahobi no kami were produced to counterbalance the Magatsuhi no kami and, as such, they were two sides of the same coin. Moreover, the Nahobi no kami can be considered as the priests who perform purification rituals, and Izunome as a shrine maiden.