Okami  or Magami is an old Japanese word for the Japanese wolf, which is now considered extinct. He is a ykai and messenger of the gods-kami, a popular character in Japanese folklore. Okami understands human speech and can see into people's hearts.
Unlike the wolf from European myths and fairy tales, which was a negative character: an insidious, vicious and bloodthirsty monster, okami in Japanese "wolf legends" (okuri-okami)