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Shinto

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Religious movements,
traditions and organizations

   Shinto(神道) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state
   religion. It involves the worship of kami (神), gods. Some kami are
   local and can be regarded as the spiritual being/spirit or genius of a
   particular place, but others represent major natural objects and
   processes: for example, Amaterasu, the Sun goddess, or Mount Fuji.
   Shinto is an animistic belief system. The word Shinto was created by
   combining two kanji: "神" (shin), meaning gods or spirits (when read
   alone, it is pronounced "kami"), and "道" (tō), meaning a philosophical
   way or path (the same character is used for the Chinese word Tao). As
   such, Shinto is commonly translated as "the Way of the Gods".
   A torii at Itsukushima Shrine
   Enlarge
   A torii at Itsukushima Shrine

   After World War II, Shinto lost its status as the state religion of
   Japan; some Shinto practices and teachings, once given a great deal of
   prominence during the war, are no longer taught or practiced today, and
   others exist today as commonplace activities such as omikuji (a form of
   fortune-telling) and Japanese New Year that few give religious
   connotations.

History

Early history

   A number of theories exist about the ancestors of today's Japanese
   people. Most scholars accept that there was a migration from East Asia
   (China, Koreas), central Asia (and to a lesser extent) from Indonesia,
   though there is no consensus as to where Shinto first developed.
   Nationalists claim that it has always existed, back into the mists of
   the Jomon age. Others maintain that it came about in the Yayoi period
   as the result of immigrants from China and Korean peninsula, who
   brought agricultural rites and shamanic ceremonies from the continent
   which took on Japanese forms in the new environment. Some modern
   scholars claim that "Shinto," as it is presently understood, did not
   exist in this age at all and should be more properly referred to as
   'kami worship'.

   In the early centuries BCE, each tribe and area had its own collection
   of gods with no formal relationship between them. However, following
   the ascendancy of the Yamato Kingdom around the third to fifth
   centuries, the ancestral deities of its Emperor of Japan (Imperial
   family) were given prominence over others and a narrative made up to
   justify it. The result was the mythologizing of Kojiki (Record of
   Ancient Matters, 712) in which it was claimed that the imperial line
   descended directly from the sun-goddess Herself. Another important
   kingdom, Izumo, was dealt with in a separate cycle within the mythology
   and its deities incorporated into service of Amaterasu's descendants. A
   more objective and historical version of events appeared in Nihon Shoki
   (The Chronicles of Japan, 720), where alternative versions of the same
   story are given.

   Early ceremonies are thought to have been held outside before copses or
   sacred rocks ( Iwakura). There was no representation of the kami, for
   they were conceived as formless and pure. After the arrival of Buddhism
   in the sixth century, the idea of building 'houses' for the kami arose
   and shrines were built for the first time. The earliest examples are
   thought to have been at Izumo (659) and Ise (690).

   An important development was the introduction of the Ritsuryo System in
   the late seventh and early eighth centuries, based on the Chinese
   system. This established in law the supremacy of the emperor and great
   nobles, as well as formalizing their relationship to major shrines and
   festivals.

   Even before the arrival of Buddhism, the rituals involved in kami
   worship had borrowed from Chinese Taoism and Confucianism. Though clan
   rivalry led to friction and fighting during the introduction of
   Buddhism, the worship of kami and the teachings of the Buddha soon
   settled into coexistence. In fact, syncretism between Buddhism and
   Shinto (神仏習合, shinbutsushūgō^ ?) was to become the dominant feature of
   Japanese religion as a whole.

Shinto and Buddhism

   The introductions of writing in the 5th century and Buddhism in the 6th
   century had a profound impact on the development of a unified system of
   Shinto beliefs. In the early Nara period, within a brief period the
   Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki were written by compiling existing myths and
   legends into a unified account of stories. These accounts were written
   with two purposes in mind: the introduction of Taoist, Confucian, and
   Buddhist themes into Japanese religion, and garnering support for the
   legitimacy of the Imperial house, based on its lineage from the Sun
   Goddess Amaterasu. Much of modern Japan was under only fragmentary
   control by the Imperial family, and rival ethnic groups (including,
   perhaps, the ancestors of the Ainu people) continued to war against the
   encroachment of the Japanese. The mythological anthologies, along with
   other poetry anthologies like the Manyoshu and others, were intended to
   impress others with the worthiness of the Imperial family and their
   divine mandate to rule.

   With the introduction of Buddhism and its rapid adoption by the court,
   it was necessary to explain the apparent differences between native
   Japanese beliefs and Buddhist teachings. Indeed, Shinto did not have a
   name until it became necessary to distinguish it from Buddhism. One
   explanation saw the kami as supernatural beings still caught in the
   cycle of birth and rebirth (reincarnation). The kami are born, live,
   die, and are reborn like all other beings in the karmic cycle. However,
   the kami played a special role in protecting Buddhism and allowing its
   teachings of compassion to flourish. This explanation was later
   challenged by Kukai, who saw the kami as different embodiments of the
   Buddhas themselves. For example, he famously linked Amaterasu, Sun
   Goddess and ancestor of the Imperial family, with Dainichi Nyorai, a
   central manifestation of the Buddha, whose name is literally "Great Sun
   Buddha". In his view, the kami were just Buddhas by another name.

   Buddhism and Shinto coexisted and were amalgamated in the Shinbutsu
   Shugo and Kukai's syncretic view held wide sway up until the end of the
   Edo period. At that time, there was a renewed interest in "Japanese
   studies" ( kokugaku), perhaps as a result of the closed country policy.
   In the 18th century, various Japanese scholars, in particular Motoori
   Norinaga ( 1730– 1801), tried to tease apart the "real" Shinto from
   various foreign influences. The attempt was largely unsuccessful; since
   as early as the Nihon Shoki, parts of the mythology were explicitly
   borrowed from Chinese doctrines. (For example, the co-creator deities
   Izanami and Izanagi are linked to yin and yang.) However, the attempt
   did set the stage for the arrival of state Shinto, following the Meiji
   Restoration, when Shinto and Buddhism were separated ( Shinbutsu
   bunri).

State Shinto

   Following the Meiji Restoration, Shinto was made the official religion
   of Japan, and in 1868 its combination with Buddhism was outlawed.
   During this period, numerous scholars of kokugaku believed that Shinto
   could be the unifying agent of the country around the Emperor while the
   process of modernization was undertaken with all possible speed. The
   psychological shock of the Western " Black Ships" and the subsequent
   collapse of the shogunate convinced many that the nation needed to
   unify in order to resist being colonized by outside forces. As a
   result, Shinto was used as a tool for promoting Emperor (and Empire)
   worship, and Shinto was exported into the conquered territories of
   Hokkaidō and Korea.

   In 1871, a Ministry of Divinities was formed and Shinto shrines were
   divided into twelve levels with the Ise Shrine (dedicated to Amaterasu,
   and thus symbolic of the legitimacy of the Imperial family) at the peak
   and small sanctuaries of humble towns at the base. The following year,
   the ministry was replaced with a new Ministry of Religion, charged with
   leading instruction in "shushin" (moral courses). This was a major
   reverse from the Edo period, in which families were registered with
   Buddhist temples, rather than Shinto shrines. Priests were officially
   nominated and organized by the state, and they instructed the youth in
   a form of Shinto theology based on the official history of divinity of
   Japan's national origins and its Emperor.

   As time went on, Shinto was increasingly used in the advertising of
   nationalists' popular sentiments. In 1890, the " Imperial Rescript on
   Education" was passed, and students were required to ritually recite
   its oath to "offer yourselves courageously to the State" as well as
   protect the Imperial family. The practice of Emperor worship was
   further spread by distributing imperial portraits for esoteric
   veneration. All of these practices were used to fortify national
   solidarity through patriotic centralized observance at shrines. This
   use of Shinto gave to Japanese patriotism a special tint of mysticism
   and cultural introversion, which became more pronounced as time went
   on.

   Such processes continued to deepen until the Showa Period, finally
   coming to an abrupt halt in August 1945.

Post-war

   A modern shrine in Osaka
   Enlarge
   A modern shrine in Osaka

   The era of State Shinto came to an abrupt close with the end of World
   War II, when Americans decided to bring separation of church and state
   to Japanese shores in the wake of the Japanese surrender. Soon after
   the war, the Emperor issued a statement renouncing his claims to the
   status of "living god" ( Arahitogami). In the aftermath of the war,
   most Japanese came to believe that the hubris of Empire had led to
   their downfall. Lust for foreign territory blinded their leaders to the
   importance of their homeland. In the post-war period, numerous " New
   Religions" cropped up, many of them ostensibly based on Shinto, but on
   the whole, Japanese religiosity may have decreased. However, the
   concept of religion in Japan is a complex one. A survey conducted in
   the mid-70's indicated that of those participants who claimed not to
   believe in religion, one-third had a Buddhist or Shinto altar in their
   home, and about one quarter carried an o-mamori (an amulet to gain
   protection by kami) on their person. Following the war, Shinto has, for
   the most part, persisted with less importance placed on mythology or
   the divine mandate of the Imperial family. Instead, shrines tend to
   focus on helping ordinary people gain better fortunes for themselves
   through maintaining good relations with their ancestors and other kami:
   it has largely reverted to its pre-imperial family state. Post-war, the
   number of Japanese citizens identifying their religious beliefs as
   Shinto has declined a great deal, yet the general practice of Shinto
   rituals has not decreased accordingly, and many practices have
   persisted as general cultural beliefs (such as ancestor worship, which
   is still very popular), superstitions, and community matsuri (祭,
   matsuri^ ?) - focusing more on religious practices and items than
   principles. The explanation generally given for this anomaly is that,
   following the demise of State Shinto, Shinto has reverted to its more
   traditional position as a folk religion which is culturally ingrained,
   rather than enforced. In any case, Shinto and its values continue to be
   an important component of the Japanese cultural mindset.

   Shinto has also reached the shores of North America where the first
   non-Japanese Shinto priests have been ordained. A relatively small
   number of people practice Shinto in America.

Definition

   Shinto can be seen as a form of animism and may be regarded as a
   variant of shamanist religion. Shinto beliefs and ways of thinking are
   deeply embedded in the subconscious fabric of modern Japanese society.
   The afterlife is not a primary concern in Shinto; much more emphasis is
   placed on fitting into this world, instead of preparing for the next.
   Shinto has no binding set of dogma, no holiest place for worshippers,
   no person or kami deemed holiest, and no defined set of prayers.
   Instead, Shinto is a collection of rituals and methods meant to mediate
   the relations of living humans and kami. These practices have
   originated organically in Japan over a span of many centuries and have
   been influenced by Japan's contact with the religions of other nations,
   especially China. Notice, for example, that the word Shinto is itself
   of Chinese origin and that much of the codification of Shinto mythology
   was done with the explicit aim of answering Chinese cultural influence.
   Conversely, Shinto had and continues to have an impact on the practice
   of other religions within Japan. In particular, one could even make a
   case for discussing it under the heading of Japanese Buddhism, since
   these two religions have exercised a profound influence on each other
   throughout Japanese history. Further, the Japanese " New religions"
   that have emerged since the end of the Second World War have also shown
   a clear Shinto influence.

   Some feel Shinto was used as a legitimising ideology during the
   militaristic phase of Japanese history following the Meiji Restoration.
   Because Shinto has no absolute source of authority, some feel what was
   a natural expression of the beliefs of the people was hijacked by
   radical Nationalists, who desired to unify the Japanese people against
   the "inferior" people in other nations. Others wonder if the emphasis
   Shinto places on Japanese exceptionalism made such developments
   inevitable. Even today, some far right factions within Japanese society
   want to see a greater emphasis placed on Shinto and increased reverence
   shown to the Emperor as part of a project to restore Japan to its
   "rightful place" as the leading nation of the world. However, for most
   Japanese, Shinto is not about expressing disdain for other nations but
   expressing one's own love of the natural landscape of Japan and the
   people and spirits that reside within it.

Types of Shinto

   In order to distinguish between these different focuses of emphasis
   within Shinto, many feel it is important to separate Shinto into
   different types of Shinto expression.
     * Shrine Shinto is the oldest and most prevalent of the Shinto types.
       It has always been a part of Japan's history and constitutes the
       main current of Shinto tradition.

     * Sect Shinto is comprised of thirteen groups formed during the 19th
       century. They do not have shrines, but conduct religious activities
       in meeting halls. Shinto sects include the mountain-worship sects,
       who focus on worshipping mountains like Mt. Fuji, faith-healing
       sects, purification sects, Confucian sects, and Revival Shinto
       sects. Konkokyo, Tenrikyo, and Kurozumikyo, although operating
       separately from modern Shinto, are considered to be forms of Sect
       Shinto.

     * Folk Shinto includes the numerous but fragmented folk beliefs in
       deities and spirits. Practices include divination, spirit
       possession, and shamanic healing. Some of their practices come from
       Taoism, Buddhism, or Confucianism, but most come from ancient local
       traditions.

     * State Shinto was the result of the Meiji dynasty's restoration and
       the downfall of the shogunate. The Meiji attempted to purify Shinto
       by abolishing many Buddhist and Confucian ideals; also, the emperor
       was once again considered divine. After Japan's defeat in World War
       II, State Shinto was abolished and the emperor was forced to
       renounce his divine right.

Characteristics

   Torii at Itsukushima Shrine
   Enlarge
   Torii at Itsukushima Shrine

   The most immediately striking theme in the Shinto religion is a great
   love and reverence for nature. Thus, a waterfall, the moon, or just an
   oddly shaped rock might come to be regarded as a kami; so might
   charismatic persons or more abstract entities like growth and
   fertility. As time went by, the original nature-worshipping roots of
   the religion, while never lost entirely, became attenuated and the kami
   took on more reified and anthropomorphic forms, with a formidable
   corpus of myth attached to them. (See also: Japanese mythology.) The
   kami, however, are not transcendent deities in the usual Western and
   Indian sense of the word. Although divine, they are close to humanity;
   they inhabit the same world as we do, make the same mistakes as we do,
   and feel and think the same way as we do. Those who died would
   automatically be added to the rank of kami regardless of their human
   doings. (It is thought that one can become a ghost under certain
   circumstances involving unsettled disputes in life.) Belief is not a
   central aspect in Shinto, and proper observation of ritual is more
   important than whether one "truly believes" in the ritual. Thus, even
   those believing other religions may be venerated as kami after death,
   if there are Shinto believers who wish them to be.

   This transmogrification after death creates ambiguities that are being
   debated even today amid the controversy surrounding former Japanese
   Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's annual visits to Yasukuni Shrine,
   which honours Japanese war-dead. While the visits are widely viewed as
   an act of political swagger on the part of Japanese conservatives who
   eschew expressions of regret for past Japanese military aggression -
   and take place against the backdrop of historic reassertions of
   Japanese militarism by the current government - some Japanese, even
   liberals and moderates, wonder if opposition to the visits is based on
   a misunderstanding of Japanese spirituality. (They explain that there
   is a kind of "apotheosis" when deceased become kami; since Japan's
   war-dead are already kami, then, paying respects to their spirits at
   the shrine is not the same as honoring specific acts during their
   lives.) This view is not shared by Japanese neighbors who have been on
   the receiving end of Japanese military aggression - though their
   opposition bears clear signs of political manipulation from governments
   in East Asia especially and these complicate any easy condemnation of
   this politicization of Japanese Shinto taking place on the contemporary
   international stage.

Practices and teachings

   Tying her omikuji (fortune) at Kasuga Shrine
   Enlarge
   Tying her omikuji (fortune) at Kasuga Shrine

Afterlife

   Unlike many religions, one does not need to publicly profess belief in
   Shinto to be a Shintoist. Whenever a child is born in Japan, a local
   Shinto shrine adds the child's name to a list kept at the shrine and
   declares him or her "Ujiko", literally named child. After death an
   "Ujiko" becomes an "Ujigami"; literally, named kami. One may choose to
   have one's name added to another list when moving and then be listed at
   both places. Names can be added to the list without consent and
   regardless of the beliefs of the person added to the list. However,
   this is not considered an imposition of belief, but a sign of the
   welcome of the area kami, with the promise of addition to the pantheon
   of kami after death. Those children who die before addition to the list
   are called "Mizuko", literally water child, and believed to cause
   troubles and plagues. "Mizuko" are often worshipped in a Shinto shrine
   dedicated to stilling their anger and sadness.

   Because Shinto has co-existed with Buddhism for well over a millennium,
   it is very difficult to untangle Shinto and Buddhist beliefs about the
   world. One might say that where Buddhism emphasizes the afterlife and
   ending the cycle of rebirths; Shinto emphasizes this life and finding
   happiness within it. Though Buddhism and Shinto have very different
   perspectives on the world, most Japanese do not see any challenge in
   reconciling these two very different religions, and practice both. Thus
   it is common for people to practice Shinto in life yet have a Buddhist
   funeral. Their different perspectives on the afterlife are seen as
   complementing each other, and frequently the ritual practice of one
   will have an origin in the other.

Four affirmations

   Though Shinto has no absolute commandments for its adherents outside of
   living "a simple and harmonious life with nature and people", there are
   said to be "Four Affirmations" of the Shinto spirit:
     * Tradition and the family: The family is seen as the main mechanism
       by which traditions are preserved. Their main celebrations relate
       to birth and marriage.
     * Love of nature: Nature is sacred; to be in contact with nature is
       to be close to the kami. Natural objects are worshipped as
       containing sacred spirits.
     * Physical cleanliness: Followers of Shinto take baths, wash their
       hands, and rinse out their mouth often.
     * " Matsuri": Any festival dedicated to the Kami, of which there are
       many each year.

Impurity

   Shinto teaches that certain deeds create a kind of ritual impurity that
   one should want cleansed for one's own peace of mind and good fortune,
   not because impurity is wrong in and of itself. Wrong deeds are called
   kegare (literally, "dirtiness"), opposed to kiyome (purity). Normal
   days are called ke (day), and festive days are called hare (sunny, or
   simply good). Killing living beings should be done with reverence for
   taking a life to continue one's own, and should be kept to a minimum.
   Modern Japanese continue to place great emphasis on the importance of
   aisatsu, or ritual phrases and greetings. Before eating, most (though
   not all) Japanese say "itadakimasu" ("I will humbly receive [this
   food]") in order to show proper thankfulness to the preparer of the
   meal in particular and more generally to all those living things that
   lost their lives to make the meal. Failure to show proper respect can
   be seen as a lack of concern for others, looked down on because it is
   believed to create problems for all. Those who fail to take into
   account the feelings of other people and kami will only bring ruin on
   themselves. The worst expression of such an attitude is the taking of
   another's life for personal advancement or enjoyment. Those killed
   without being shown gratitude for their sacrifice will hold "urami" (a
   grudge) and become aragami, a powerful and evil kami that seeks
   revenge. This same emphasis on the need for cooperation and
   collaboration can be seen throughout Japanese culture today.
   Additionally, if anyone is injured on the grounds of a shrine, the area
   affected must be ritually purified.

Purification

   Purification rites are a vital part of Shinto. These may serve to
   placate any restive kami, for instance when their shrine had to be
   relocated. Such ceremonies have also been adapted to modern life. For
   example, a ceremony was held in 1969 to hallow the Apollo 11 mission to
   the moon , new buildings made in Japan are frequently blessed by a
   Shinto priest during the groundbreaking ceremony, and many cars made in
   Japan have been blessed as part of the assembly process. A more
   personal purification rite is the purification by water. This may
   involve standing beneath a waterfall or performing ritual ablutions in
   a river-mouth or in the sea ( misogi). These two forms of purification
   are often referred to as harae (祓). A third form of purification is
   avoidance, that is, the taboo placed on certain persons or acts. For
   example, women were not allowed to climb Mount Fuji until 1868, in the
   era of the Meiji Restoration. Although this aspect has decreased in
   recent years, religious Japanese will not use an inauspicious word like
   "cut" at a wedding, nor will they attend a wedding if they have
   recently been bereaved.
   Gateway to Shinto shrine with torii gate
   Enlarge
   Gateway to Shinto shrine with torii gate

Shrines

   The principal worship of kami is done at public shrines, although home
   worship at small private shrines (sometimes only a high shelf with a
   few ritual objects) is also common. It is also possible to worship
   objects or people while they are still living. While a few of the
   public shrines are elaborate structures, most are small buildings in
   the characteristic Japanese architectural style. Shrines are commonly
   fronted by a distinctive Japanese gate ( torii) made of two uprights
   and two crossbars. These gates are there as a part of the barrier to
   separate our living world and the world the kami live in. There are
   often two guardian animals placed at each side of the gate and they
   serve to protect the entrance. There are well over 100,000 of these
   shrines in operation today, each with its retinue of Shinto priests.
   Shinto priests often wear a ceremonial robe called a jo-e. Kami are
   invoked at such important ceremonies as weddings and entry into
   university. The kami are commonly petitioned for earthly benefits: a
   child, a promotion, a happier life. While one may wish for ill fortune
   on others, this is believed to be possible only if the target has
   committed wrongs first, or if one is willing to offer one's life.
   Though Shinto is popular for these occasions, when it comes to funerals
   most Japanese turn to Buddhist ceremonies, since the emphasis in Shinto
   is on this life and not the next. Almost all festivals ( matsuri) in
   Japan are hosted by local Shinto shrines and these festivals are open
   to all those that wish to attend. While these could be said to be
   religious events, Japanese do not regard these events as religious
   since everyone can attend, regardless of personal beliefs.

Gods

   Shinto teaches that everything contains a kami ("spiritual essence"
   which is translated into "god"). Every rock, every squirrel, every
   living and nonliving thing contains a kami. There is also a main kami
   for groups of things: for example, there is a kami within a rhino, and
   there is also a main kami residing over all the rhinos of the world.

   Shinto's kami are collectively called Yaoyorozu no Kami (八百万の神), a
   traditional expression literally meaning "eight million kami". The
   arcane name of eight million, Yaoyorozu, is not the exact number, but
   the concept of an infinite number did not exist at that time.

   The most widely worshiped of all kami is the sun-goddess Amaterasu.
   However, Japanese do not specifically worship her or invoke her name to
   ask for help. Her main shrine is the Grand Shrine of Ise, but many
   lesser shrines are dedicated to her. Within the shrine, she is often
   symbolised by a mirror. Alternatively, the inner sanctum may be empty.
   This emptiness does not mean non-existence; rather, it symbolizes that
   everything that one sees through the mirror is the embodiment of
   Amaterasu and every other kami.

   Until the end of World War II, the Tenno (Emperor) was believed to have
   been descended from Amaterasu and father of all Japanese, and was
   therefore a kami on earth (an ikigami or "living kami"); this divine
   status was popularized during the Meiji Restoration. This did not
   prevent military governors ( Shogun) from usurping power, but the
   emperor was always seen as the true ruler of Japan, even when his rule
   was only nominal. Although Emperor Hirohito renounced his divine status
   in 1946 under American pressure ( Ningen-sengen), the imperial family
   remains deeply involved in the Shinto ritual that unifies the Japanese
   nation symbolically. Because Shinto does not require a declaration or
   an enforcement to be worshiped (considered "unharmonious,") this
   declaration, while serving political reasons, is religiously
   meaningless and merely means that the state enforcement has ended.

Ema

   Ema at a Shinto shrine
   Enlarge
   Ema at a Shinto shrine

   In medieval times, wealthy people would donate horses to shrines,
   especially when making a request of the god of the shrine (for example,
   when praying for victory in battle). For smaller favors, giving a
   picture of a horse became customary, and these ema (絵馬, ema^ ?) are
   popular today. The visitor to a shrine purchases a wooden tablet with a
   likeness of a horse, or nowadays, something else (a snake, an arrow,
   even a portrait of Thomas Edison), writes a wish or prayer on the
   tablet, and hangs it at the shrine. In some cases, if the wish comes
   true, the person hangs another ema at the shrine in gratitude.

Kagura

   Kagura is the ancient Shinto ritual dance of Shamanic origin. The word
   "Kagura" is thought to be a contracted form of kami no kura or seat of
   the kami or the site where the kami is received.(Kobayashi, Kazushige
   p.3) There is a mythological tale of how Kagura dance came into
   existence. The sun goddess Amaterasu became very upset at her brother
   so she hid in a cave. All of the other gods and goddesses were
   concerned and wanted her to come outside. One of the goddesses began to
   dance and create a noisy commotion in order to entice Amaterasu to come
   out. The kami (gods)tricked Amaterasu by telling her there was a better
   sun goddess in the heavens. Amaterasu came out and light returned to
   the universe.

Cultural effects

   Shinto has been called "the religion of Japan", and the customs and
   values of Shinto are inseparable from those of Japanese culture prior
   to the influx of Chinese religious ideas that occurred in the mid 6th
   century. Many famously Japanese practices have origins either directly
   or indirectly rooted in Shinto. For example, it is clear that the
   Shinto ideal of harmony with nature underlies such typically Japanese
   arts as flower-arranging ( ikebana), traditional Japanese architecture,
   and garden design. A more explicit link to Shinto is seen in sumo
   wrestling, where, even in the modern version of the sport, many
   Shinto-inspired ceremonies must be performed before a bout, such as
   purifying the wrestling arena by sprinkling it with salt. The Japanese
   emphasis on proper greetings and respectful phrasings can be seen as a
   continuation of the ancient Shinto belief in kotodama (words with a
   magical effect on the world). Many Japanese cultural customs, like
   using wooden chopsticks and removing shoes before entering a building,
   have their origin in Shinto beliefs and practices. Also, a number of
   other Japanese religions, including Tenrikyo, have originated from or
   been influenced by Shinto. Tenrikyo is a religion of Shinto origin with
   some Buddhist influence.

Important shrines

     * Atsuta Shrine, Nagoya, Aichi, shrine to the Imperial sword Kusanagi
     * Heian Jingu (Kyoto), dedicated to Emperor Kammu and Emperor Kōmei
     * Hikawa Shrine, Omiya district
     * The Grand Shrine of Ise (Ise), dedicated to Amaterasu
     * Itsukushima Shrine, Hiroshima prefecture
     * Iwashimizu Shrine, Yawata, Kyoto
     * Izumo Shrine (Izumo)
     * Kasuga Shrine, Nara
     * Katori Shrine, Chiba Prefecture
     * Kumano Shrines, Wakayama Prefecture
     * Meiji Shrine (Tokyo), the shrine of Emperor Meiji
     * Nikkō Tōshō-gū, Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture
     * Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, Kamakura, Kanagawa
     * Usa Hachiman Shrine, Ōita Prefecture
     * Yasukuni Shrine (Tokyo), controversial shrine dedicated to the
       'peace of the nation' and seen by some as a symbol of Japan's
       militaristic past

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