Before I get into this I'd like to say that I myself cannot speak on behalf of the Shinto religion as I myself have not experienced it first hand, all of what I write is from a outside stand point as I've never experience Shintoism first hand. But from what I have read and learned the Shinto religion is very beautiful and again this is without experiencing it first hand. So let's start shall we?
The concept of Kami is tricky to explain at least from a religious view with an omnipotent god. Unlike some religions which worship an all powerful god, the Shinto religion believes in many different spirits or god's called Kami. Kami can range from anything between a god to a spirit but it really doesn't end there, a kami can be an element of nature and can be found in almost anything that shows greatness. But while Kami can be found in everything only those things that show their 'kami nature' are referred to as kami. A kami is suppose to have a specific life giving power and a truthful will, so people that lived an outstanding life can also be worshiped as kami and forces of nature, mountains and lakes can be kami also.
In the Shinto religion there is no sole Kami that all should worship but thousands of Kami that can be worshiped depending on where you live or who your ancestors are. Kami are also not perfect or all powerful as they have been depicted making mistakes and behaving badly and although a powerful enough Kami can live a longer life than a generation of mortals it can eventually die. Ultimately all kami coexist in the same world as humans and respond to prayers as they want humans to find happiness in life.
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