Japan's Native Religion: Shintoism

 

Shinto is a Japanese religion that dates back to the eighth century. Scholars of religion classify it as an East Asian religion, yet it is commonly referred to as Japan's indigenous religion and a natural religion by its adherents. Scholars refer to its believers as Shintoists, but they seldom use that label themselves. Shinto is not governed by a central authority, and its practitioners are quite diverse.

Shinto is a polytheistic religion centered on the kami, celestial beings that are said to pervade everything. Shinto is considered animistic because of the connection between the kami and the natural world. At kamidana domestic shrines, family shrines, and jinja public shrines, the kami are worshipped. The latter are staffed by kannushi priests who manage food and drink offerings to the particular kami enshrined at that place. This is done to promote peace between people and kami, as well as to ask for their blessing. Kagura dances, rites of passage, and seasonal celebrations are all typical rituals. Public shrines also provide religious accoutrements, such as amulets, to followers of the faith and assist divination. Shinto lays a strong emphasis on maintaining cleanliness, which is achieved primarily via cleansing rituals such as ceremonial washing and bathing, particularly before worship. Although the deceased are thought capable of becoming kami, there is no focus on precise moral rules or afterlife beliefs. The religion does not have a singular founder or theological document, although it does exist in a variety of local and regional forms.

Shinto is largely practiced in Japan, where there are about 100,000 public shrines, although it is also practiced in other countries. It is Japan's biggest religion in terms of numbers, with Buddhism coming in second. The majority of the country's population participates in both Shinto and Buddhist events, particularly festivals, indicating a popular idea in Japanese society that various faiths' beliefs and practices do not have to be mutually incompatible. Shinto elements have also been adopted into a number of contemporary Japanese religious groupings.