Importance Of Visit To A Shinto Church

Human search for meaning in Shinto is based off of their beliefs, rituals, origins and culture. There are four components that make up the Shinto human search of meaning, Simplicity, one with the world, peace within the world and the individual journey to self-discovery and potential. Simplicity refers to the lack of scripture, rules and expectations the individual to interpret hoe they are to live their lives. Peace with the world is to be what the individual interprets to be the best person they can have an optimistic approach to the world encouraging world peace and peace within themselves. One with the world refers to the immanent nature of the religion, the way the world is viewed individually contributing to their connection with the

This research paper answers the following question: How have Shintoism, Buddhism and Christianity affected Japanese society and culture along with how they contributed to what can be observed in Japan today. Through this paper, the impact of syncretism observed throughout the three main religions on the society and culture of modern Japan will be discussed. The three religions analyzed in this

Firstly, the traditions within Shintoism were important to help the Japanese people to connect with their ancestors and the nature around them. The word ‘Shinto’ itself means way of the gods. It is as old as the Japanese culture and was the only religion in Japan until the 6th century. According to the Shinto religion, there exists a basic life force called kami. Kami are close to human beings and respond to human prayers. They can influence the course of natural forces, and human events. Shinto tradition says that there are eight million kami in Japan. Due to their deep respect and love for nature and Japan itself, many shrines were set up in places of natural beauty. Followers went to pray here to receive good fortune and samurai would often go to the shrines to pray for victory before and after battle. Shinto’s traditions involved having a clean lifestyle. They washed and bathed everyday which made most of japan a fresh

There are many aspects of this world such as culture, technology, or art that have been influenced by other things. The way that things influence each other has allowed for new possibilities and ideals to be formed. Religion is no exception; there have been many instances where religions have influenced each other and blossomed due to new ideas being presented. A good example of this the relationship between the two religions: Buddhism and Shinto. Buddhism was brought into Japan during the early 6th century from Korea, and was later institutionalized as the state religion in the late 6th century by Prince Shōtoku. The Prince was a great patron of Buddhism and by having made it the state religion, it would help Buddhism spread. However, Japan was not without its own religion—Shinto—which had been there for many years prior to the arrival of Buddhism. With Buddhism gaining traction in Japan with the help of Prince Shōtoku, what then does it mean for the Shinto religion? However, Shinto was not long forgotten, which leads to the question: how did the two religions, Buddhism and Shinto, interact with each other when Buddhism arrived in Japan? In this essay, I will discuss how both Buddhism and Shinto were closely tied to each other in Japan, and how they would influence each other in different ways that allowed them to grow into new directions.

Shinto has no orthodox cannon of sacred literature and has no explicit code of ethical requirements. It varies very differently from most religions in that aspect, however the Japanese people still believe in it as strongly as they have in ancient times. Shinto managed to survived even though it was disestablished in 1946, when the Emperor lost his divine status as part of the allied reformation of Japan (Shinto History 2009). It goes to show the true strength of faith that people had to continue with the religion even though everything was against

Kanetomo’s description of Honjaku-engi reveals that this type of Shinto was heavily influenced by the shrine traditions during that time. Based on Kanetomo’s definition of Honjaku-engi, I believe that this type of Shinto connects people with their spirituality through shrine rituals. By passing down the stories, secrets, and rituals of the Kami worshipped at the shrine, worshippers are able to connect the physical world with the spiritual world (Debary 352).

Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan. It can best be described as a structured system of animism. The word Shinto comes from Chinese characters (shen and tao), meaning “divine being” and “the way” respectively. Therefore the total meaning of Shinto is “The Way of the Divine Beings/Spirits.” (British Broadcasting Corporation, 2011) It is unclear when the Shinto belief came about, but it most likely has its earliest roots in animism. These animistic beliefs were expressed in the form of spirits called kami. The kami are beings that are present in all aspects of nature and consist of major deities, ancestor spirits, and minor spirits who have significance in a specific community. (Wilkinson, 2012, p. 263) Several of these kami have had extreme importance in Japanese creation mythology and Shinto belief.

I am born in Oita and raised in Fukuoka, Japan: my family’s religion is the Shinto, Buddhism, yet we were not a good followers because we did not pray for daily bases: we just gave a food and pray for the butsudan of my grandmother and father (a shrin) but did not do more than that. When I was a child, I often saw the dream that I was taking a bus to go to a church, which was on the top of hill, but when I opened the door, I woke up always. I used to love to wear a neckless with cross and used to go to a church by myself near by my house (of course, I asked my mother’s permission). I believed the God always, even I was not a Christian.

The presence of other religions in Japan caused Shinto to begin erecting religious shrines and the establishment of festivals and rituals. Collaterally, a distinct priestly class also developed. These developments brought Shinto in step with other established religions but, otherwise, the actual practice of Shinto changed very little. The religion remained centered on an appreciation of nature and its relationship to the daily lives of the

A central aspect to the Shinto religion is the concept of purification and how it is conveyed within rituals. Within the culture, purification is seen as a necessity in keeping one’s body free of impurities and in keeping a cleansed atmosphere. The idea of cleansing him/herself is to ascend from being influenced from an unnatural state or in other words freeing ones self from Kegare which in Shinto, is a term used to describe the state of being contaminated or unclean, only to be healed through the act of participating in purity rituals. The origin of purity and its historical significance stems from the Japanese myth of Izanagi and Izanami believed to be the earliest beings whom populated the earth. It is within this myth that Izanagi upon

While Christians, Catholics, and some other religions go to a church to practice, the Shinto goes to shrines. The shrines consist of trees, rocks, and potted plants. There are a few pillars with two beams that are crossed on top of them for the gate as an entrance. In Japanese, they call it a torii. These shrines are in every city on each street corner, even when the ground is all concrete. They are all over in the larger cities, too. The Shinto has a particular admiration for nature in some ways (Bestor and Hardacre).

The teachings of Shinto, Japan's ancient indigenous religion, revere spirits or gods called kami. Practitioners believe that these divine spirits inhabit the world in the form of natural beings such as animals, trees, and even some humans. The shrines and rituals of Shinto are devoted to honoring the individual kami. Unlike in many other religions where the divine and temporal beings are separate, Shinto teaches that the kami inhabit the same plane of existence as our world. Shinto remains the largest religion in Japan, and over 80% of Japanese practice the Shinto faith.

“Shinto practices include shrine visits; blessings done by priests at the shrines and in the community; participation in festivals and seasonal holidays, especially New Years; water purifications; and offerings and prayer at home shrines. Perhaps because of a lack of organizational structure, Shinto has generated an amazing variety of sects that often borrow from Confucianism, Buddhism, and even Christianity”. (Molloy 2008 p. 274-275)

Shinto, meaning "the way of the gods", is a major religion and faith originated in Asia. There’s no founder or sacred text because it’s deeply rooted in traditions. “Shinto gods” are called Kami and they are spirits who are risen after death. With new life brings celebration. One of the most common festivals in Shinto culture is the celebration of the Japanese New Year. Businesses are typically closed from January 1st to January 3rd so that family and friends can spend time together. On the 28th of December the kadomatsu, a decoration made with cut bamboo and pine twigs, was displayed at the entrance of the house to greet the toshigami (New Year god), who is said to bring good luck. Rice cakes, made by pounding steamed glutinous rice, were

I feel very similar about the Shinto religion, there are definitely fascinating aspects worth learning and thinking about. Japan is actually on my bucket list of countries I wish to visit one day. Since I have a lot of interaction with Asian people at work, it is very hard not to notice the Japanese "obsession" with cleanliness. In the past, I sometimes found their wearing of medical masks and other habits too extreme. However, if you dig deeper into their culture, religion, and history, you start realizing that it actually makes sense. Shinto as one of the major religions in Japan now provides an influential source of clean habits and purification practices. I think I even read that the Shinto gods do not like filth. For instance, you are