Shinto

Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan.

Scholars often classify it as an East Asian religion. Many practitioners describe it as a nature religion. It is a polytheistic and animistic belief system. This means it centers on supernatural entities known as kami. These kami are believed to inhabit all things. They live in forces of nature and prominent landscapes.

Because Shinto lacks a central authority, it is very diverse. There is no single creator or specific doctrine. Instead, it exists in many local and regional forms.

Worship involves specific actions to maintain harmony. People worship at household shrines and family shrines. They also visit public shrines called jinja.

These public shrines are staffed by priests. Priests oversee offerings of food and drink to the enshrined kami. These offerings seek blessings and cultivate harmony between humans and spirits. Other rituals include kagura dances and rites of passage. Shinto also features various kami festivals. Public shrines may also facilitate divination. They provide religious objects like amulets to adherents.

A core conceptual focus in Shinto is purity. This is achieved through cleaning practices. Practitioners use ritual washing and bathing before worship.

Shinto places little emphasis on specific moral codes. It also has little emphasis on particular afterlife beliefs. However, the dead are deemed capable of becoming kami. This focus on the present life differs from other faiths. Shinto focuses on adapting to pragmatic life requirements. This contrasts with Buddhism, which emphasizes the cessation of suffering.

The history of Shinto is complex and debated. Veneration can be traced back to the Yayoi period. This period lasted from 300 BCE to 250 CE.

Buddhism entered Japan during the Kofun period. This was between 300 and 538 CE. For centuries, the two faiths were inseparable. This process of mixing is called shinbutsu-shūgō. During this time, kami were often viewed as part of Buddhist cosmology. They were sometimes depicted in human-like, or anthropomorphic, forms.

Significant changes occurred during the Meiji era. This period lasted from 1868 to 1912. The nationalist leadership expelled Buddhist influence from worship. They formed State Shinto during this time. Some historians see this as the origin of Shinto as a distinct religion. Shrines came under growing government influence. Citizens were encouraged to worship the emperor as a kami. Following Japan's defeat in World War II, Shinto was formally separated from the state.

This ended the era of State Shinto.

The term Shinto has a specific etymology. It comes from two Chinese characters. The character 'shin' means spirit or god. The character 'tō' means way, road, or path. Thus, Shinto is often translated as "the Way of the Gods."

The term appeared in the 8th-century text, Kojiki. In the past, the term was used more broadly. It could refer to various religious practices outside of Japan. Today, it refers specifically to the Japanese tradition. It is a term that encompasses many varied traditions.

Shinto is the largest religion in Japan. There are approximately 100,000 public shrines across the country.

It is highly pluralistic in nature. Many Japanese people practice both Shinto and Buddhist activities. They might participate in festivals for both traditions. This reflects a culture where different beliefs are not exclusive. Shinto has also integrated elements from other traditions. These include Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese divination. It remains a vital part of the Japanese cultural landscape.