Japan Traveler

Shinto, a polytheist religion focused on worshipping kami, is the native religion of the Japanese. It was also the state religion for a period of time. The kami, or spirits, are broken down into a hierarchy of local, regional, and global spirits. Shinto is animistic, and its followers believe that everything in nature has a spirit of some sort.

The term Shinto combines two Chinese kanji—shin meaning spirits and to, or path. Most translate the word, therefore, as path of the spirits or of the gods. Today, Shinto has changed from the way it was first practiced and shows influence of Buddhism and other cultural shifts.

Traditionally, there are four different schools within the Shinto belief. Ko Shinto, the oldest, teaches followers its system of training and exercise. Folk Shinto includes many different folk deities and spirits. Those who follow Folk Shinto believe in spirit possessions, shamanic healing, and more. This form of Shinto includes practices from Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism as well.

Sect Shinto, on the other hand, features thirteen different sects. These sects follow the worship of mountains, including Mount Fuji, and some believe in faith-healing and purification. Sect Shinto does not include shrines or other special religious locations; their services are held in plainer meeting halls. Finally, Shrine Shinto, the main branch of Shinto, is the most prevalent and main branch of Shinto.

Of course, there are even more splinter versions of Shinto than these four, but they are not very prevalent, and most are made up of only a small group of followers.

Shinto Defined

Shinto, as an animistic religion, is closely related to other shamanist religions from around the world. Followers concern themselves mainly with dealing with the world around them, not preparing for the afterlife or next life. Shinto has no official set of dogma, no holy cities or locations, no defined list of prayers or rituals that must be performed, and no ruling kami or spirit, characteristics that often make it hard for Westerns to grasp.

While Shinto began in Japan and many Japanese grew up with Shinto beliefs, the religion does not prohibit contact with other religions or including other religious practices. In fact, Shinto includes many elements from China and early Chinese religions

Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism have also had an influence in Shinto, just as many Shinto beliefs and practices have influenced these religions. Buddhism and Shinto, in particular, have melded and borrowed from each other over the centuries. Some of the new religions that have appeared in Japan since World War II also bear marked resemblance to Shinto in some ways.

Despite this open attitude towards other beliefs, Shinto has been the center of some controversy. During the Showa period, for example, Shinto was used almost as a military ideology. Many feel like their religion was hijacked by the government at this point and used to set the Japanese against those of “inferior” religions. Even after World War II and the end of state-supported Shinto, some factions still believe that Shinto should have a more prominent place in Japanese society and that the Emperor should be shown more respect for his role as spiritual leader.

Shinto Themes

One of the most important and central theme to Shinto is to live and revere nature in all its forms. Kami exist in water, rocks, plants, animals, and the moon; in people; and even in some abstract ideas like fertility, death, and change. The concept of kami, in fact, has shifted a bit from being focused on nature to being focus on abstract ideas and anthropomorphic personifications. However, the ancients myths and stories associated with these abstract ideas and with kami themselves are still told, and the nature-based worship of Shinto still plays an important part in the religion.

Kami

The kami, while recognized as spirits and even as gods, are not put on the same level as gods and other deities are in Western religions. They are divine, but they are more closely related to humans than Western deities. Kami live in the same world as people, make mistakes, and even have feelings. Upon death, many believe that people become kami themselves, with their spirit being characterized by their actions in life. This belief even extends to those who are not Shinto themselves. For example, Shinto followers may recognize Mother Theresa as a kami of peace and humbleness even though she herself was not a Shinto believer.

Kami come in two varieties: every thing in nature has its own kami, but there is also a greater kami watching over each type of mineral, animal, plant, and aspect. Every cat has a kami, for example, plus there is a guardian kami over all cats. The kami most widely known and worshipped is that of the sun, the goddess Amaterasu. However, she isn’t worshipped as the leader of the kami or even invoked specifically for aid or advice. Many shrines are dedicated to Amaterasu, with the Ise Shrine being the main shrine. Generally, Amaterasu is symbolized by a mirror, a reference to the myth in which she hid in a cave until her light was reflected in a mirror to draw her out.

Amaterasu was once believed to be the mother of the very first emperor, giving all his descendents the right to rule as divine figures. However, this changes after World War II and the new Japanese constitution that regulated the emperor to more of a figurehead role.

Despite this divine status, the military had no trouble making the emperors into figureheads during the periods when the shoguns ruled Japan. Even though the emperor is no longer considered divine, the imperial family is still heavily involved in Shinto rituals and in symbolically representing Japan.

The Afterlife

One of the most interesting aspects of Shinto is that a person does not have to publicly claim to be Shinto in order to be a part of the religion. When a child is born, the nearest Shinto shrine adds his or her name to the list of children kept at the shrine. When they die, that person’s list is moved over to the family spirit list. If a person moves, they can request that their name be added at the shrine near their new home. Names may be added to the shrine’s list without the knowledge or consent of the person, and their religious beliefs do not matter. However, the person does not have to ever be Shinto, and the Shinto religion is not forced on him or her.

Often, a person will practice both Buddhism and Shinto since the two are very complimentary to each other. Because of this, it’s not unusual for a Shinto person to have a Buddhist funeral.

The Four Affirmations

Shinto has no list of commandments or rules for its followers, many adhere to the concept of the four affirmations of Shinto:
Family and Tradition – one must always remember where one came from and honor one’s family. This is often done with celebrations at marriages and at births.
Nature – reverence for nature and natural objects puts one in closer contact with the kami.
Cleanliness – being physically clean is important to Shinto since physical cleanliness reflects on how one sees themselves and the world.
Matsuri – the matsuri is a festival celebrating the kami, and many are held for various kami every year.

Remaining Pure

In Shinto, certain deeds lead one to becoming impure. Once such a thing happens, one must perform a ritual to cleanse one’s mind and to make certain the kami do not cause bad fortunate. However, it should be noted that being impure is not wrong or evil; it can simply cause one to be upset or anxious over the wrongdoing. These dirty events include anything that does not show respect to others and for nature. If one does not take into account the thoughts, feelings, and well-being of others and of the kami, they become impure. This is especially true if they steal, do something to take away another’s

Failure to show proper respect can be seen as a lack of concern for others, looked down on because it is believed to create problems for all. Those who fail to take into account the feelings of other people and kami will only bring ruin on themselves. The worst expression of such an attitude is the taking of another's life or doing harm to another for personal advancement or enjoyment.

Today, many Shinto place importance on ritual phrases such as those said when meeting another person or before eating. These phrases show thanks to others and, in the case of the phrase said before eating, show respect to the animals and plants the person is about to eat. Not showing respect reveals a person has a lack of concern for people and kami, something that can create many problems for everyone.

Purifying Oneself

If one has become impure due to some event, there is a purification ceremony that can cleanse away the impurity. This is generally done by water. A person may stand under a waterfall, in the ocean, or in any body of water and ask for forgiveness. Another form of purification involves avoiding certain situations, phrases, or activities that one enjoys. This doesn’t always involve being impure. For example, a person who has recently lost their spouse will not attend a wedding for fear that their bereavement would taint the joyful beginning of the new union.

Purification ceremonies are also often used for new buildings and even events. Shinto priests often perform a blessing ceremony at the groundbreaking of new buildings. One notable instance of this is that all Japanese car factories built outside of Japan have been blessed by a priest, and they often re-purify the buildings yearly. Also, events like the crowning of a new emperor or the beginning of a peace conference are often blessed.

Shinto Shrines

Most kami are worshipped at public shrines or at small household shrines. Most public shrines are small and fairly plain, although there are some more elaborate ones. Large shrines have a torii, the traditional Japanese gate, in front of them. These gates are believed to be barriers between the living world and the world of the kami. Guardian animal statues are often places on either side of the gate to guard the entrance. Today, over 100,000 Shinto shrines exist in Japan. Nearly all festivals held in Japan are celebrated at shrines, and they are open to anyone who wishes to visit.

Each shrine has its own Shinto priest, with the larger shrines having groups of them. These priests were a ceremonial jo-e robe when performing rituals. Often, they are asked to petition the kami for assistance, whether it be for a wedding, admission to a good university, or a child. One can even ask for ill fortune to others, but this is generally frowned upon.

Shinto priests generally do not perform funeral rites because most Japanese prefer Buddhist funeral ceremonies. This is because Shinto places little emphasis on the afterlife, and there are few funeral rituals.

Ema

Ema are small pictures or characters written on a small tablet. These tablets are then hung at a Shinto shrine to represent the wish or prayer of the person who hangs it. This practice comes from the medieval times. During that time, the wealthy would donate actual animals or items to the shrine in return for the favor of that shrine’s god. However, this quickly became a rather expensive practice. To curtain this expense, people began leaving pictures of items instead of the item itself when praying for small things. This soon became the practice for all prayers and wishes.

Kagura

The kagura is a ritual dance used in many Shinto ceremonies. According to legend, when Amaterasu hid inside her cave and took away the sun, all of the gods and goddesses gathered outside the cave to lure her out. One, Ame-no-uzeme, began dancing and chanting loudly in an attempt to pique Amaterasu’s curiosity. Eventually, Amaterasu left the cavern and restored light to the world.

The kagura dance is very ritualized. All aspects of the dance are highly ceremonial and crucial, including selecting the instruments, selecting the area in which to dance, setting up the instruments, and dressing for the dance. The music involved often revolves around a pattern of drum beats in either five or seven. The drummer also often sings songs to the kami, although these songs are often overshadowed by the loud drumming and dancing. Many believed that the dancers or drummers were actually possessed by kami during the kagura, although today, that is no longer the case. Today’s kagura are usually very choreographed, although some to recreate the high jumps and wild dancing associated with possession by a kami.

There are several different types of kagura performs today. Those performed at the imperial palace, for example, are different from those performed in shrines in the countryside. The main types of these kagura are miko kagura, Ise kagura, Izumo kagura, and shishi kagura.

Miko kagura, the oldest kagura dance, is performed by women during festivals. While originally these women were all shamans, today, most are priestesses who serve at the Shinto shrine. Miko kagura dances focus on circular movements and make use of bells and fans.

The Ise kagura are ritual dances based on water rituals. These dancers often dip various items into pots of water while dancing. They then sprinkle this water in the four directions of the compass and on observers in order to purify and bless them.

Izumo kagura are generally danced only at the Sada shrine of Izumo. During some of these dances, the dancers were masks and perform dances that retell some of the more traditional Japanese myths.

Finall, shishi kagura are also danced while wearing a mask. Most often, these masks are of lions painted either red or black. Most have special features such as moving ears or mouths. Some of these dances focus more on acrobatics and tricks rather than on the rituals they once were centered around.

Relations Between Shinto and Buddhism

When Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the fifth and sixth centuries, it had an immediate effect on both the Japanese people and on the Shinto religion. The Japanese, seeing much they liked in the new religion, began merging its beliefs with Shinto. Much of this was done in the Nara period with the writing of the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. These two collections of myths brought in many Buddhist, Confucian, and Daoist thoughts and ideas into the established Japanese religion. These writings also helped cement the idea that the emperor was descended from Amaterasu and was of divine origin.

In fact, it wasn’t until the introduction of Buddhism that Shinto itself was actually named. Before then, the system of beliefs had no need for a name because there was no other system competing against it. While this new religion gave Shinto a name, the two systems of belief were not actually in direct competition. In fact, most Japanese began practicing both religions since the ideas behind them were very compatible. When these ideas did contradict each other, the Japanese found ways of merging them. The Buddhist idea of reincarnation, for example, could apply to the kami if one assumed that kami died and were reborn on earth. Others saw the kami as incarnations of the various Buddhas, a role which also worked quite well.

The two religions began to intertwine, and after several centuries, it was hard to tell which beliefs had originally been Shinto and which were influenced by outside religions. Some scholars have attempted to unravel the various belief systems, but few have had any real success. Shinto and Buddhism beliefs were so intertwined that it wasn’t until after the Meiji Restoration and the establishment of Shinto as the state religion that the two were separated, and even then, it wasn’t entirely possible to separate the two.

Shinto as the State Religion

After the Meiji Restoration, the government proclaimed Shinto the official state religion, even going so far as to ban its combination with Buddhist rituals in 1868. Imperial edicts went out commanding Shinto be restored to its original form and that all inclusion of Buddhist, Confucian, and Daoist beliefs and rituals be purged.

Many believed that this state-supported Shinto religion would serve as a way of further unifying the country and empowering the emperor. They feared being invaded and colonized by Western countries and believed that only by forging a strong, unified nation could Japan remain independent.

To this end, the Ministry of Divinities was created in 1871 to oversee Shinto. A system of levels was created that divided shrines according to their importance, with the Ise Shrine at the top. The next year, the Ministry of Divinities was renamed the Ministry of Religion, and its focus changed to teaching moral courses to the people. The ministry also began organizing priests and disseminating Shinto dogma to children, especially those passages and legends pertaining to the emperor’s divine status.

Over the next few decades, Shinto and the nationalist agenda became more and more intertwined. In 1890, students were required to recite a number of oaths to the state and swear to protect the royal family. The emperor became more and more a figure to worship rather than a human. Soon, Shinto and patriotism were intertwined as closely as Shinto and Buddhism once were.

This intertwining was used during the Showa period to convince people to support the more radical military action the government proposed. State-imposed Shinto was one of the main ways the government convinced people to support Japan’s involvement in World War II. However, Shinto would again undergo a major change after the war.

Shinto Following WWII

After Japan lost the war, many changes were introduced. As part of the conditions of surrender, Emperor Showa announced that the imperial line was not divine and that the emperor was to be regarded simply as a man, not as the descendant of the sun goddess. The Ministry of Religion was disbanded, and Shinto was no longer the state religion.

Since 1945, Shinto and Buddhism are once again practiced side by side, and their rituals are often intertwined again. Some Shinto rituals, especially those created or required during the time it was the state religion, are no longer practiced as often as they were. Others, like the new year celebration and the fortune-telling activities, have lost much of their religion connotations and are celebrated by all regardless of their faith.

Shinto Today

Many in Japan today practice some of the various Shinto rituals, and even many of those who claim no religion have a small Shinto altar in their house. Shinto festivals and rituals are held often and are open to all. Most of the Shinto still practiced today is more closely related to the folk religion instead of the state-approved version of Shinto.

While not widely practiced outside of Japan, there are Shinto shrines in Hawaii, Brazil, Canada, and in the Netherlands. There are also some non-Japanese Shinto priests, although this number is quite small. However, there is nothing preventing non-Japanese from practicing Shinto or attending Shinto services at any shrine.

Shinto Effects on Japanese Culture

Because of its status as Japan’s native religion, much of Japanese culture is inseparable from Shinto beliefs and customs. Nearly every major Japanese cultural practice is rooted in Shinto in some way. These practices include flower arranging, garden design, sumo wrestling, architecture, Japanese greetings, removing one’s shoes before entering a home, and using wooden chopsticks can all be traced back to a Shinto idea or practice. Truly, no matter what one does in Japan, one feels the influence of Shinto.