Moreover, thunder was thought to be a sign of the Ina no kami, the god of rice, and was believed to bring a good harvest, which is why lightning came to be called "Inazuma" (Ina's wife); and to an archipelago like Japan, whales that drifted ashore or were beached became an important source of food, so out of gratitude the people began to call such whales "Ebisu" (today worshipped as the god of fishing), and people in many different provinces began to believe in Yorikami ("the god who visits," also known as hyochakujin, the god who drifts ashore, or as kyakujin, the guest-god).
また雷を「稲の神」としは五穀豊穣をもたらすものとして、「稲妻」と呼び、クジラは島嶼部性の高い日本においては、座礁や漂着した貴重な食料として、その感謝から「えびす」と呼び、各地に寄り神信仰（寄り神は、漂着神や客神ともいう）が生まれた。