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Shintoism

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What is Shintoism?

Overview

Shintoism is the one of the oldest religions in Japanese culture, thus often regarded as the "native" religion of Japan. Shintoism is based upon the belief and worship of kami, or spirits. While these spirits may be spirits of people, they are also thought of as spirits of nature as well, such as spirits of mountains and other landforms. The meaning of Shintoism gives a general understanding of what the religion teaches, since "Shinto" means "The Way of the Gods". This simple definition implies that the beliefs of Shintoism follow not just one god, but many. In fact, Shintoism is so broad that there is no one written book or god that is worshiped.

Shintoism is basically a following of many different gods and spirits. Furthermore, there is no one set leader or founder of the religion, but rather a belief in many gods and spirits living in virtually everything. The lead deity in Shintoism would be the spiritialism of one's mind, with spirits and gods being the main focus of Shintoism. In fact, there are over 800,000 various gods that are worshipped in Shintoism. Shintoism is more about fitting into the world and enjoying it, as well as relationships between the living and the spirits surrounding. Many actually believe that certain aspects of nature, such as rain, storms, trees, and mountains, are actual spirits communicating with humans through their movement and motions. It is also believed that when followers die, they actually become kami themselves and are then worshipped by their family members and friends. With that in mind, it is no wonder that countless shrines have been created for various aspects of nature, as well as for other kami that are believed to exist. These shrines are meant to serve as a place for followers of Shintoism to come and worship and reflect on the spirits which dwell within the shrines.

A shrine set up in observance of a rock. Ise Jingu, the most famous shrine in Shintoism.

Example of a shrine. This shrine is in honor of the spirit of Inari, the god who Another example of a Japanese Shintoism shrine.

protects and watches over the rice harvest.

There are no set beliefs or rules in Shintoism, excusing four basic affirmations that believers live by and follow.

Four Affirmations

There are for basic affirmations, or general ideas, in the Shintoism religion.

Physical cleanliness: Followers of Shintoism believe in keeping clean always. They very frequently take baths, wash their hands, and wash their mouths out.
Respect of nature: Nature is very important in the Shintoism belief. A common belief is that there are spirits living in all of nature, thus it is important to be in touch with, and have a respect for, nature in order to have a relationship and communication with these spirits. Many objects are worshipped because they are believed to contain kami, or spirits.
Tradition and family: Keepin tradition alive is an important aspect of Shintoism and family is the way tradition is passed on, thus making it very important in Shintoism beliefs. Births and marriages are highly celebrated because of new members of the family which can help pass tradition and Shintoism values.
Matsuri: Many festivals and celebrations are held annually to celebrate the kami.

History of Shintoism

Before Buddhism, which is currently the most popular religion in Japanese culture, Shintoism was followed closely by virtually everyone since well before the beginning of the first century AD. It is because of this that most of current Japanese culture is built and focused around Shintoism and the beliefs surrounding the religion. There are four main time sectors of Shintoism history. The first of which began in prehistoric times to about 552 AD and Shintoism was the main religion and belief system in Japan without any major competition from other religions, it was the main belief. It was around this time that Buddhism started becoming more and more popular, and in 645 AD the Emperor Kotoku rejected Shintoism for Buddhism. After this time, many still held true to their Shintoism beliefs, but many left the religion for the newer beliefs and religion of Buddhism. From about 800 to 1700 AD Buddhism and Confucianism began to gain popularity in Japenese culture. Shintoism took a hard hit during this time because the new religions began to mix with Shintoism, creating what became known as Ryobu Shinto, or dual-aspect Shinto. However, it was around 1700 AD when Shintoism saw a revival of sorts as many returned to the beliefs of the former Japanese generations and once again accepted the beliefs of Shintoism. Shintoism eventually replaced Buddhism once again as the state religon of Japan and is still popular in Japanese culture to this day.

Affects on Japanese Culture

Wabi Sabi, an aspect of Japanese culture discussed within this course, is one aspect of the culture that is inspired and affected by Shintoism. This is because both Wabi Sabi and Shintoism have spiritual leanings towards nature. For instance, the focus of Wabi Sabi is frequently natural objects and things not normally observed by just anyone. At the same time, Shintoism followers believe that showing an interest in nature and things in it bring a closer relationship with spirits, or kami, and spiritual things due to the spirits which dwell within nature. Also, Shintoism affects Japanese culture so strong that the culture itself and Shintoism are closely intertwined, as though Shintoism is actually apart of the culture. Many Japanese traditions come directly from Shintoism. Shintoism has affected flower arrangements, architecture, and flower gardens due to the beliefs of a close harmony with nature.

However, probably the most recognizable instance of Shintoism in Japanese culture would be in the sport of sumo wrestling, in which salt is sprinkled over the floor before event takes place in order to purify the wrestling arena. Also, other Shintoism rituals take place during these wrestling events. Other instances of the influence on culture includes the use of wooden chopsticks, as well as the removal of shoes before entering a building. Even some manga has roots in Shintoism.

Types of Shintoism

Shintoism has been, by many people, seperated by emphasis and expression. The divisions are as follows:

Ko Shintoism: The oldest of the divisions; emphasis on exercise and training.
Shrine Shintoism: One of the oldest and the most revelant of the divisions; emphasis placed on shrines and the worshipping of shrines.
Secto Shintoism: Do not use shines, but rather have meeting places where they regularly meet. More into worshipping mountains.
Folk Shintoism: Involves the folk beliefs in deities and spirits. Believe in shemanic healing, divination, and spirit posession.