Shintoism: The Indigenous Religion Of Japan

Skip to content Skip to search. Home This edition , English, Book edition: Alfred Clair , Physical Description p. Check copyright status Cite this Title Shintoism: Series Great religions of the East Subjects Shinto. Language English Dewey Number View online Borrow Buy. Set up My libraries How do I set up "My libraries"? These 13 locations in All: Flinders University Central Library. Open to the public ; Open to the public Open to the public ; S.

The University of Melbourne Library. Open to the public. University of Queensland Library. For example, the co-creator deities Izanami and Izanagi are explicitly compared to yin and yang. However, the attempt did set the stage for the arrival of state Shinto , following the Meiji Restoration c. Fridell argues that scholars call the period — the "State Shinto period" because, "during these decades, Shinto elements came under a great deal of overt state influence and control as the Japanese government systematically utilized shrine worship as a major force for mobilizing imperial loyalties on behalf of modern nation-building.

The Meiji Restoration reasserted the importance of the emperor and the ancient chronicles to establish the Empire of Japan , and in the government attempted to recreate the ancient imperial Shinto by separating shrines from the temples that housed them. During this period, numerous scholars of kokugaku believed that this national Shinto could be the unifying agent of the country around the Emperor while the process of modernization was undertaken with all possible speed.

The psychological shock of the Western " Black Ships " and the subsequent collapse of the shogunate convinced many that the nation needed to unify in order to resist being colonized by outside forces. In , a Ministry of Rites jingi-kan was formed and Shinto shrines were divided into twelve levels with the Ise Shrine dedicated to Amaterasu, and thus symbolic of the legitimacy of the Imperial family at the peak and small sanctuaries of humble towns at the base.

The following year, the ministry was replaced with a new Ministry of Religion, charged with leading instruction in " shushin " moral courses. Priests were officially nominated and organized by the state, and they instructed the youth in a form of Shinto theology based on the official dogma of the divinity of Japan's national origins and its Emperor. However, this propaganda did not take, and the unpopular Ministry of Rites was dissolved in the mids. Although the government sponsorship of shrines declined, Japanese nationalism remained closely linked to the legends of foundation and emperors, as developed by the kokugaku scholars.

In , the Imperial Rescript on Education was issued, and students were required to ritually recite its oath to "offer yourselves courageously to the State" as well as to protect the Imperial family.

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The imperial era came to an abrupt close with the end of World War II , when Americans declared that Japanese nationalism had been informed by something called "State Shinto", which they attempted to define with the Shinto Directive. The meaning of "State Shinto" has been a matter of debate ever since.

In the post-war period, numerous " New Religions " cropped up, many of them ostensibly based on Shinto, but on the whole, Japanese religiosity may have decreased. However, the concept of religion in Japan is a complex one.

A survey conducted in the mids indicated that of those participants who claimed not to believe in religion, one-third had a Buddhist or Shinto altar in their home, and about one quarter carried an omamori an amulet to gain protection by kami on their person. Following the war, Shinto shrines tended to focus on helping ordinary people gain better fortunes for themselves through maintaining good relations with their ancestors and other kami.

The number of Japanese citizens identifying their religious beliefs as Shinto has declined a great deal, yet the general practice of Shinto rituals has not decreased in proportion, and many practices have persisted as general cultural beliefs such as ancestor worship , and community festivals matsuri —focusing more on religious practices.

The explanation generally given for this anomaly is that, following the demise of State Shinto, modern Shinto has reverted to its more traditional position as a traditional religion which is culturally ingrained, rather than enforced. In any case, Shinto and its values continue to be a fundamental component of the Japanese cultural mindset. Shinto has also spread abroad to a limited extent, and a few non-Japanese Shinto priests have been ordained.

A relatively small number of people practice Shinto in America. There are several Shinto shrines in America.

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Shrines were also established in Taiwan and Korea during the period of Japanese imperial rule , but following the war, they were either destroyed or converted into some other use. Within Shinto, there are a variety of sects which are not a part of Shrine Shinto and the officially defunct State Shinto. Sect Shinto , like Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii and Konkokyo , have unique practices which originated alongside older Shinto practices before the classification and separation of Shinto practices of the Meiji era in From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

For other uses, see Shinto disambiguation. This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. August Learn how and when to remove this template message. Shinto Shrines of Japan. Ise Grand Shrine —Honden at Naiku. After , it is the apex of the Shinto Shrines. Izumo-taisha — haiden and Honden , one of the oldest shrines in Japan.

Tsubaki Grand Shrine —Haiden, one of the oldest shrines in Japan. Fushimi Inari-taisha —Main Gate, one of the oldest shrines in Japan. List of Shinto shrines. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. July Learn how and when to remove this template message. Offerings to the kami. Kamidana home shrine with kagamimochi and Ofuda. Hamaya at Ikuta Shrine. Shinto sects and schools. A Popular Dictionary of Shinto.

A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine. Japanese Religion 1st ed. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: A Concept Takes Shape. The Kami Way 1st ed. Charles E Tuttle Co. Statistical Yearbook of Japan. Retrieved August 25, Kenyon College Department of Religion. Retrieved 1 April An Introduction to Japanese Society. James Waldemar ; Williams, Ron G. An Interpretation of a Priestly Perspective". Philosophy East and West. Study Group of Shinto Culture. International Cultural Workshop Inc. Human Interface and the Management of Information. Information and Knowledge in Context.

Lecture Notes in Computer Science. East Asia Program, Cornell University, , pp. East Asia Program, Cornell University, , p. Bock, Felicia Gresset, ed. Theodore; Keene, Donald; Tanabe, George; et al. Sources of Japanese Tradition vol. The Shapers Of Japanese Buddhism 1st ed. The Invention of Religion in Japan. University of Chicago Press.

The Gods Come Dancing: East Asia Program, Cornell University. The Choreography of Possession in Kagura Performance". Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture. Archived from the original on Bowker, John W The Cambridge Illustrated History of Religions. Breen, John ; Teeuwen, Mark A New History of Shinto. Breen, John and Mark Teeuwen, eds. Ways of the Kami. Uses editors parameter link Endress, Gerhild Engler, Steven ; Grieve, Gregory P.

Historicizing "Tradition" in the Study of Religion. Walter de Gruyter, Inc. Hardacare, Helen December 1, Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions. University of Hawaii Press. Shinto The Fountainhead of Japan. Inoue, Nobutaka et al. Shinto, a Short History London: Myth and Deity in Japan: The Interplay of Kami and Buddhas. Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture. Kitagawa, Joseph Mitsuo On Understanding Japanese Religion.

Kobayashi, Kazushige; Knecht, Peter Kuroda, Toshio , K. Dobbins ; Gay, Suzanne Journal of Japanese Studies. The Society for Japanese Studies. An Analytical Guide to Principal Teachings. Historical Dictionary of Shinto. Lanham, Maryland, and London: In John Ross Carter ed. The Religious Heritage of Japan: Shinto Religions of the World.

Tokyo, New York, London: Victoria Bestor, Theodore C. A traditional Japanese home has two family altars: Pure Shinto families, however, will have all ceremonies and services in Shinto style. Shinto does not have weekly religious services. Some may go to the shrines on the 1st and 15th of each month and on the occasions of rites or festivals matsuri , which take place at fixed times during the year see Holidays, below.

Shinto followers visit the shrine at their convenience; though some devotees pay respect to the shrine every morning. Shinto shrines are regarded as the home of the kami. The most important shrine building is the inner sanctuary honden , in which a sacred symbol called shintai "kami body" or mitama-shiro "divine spirit's symbol" is enshrined. The usual symbol is a mirror, but sometimes it is a wooden image, a sword, or some other object. In any case, it is carefully wrapped and placed in a container.

It is forbidden to see it: A torii gateway stands at the entrance of shrine precincts. Proceeding on the main approach, a visitor comes to an ablution basin where the hands are washed and the mouth is rinsed. Usually he or she will make a small offering at the oratory haiden and pray.

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Sometimes a visitor may ask the priest to conduct rites of passage or to offer special prayers. Various Shinto rites of passage are observed. The first visit of a newborn baby to the tutelary kami, which occurs 30 to days after birth, is to initiate the baby as a new adherent.

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The Shichi-go-san Seven-Five-Three festival on November 15 is the occasion for boys of five years and girls of three and seven years of age to visit the shrine to give thanks for kami's protection and to pray for their healthy growth. January 15 is Adults' Day. Youth in the village used to join the local young men's association on this day. At present it is the commemoration day for those Japanese who have attained their 20th year. The Japanese usually have their wedding ceremonies in Shinto style and pronounce their wedding vows to kami. Shinto funerals, however, are not common, due to Shinto concerns about ritual purity.

The majority of the Japanese have their funerals in Buddhist style. There are other Shinto rites for occupations or daily life, such as a ceremony of purifying a building site or for setting up the framework for a new building, a purifying ceremony for the boilers in a new factory, a completion ceremony for a construction works, or a launching ceremony for a new ship.

The Divine Procession usually takes place on the day of the Annual Festival, and miniature shrines mikoshi carried on the shoulders are transported through the parish. The order of rituals at a grand festival is usually as follows:.

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Purification rites harae , commonly held at a corner of the shrine precincts before participants come into the shrine but sometimes held within the shrine before beginning a ceremony. Presentation of food offerings. Rice, sake wine, rice cakes, fish, seaweed, vegetables, salt, water, etc. In the past cooked food was usually offered to kami, but nowadays uncooked food is more often used. In accordance with this change, the idea of entertaining kami changed to that of thanksgiving.

The chief priest recites prayers norito modeled on ancient Shinto prayers. These prayers were compiled in the early 10th century and were based on the old belief that spoken words had spiritual potency.

Shintoism: The Indigenous Religion of Japan

Participants in the festival make symbolic offerings using little branches of the evergreen sacred tree to which strips of white paper are tied. Since World War II it has become popular to have a brief sermon or speech before the feast. Most Shinto festivals are observed generally in accordance with the above order.

On such occasions as the Annual Festival, various special rites may be held—for example, special water purification misogi and confinement in shrines for devotional purposes o-komori , the procession of a sacred palanquin o-miyuki or of boats funa matsuri , a ceremonial feast toya matsuri , sumo wrestling, horseback riding kurabe-uma , archery matoi , a lion dance shishi mai , and a rice-planting festival o-taue matsuri.

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