The Torii Gate is the most common symbol for Shintoism.

It is a sacred gateway supposed to represent a gate upon which a cock

crew on the occasion when Amaterasu emerged from the rock cave and relighted the world. It marks the entrance to a sacred space
which is the Shinto shrine. It represents the transition between the world of humans and the world of the gods and goddesses. It
is believed to help prepare the visitor for their interaction with the spirits by signifying the sacredness of the location. It is
traditionally made of wood or stone, but now most toriis are made of concrete and steel. Shinto is the traditional religion of
Japanese people during the eight century C.E. It derives from 2 words, shin (meaning kami or gods), and to (or do, meaning path).
The name Shinto means “the kami way” or “the way of gods”. The Japanese thought it proper to give “kami-no-michi” an
equivalent Japanese expression that was patterned after its Chinese translation, which was shen-dao (shen means “gods” while dao
means way). “Shen-dao” was pronounced “shin-to” in Japanese, thus the religion called “kami-no-michi” in Japanese has been
formally called “Shinto.” It emphasizes the relationship between humans and a variety of supernatural entities called kami which
are associated with different aspects of life, including ancestors and forces of nature. Shinto practices center on tradition and
family, love of nature, physical cleanliness and festivals and ceremonies that honor the kami. Shinto does not have a schedule of
regular religious services—followers decide when they wish to attend a shrine. Japan has over 80,000 Shinto shrines, ranging greatly
in size from tiny to elaborate and large.

Origin

Unlike many other religions, Shinto has no recognized founder. The peoples of ancient Japan had long held animistic beliefs,
worshipped divine ancestors and communicated with the spirit world via shamans; some elements of these beliefs were
incorporated into the first recognized religion practiced in Japan, Shinto, which began during the period of the Yayoi culture (c. 300
BCE – 300 CE). For example, certain natural phenomena and geographical features were given an attribution of divinity. Rivers and
mountains were especially important, none more so than Mt. Fuji, whose name derives from the Ainu name ‘Fuchi,’ the god of the
volcano. In Shinto, gods, spirits, supernatural forces and essences are known as kami, and governing nature in all its forms, they
are thought to inhabit places of particular natural beauty. In contrast, evil spirits or demons (oni) are mostly invisible with some
envisioned as giants with horns and three eyes. Their power is usually only temporary, and they do not represent an inherent evil
force. Ghosts are known as obake and require certain rituals to send away before they cause harm. Some spirits of dead animals can
even possess humans, the worst being the fox, and these individuals must be exorcised by a priest.

Sacred Scriptures

The Kojiki and Nihongi (book) are considered as sacred scriptures on Shinto, although they are not exclusively about Shinto; they
also contain extensive information on Buddhism and Confucianism. These books, which are compilations of ancient myths and
traditional teachings, are considered to have a dual purpose: a political as well as a moral purpose. Its political purpose is to
establish the supremacy of Japan over all countries in the world by legitimizing the divine authority of the ruling families and to
establish the political supremacy of the Yamato. Its moral purpose is to explain the relationship between the kami and human beings
by establishing that the Japanese are a special people chosen by the kami, who have many humanlike characteristics. It also
emphasizes purification as both a creative and cleansing act. Death is considered as the ultimate impurity. Kojiki As one of the most
important texts on Shintoism, Kojiki is composed of three books: the first is the age of kami, which narrates the mythology, while the
second and third books discuss the imperial lineage, narrating the events concerning the imperial family up to the death of the
thirty-third ruler, Empress Suiko. The third book is concerned mainly with revolts and love stories of successive rulers intertwined in
a song-story format. After providing rich information about what transpired up to the reign of Emperor Kenzo, genealogy of each
imperial family was discussed. The establishment of the three orders are reflected in the three books: the establishment of the order
of the universe, the establishment of the order of humanity, and the establishment of the order of history. Even though it was
written at the onset of the spread of Buddhism in Japan and despite the fact that Emperor Genmei, to whom the Kojiki was
presented, was a Buddhist, there was no mention of Buddhism in the Kojiki. It just goes to show that Kojiki is based on the eternal
and cyclical world of mythology.

Nihon shoki/Nihongi Meanwhile, the Nihon shoki or Nihongi records the descent of the Yamato rulers of Japan from the gods. It
represents a combination of a political purpose with folklores and myths. It is believed to have been completed around 720 C.E. and
have 6 become significant in the restructuring of Japan by the Yamato rulers, even in the naming of the country as Nippon. It was
presented to the court during the reign of Emperor Gensho and is considered as Japan’s first official history which was completed
after 39 years and compiled by Jimmu Tenno’s third son, Prince Toneri, along with numerous bureaucrats and historians. It is
composed of 30 books, the first two of which discuss the “age of the kami” while the remaining books chronicle the events
pertaining to the rulers up to the 41st emperor. The stories in the Kojiki and Nihongi provide the Japanese people with a sense of
pride, for these scriptures narrate how their rulers were descended from the gods, and how their race was descended from the gods
as well. Some would even interpret that the whole of humanity descended from the two deities (Izanagi and Izanami), thereby
creating a sense of superiority among the Japanese people. We can also see in the creation story the concept of dualism in Shinto, as
shown by Izanagi as the sky god, and Izanami as the earth mother, as well as with Amaterasu as the benevolent child and her
brother Susa-no-Wo-no-Mikoto as performing evil acts. The political legitimacy this myth provides the ruling families of Japan as well
as the sense of pride it provides the Japanese people have made the Japanese people develop a strong sense of nationalism.

Core teaching, Beliefs and Practices Kami, the Shinto “gods” - The divine principle in Shinto worship - an honorific title for greatness
and benevolence - it can be manifestations of the sacred in nature or extraordinary people In fact, all people have a potential kami,
but not everyone is referred as such because it is an honorific title reserved to a few entities, human or non-human (Ono 1962). The
English term “god” for kami is open to debate. It is easier to associate the word “god” with a personal being that is imbued with
sacred, power, like Hindu deities or the one God in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. A closer analysis of the word kami, however
suggests that it is closer to notions of the “power” and the “force” rather than a personal deity. It is mostly associated with nature
and thus impersonal in character (Kato 1973). Earlier accounts of Shinto by outsiders (mainly religious scholars from Europe) viewed
the religion as polytheistic because they believe in many gods (kami in Japanese). These kami have personal names when they are
called on during worship officiated by a Shinto priest. It is, however, more accurate to say that Shinto believes in sacredness
manifested in nature, and while there are many kami, this sacred quality is all-pervasive and encompasses each and all kami in
Shinto worship (Picken 1994).

Below are their names and functions:

Although Ameno-minaka-nushi-no-kami is the Kami of the Center of Heaven, it is actually Amaterasu-o-mikami, the Kami of the Sun,
that is revered as the highest in Shinto mythology and worship. Amaterasu-o-mikami is the giver of all life on earth because of the
sun’s life-giving rays. Likewise, the relationship of these kami to Japan is profound and intimate. The Japanese Emperor is believed to
be a direct descendant of the kami because, according to the Kojiki, Ninigi-no-mikoto’s great grandson Jimmu is the first emperor of
Japan. From him, the succession of Japanese emperors bears direct lineage from the kami. Some scholars classify the various kami
into some basic types for a better view of their diversity. One such classification (Urubshurow 2009, 503-505) distinguishes four
general types of kami; thus:

1) Nature Kami - they include the kami of trees, animals, mountains - geological entities (such as clay, stones, lightning, metals,
stars, sun, moon, minerals, and gemstones) - food (especially agricultural foods) - forms of water (such as wells, rivers, oceans,
springs, storms, and rain).

2) Mythic Kami - they consist of all the kami mentioned in the Shinto myth or creation story which include Izanagi, Izanami,
Amaterasu, Tsukiyoma, and Susanowo.

3) Clan Kami - they include all the kami that serve as protectors of divine clans, foremost of which is the kami Amaterasu, of whom
the members of the imperial family - the primary divine clan, are believed to be descendants through the first divine emperor
Jimmu. - They also include the kami of other (secondary) divine clans, such as the descendants of Jimmu’s companions and the noble
families who ruled Japan prior to the reign of Jimmu. As regards the Imperial Family, Urubshurow (2009, 8 506) notes that, the
members of the Imperial Family, being descendants of Amaterasu, are all divine in nature

4) Guild Kami - they consist of all the kami worshipped by various guilds (associations of craftsmen and artists) - foremost of which
are the kami worshipped by the guild of mirror makers (referring to the kami believed to have made the mirror that enticed
Amaterasu to get out of the cave she hid in for some time) - the kami worshipped by the guild of jewellers (referring to the kami
believed to have made the eight-foot long string of 500 jewels worn by Amaterasu) - the kami worshipped by the guild of dancers
and geisha (referring to the kami Uzume who danced to entertain Amaterasu).

Another classification (Picken 1994, 94-96) divides the kami into two categories; thus:

1. Kami of the Japanese mythology, which consist of the following:

a. Kami of Heaven (Amatsu-no-kami)
 b. Kami of Earth (Kunitsu-no-kami)
2. Kami not named in the mythology, which consist of the following:
a. Kami associated with natural phenomena
b. Kami derived from historical personalities
c. Kami traceable to political origins
d. Kami associated with commerce and prosperity

Rites and Practices Worship Shinto Shrine Worship of the kami is done at the following places: - at the shrines - public shrines -
personal ones (those set up at homes). Reasons and purposes why people visit shrines: - to pray to the kami (prayers to the kami are
called norito) - to give praises to them - to request for health, success in their endeavors (school, career, business, etc.), safety in
travels, and well-being of their loved ones. A Shinto shrine is called jinja in Japanese (jinja literally means “place of the kami”), in
contrast to the Buddhist temples which are called tera in Japanese. Picken (1994, xxxi) estimates that Shinto, in 1994, “comprises a
loose agglomeration of approximately 800,000 shrines. Among these are 200 that are central shrines of various kami, cults, or
districts; and over 2,000 that could be called major shrines.”

There are certain ceremonies one goes through during a visit to a public shrine, like:

- washing one’s hands and mouth at a water basin located at the entrance to the shrine

- climbing the stairs leading to the haiden (the space in front of the place where the kami is enshrined)

- giving respect to the kami by bowing in front of them

- donating money

- ringing a bell and clapping several times (allegedly to get the attention of the kami),

- praying either silently or by chanting.

Sometimes Shinto devotees may perform the following: - leave their prayer requests written on a piece of paper or on small wooden
plaques which they tie to the fences or branches of a sacred tree near the kami’s shrine. - During festival days, there are processions
which people may join and booths where they can buy souvenirs and amulets. - Worship can also be done daily at home. - set up a
small Shinto shrine, called kamidana, at their houses, sometimes in the garden area. Prayers and food offerings, like rice and water,
are done at the kamidana.

Shinto priests officiate the following:

- worship ceremonies at public shrines.

- They give their blessings on various occasions, such as when children are brought to a shrine a month after birth and when they
reach a certain age.

- The priests also perform ceremonies outside the shrines like during weddings held at homes or hotels. The emperor has been
traditionally considered as a high priest in Shinto (this is despite the renunciation of the emperor of his divinity after the Second
World War) and thus performs certain ceremonies too.

- participates every spring in rice-planting ceremonies done in the palace to guarantee a good rice harvest for the entire nation.

- he and his family annually visit the shrine of Ise to pray for the country.

The shrine at Ise, Mie, Japan - is known as the Ise Grand Shrine, which is dedicated to sun goddess Amaterasu - considered the
holiest among the Shinto shrines, for it is believed that the sacred mirror of Amaterasu, one of three Imperial Regalia, is preserved
there. The emperor’s reign is inaugurated with Shinto rites; and when he dies, he is buried with Shinto rites.

Purification Rituals Shinto rituals are mainly purification rituals. Purification (oharai) - is the process of removing an impurity (tsuml).
Picken (2004, 176) explains that the state of purity is a necessary condition to be in communion or harmony with the kami.

Various forms of impurities:

1. Physical impurities - like sickness, injury, and death.

2.Moral impurities - like the acts of inflicting pain on other people, stealing properties of other persons, killing, and others.
Basic forms of Shinto purification rituals (Picken 2004, 172, 174).

1. Misogi - This is a form of purification that uses water. Worshippers, for instance, wash their hands with water at the
entrance of a shrine. A form of misogi is called misogi shuho, a ritual in which one stands under a flowing waterfall. The
devotee stands for some period of time while the water of the waterfall falls full-force on his or her shoulders. Before the
ritual, the devotee does some stretching and deep-breathing exercises and is cleansed with a bit of salt. After the ritual, the
devotee may drink sake (rice wine) with other practitioners usually before a meal.

It is primarily based on Izanagi’s act of washing himself when he found himself dirty after going to the underworld to see
Izanami.

1. Shubatsu - This is a form of purification using salt. Salt is sprinkled by Shinto priests on the objects, humans, or places to be
purified.

2. Harai - This form of purification uses a harai-gushi, a wand consisting of a stick and streams of paper attached to the stick. A
Shinto priest waves a harai-gushi over the person, place, or object to be purified.

3. Imi - This is a form of purification that one does to oneself by refraining from saying inappropriate words and avoiding doing
inappropriate actions. For instance, the word “cut” (kiru) is taboo in a wedding ceremony. On the other hand, attending a party
or a celebration is inappropriate when a loved one has just died.

Major annual events and festivals celebrated in Shinto (see Picken 2004, 181)

1. Oshogatsu - New Year Celebration

- This is the biggest celebration of the year.

- Before the holiday preparations the house is thoroughly cleaned for the kami who are invited to visit.

• They have their own decorations (kadomatsu, a special arrangement consisting of pieces of cut green bamboo, small branches
of pine, and leaves of plum).

• kind of food - mochi, a soft dough made of pounded rice.

- ozone, a special soup of vegetables and mocha.

- Men and women dress in kimono and make offerings to Shinto shrines

- they pray for blessings for the coming year, they also visit relatives and friends

- The overall spirit of celebrating the New Year is cleansing and the renewal of life

2. Haru Matsuri - Spring Festival - The purpose of holding this festival is to guarantee the safety of rice planting.

3. Natsu Matsuri - Summer Festival - The purpose of holding this festival is to protect the crops from pests and diseases during
the hot seasons.

4. Aki Matsuri - Autumn Festival - The purpose of holding this festival is to express gratitude to the kami for the gathered
harvest. - This is a ritual of thanksgiving.

5. Setsubun-sai - The purpose of holding this festival is to drive away bad luck and invite good luck. - This is done by throwing
beans and a Shinto high priest firing an arrow. Worshippers later on take the beans home for good luck.

Denominations and Challenges

The following are the major forms of Shinto:

1. State Shinto or Kokka Shinto

➢ the form of Shinto that was made the national religion of Japan in 1882 when the Japanese government (the Meiji
government) was instilling patriotism among its citizens and establishing powerful control over them by presenting the
emperor as a divine being, with a status of a kami, being a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu.
➢ the shrines were put under the control of the government (shrines were declared national institutions)
 ➢ the rituals to be performed were listed, and a system of ranking priests was formalized (the system of hereditary
priesthood was abolished).
➢ it was abolished after the defeat of Japan in the Second World War in 1945, when the Japanese surrendered to the Allies.
➢ became known as “Imperial Household Shinto” (Williams 2005, 119), which still performs the “special Shinto practices at
the three shrines within the grounds of the imperial palace” (Williams 2005,17,119).
2. Sect Shinto or Kyoha Shinto
➢ Under State Shinto, several Shinto shrines (most of which were run by different Shinto organizations) were put under
government control.
➢ were recognized by the government.
➢ collectively called by the government Sect Shinto or Sectarian Shinto. As Molloy (2010, 270) states: “All other
nongovernmental Shinto shrines and organizations were treated as independent, self-supporting institutions and together
were called Sect Shinto.”
➢ these are forms of Shinto that “did not receive state support” (Matthews 2010, 200). – this is seen as a purely religious
form of Shinto
➢ also called “Religious Shinto” (Williams 2005, 20). This means that Sect Shinto has features that cannot be reconciled
with or accommodated by the political objectives of State Shinto. During the Meiji government (around 1868), there were
13 forms or organizations of Shinto that were classified under Sect Shinto or Kyoha Shinto (Picken 1994, 37).
3. Shrine Shinto or Jinja Shinto
➢ refers to all forms of Shinto in which the shrines, regarded as the homes of the kami, are the centers of Shinto religious
activities.
❖ During the time when Shinto was flourishing in Japan and building its places of worship, there were also many Buddhist
temples that were established.
❖ To distinguish Shinto places of worship from Buddhist
• Buddhist places of worship called temples
• Shinto places of worship were called shrines.
4. Folk Shinto or Tsuzoka Shinto
➢ another forms of Shinto that were not put under government control
➢ not recognized by the government
➢ not organized, not systematized, and not institutionalized
➢ can be performed in the absence of Shinto priests
➢ it is called Folk Shinto because it is blended with folk culture and local beliefs, which have influences from Taoism,
Buddhism, and Confucianism.
5. Shinto-based New Religions or Shinko Shukyo
➢ traditionally, only included 13 Shinto sects when they were recognized and distinguished from State Shinto. But after
World War II, new religious forms, called New Religions, emerged. Some of these new religions were Buddhistbased while
some were Shinto-based
➢ this was developed from some of the original 13 sects of Sect Shinto
➢ were then included in Sect Shinto (Williams 2005, 123).

Based on the account of Matthews (2010, 201-202), Shinto sects are generally divided by Japan’s Agency of Cultural Affairs into
three groups, based on their history and unique practices, these are:

1. traditional sects 2. mountain worship sects 3. sects based on revelation – has 2 prominent sects

• Tenrikyo (“heavenly reason teaching”)

- it was founded by Nakayama Miki (1798-1887)

- is a spiritual healing group

- It teaches that physical health is a consequence of mental or spiritual health.

- it practices healing by faith

- its sacred texts consist of the poetry composed by Nakayama Miki that speaks of her revelations.

It is said that: Nakayama Miki received her revelations accidentally. She sought the help of a shaman (to talk to the kami) to help her
deal with her problems— among others, it is said that her eldest son was unable to work because of suffering extreme pain in his
leg. In one session, she assisted the shaman; and what happened was that she went into a trance for several days. When she came
out of the trance, she reported that she received a message from a kami, Tenri-o-no-mikoto (“lord of divine wisdom”), that she was
to spread the “Teaching of the Heavenly Reason” that whoever lives according to the Heavenly Reason will have health and long life.

• Omoto-kyo (“great origin teaching”)—or simply Omoto (Matthews 2010, 201-02; Molloy 2010, 282-283)

- was founded by Deguchi Nao (1836-1918)

- One striking teaching of Omoto is that all art is religious.

- it runs a school near Kyoto teaching traditional Japanese art to non- Japanese.

- it promotes world peace through the study and adoption of a universal language

- It is said that Deguchi Nao, like Nakayami Miki, lived a very miserable life—extreme poverty, death of her husband and three of her
eight children, mental illness of her two children, among others. In her moment of hopelessness, she had a vision urging her to lead
the creation of a new, perfect world.

Some Challenges and Issues

• First, its growth has been threatened by the growth of Buddhism in Japan and its association with military build-up of Japan during
World War II. Many have thought that Shinto would not survive after the Second World War; but it did and it continues to flourish.

• Second, part of the appeal of Shinto is the importance it gives to nature. Shinto, in this regard, is presenting itself as a religion of
ecology. One challenge in this area is how to reconcile the seeming conflict between this ecological ideal of Shinto and the pervasive
Japanese commercial and business goals that resulted in the decimation of the forests of Japan and other countries (Williams 2004,
140).

• Third, Shinto still generally lacks a strong institutional structure to enable it to spread outside of Japan or to do missionary work.
This is, however, compensated by the fact that the Japanese bring their religious practices with them wherever they settle in (see
Molloy 2010, 283-284).

• Fourth, because of Shinto’s association with the Japanese government during World War II, how to deal with questions concerning
the divine status of the Japanese emperor remains as a challenge to Shinto.

❖ Williams (2004, 136) articulates such questions as follows: 1. “What does it mean for modern Japan, no longer culturally or
militarily imperial, to have a divine emperor? 2. “Can Shinto and Japan take responsibility for mistakes made and atrocities
committed in the name of a divine emperor? . . . 3. “Can the symbol of the divine emperor guide the Japanese people toward
acceptance of the responsibilities and possibilities of being human?