Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan, with approximately 10 million adherents. It focuses on the worship of kami, which are spirits or gods that inhabit nature. There is no single central deity, and Shinto places importance on harmony with nature and purification rituals. While Shinto is exclusively practiced in Japan, some aspects of it have blended with Buddhism and been incorporated into Japanese cultural customs and traditions. Key religious sites include shrines and use of symbolic items like torii gates.

1. religions of the world: S H I N T O by jennifer le, hillary nguyen, yen tran, and nhu vu

2. table of contents I. Religious Data II. Religious Diffusion III. Religious Beliefs IV. Cultural Interaction in Religion V. Religious Ecology VI. Religious Landscape

3. 10 million Japanese participate in rituals but a third call themselves Shintoists. Shinto ranks tenth after Jainism, Baha’ism, Judaism, and Sikhism, in ninth-sixth, respectively. Shinto is growing, due to a large number of sects blending Buddhism with it. Adherents feel a strong bond or connection with nature or have a defining moment where Shinto feels just right for them. i. religious data

4. Shinto was formed around 550 B. C. in Japan. Shinto is practiced exclusively in Japan or with people of Japanese heritage. Due to its Japanese based heritage, the religion has not spread dramatically to other nations. Today, Shinto continues to mainly reside with the boundaries of Japan or Japanese immigrants. ii. religious diffusion

5. There is no all-powerful God in Shino. b. The worship of Kami i. Kamiare gods and spirits that govern over nature and human life. ii. They are believe to animate the world through geographical sites (Mount Fuji) and natural phenomenon (kamikaze). The individual is less than the group. Wa (“benign harmony”) is ingrained in nature and human relationships. i. Anything that disturbs this condition is bad. To keep the balance of harmony, there are rules to keep society and the natural world from turning into chaos. ii. Wais reflected in everyday actions. For example, the removal of one’s shoes before entering a home and taking daily baths. iii. religious beliefs

6. Renewal and purification i. “Man is kami’s child;” Life was given to people by kami and has sacred nature. ii. But because divine nature is rarely seen purification is necessary. iii. A shrine dedicated to kami has a trough of pure water used for the rituals of rinsing the hands and mouth, required before approaching the image of kami.This process is called oharai. iv. Shinto has little care for death and the afterlife. Shinto is mainly a “life religion” concerned with the here and now and not the afterlife. v. They believe that the soul, or tama, of the dead continues to have influence on the living before finally becoming a part of the kami ancestors from the family it belongs to. vi. If a person were to pass away, Shintoists would use the Buddhist idea of afterlife.

8. The Shinto religion goes hand in hand with traditional values and the daily customs of Japan. d. Other customs include the use of proper greetings or the removal of one’s shoes before entering a home. b. Japanese society greatly stresses the importance of respect and character. e. Ikebana (flower arranging), traditional Japanese architecture, andgarden design have Shinto roots. c. Kotodama, or “words with a magical effect on the world,” is used in Japan. For example, itadakimasu is said before eating. iv. cultural interaction in religion f. In sumo wrest-ling, salt is used to purify the wrestling arena.

9. Shinto teaches people to be gentle to nature. b. Everything given to humans from nature must be returned to its original place. c. Pollution or defilement is an act of evil or a sin, caused by lack of aware- ness, awe, and reverence. d. Nature is perceived as holy, divine, and superior. Humans must yield to it. v. religious ecology

10. All of the natural landscape, including valleys, streams, mountains, and waterfalls, is sacred space. b. All shrines are sacred places of worship. i. A pair of stone lion-dog statues called koma-inu guard shrine entrances to keep spirits away. The toriigate is the symbol of the Shinto religion. They can be placed at the entrance of the shrine of directly in front of buildings within. The dead are usually cremated and buried in family graves. Most shrines keep a special goshintai, or symbol, that represents a kamior a legend. Kamidana-fujiis white paper that covers the entrance to household shrines to keep impure spirits away. vi. religious landscape

11. koma-inu torri gate kamidana goshintai