Why did shinto start

They are not predicated on the false conception that the Emperor is divine, and that the Japanese people are superior to other races and fated to rule the world. One academic has written that the American Occupation Forces "undoubtedly wished to crush and destroy Shinto", and certainly the orders issued by the occupying forces were very hostile to Shinto which they seem to have regarded as either a government-run cult, or a religion that had been converted into a military and nationalist ideology.

No religious organization shall receive any privileges from the State, nor exercise any political authority. Despite the loss of official status Shinto still remains a very significant player in Japanese spirituality and everyday life.

And despite the non-divine status of the Emperor, considerable religious ritual and mysticism still surrounds many Imperial ceremonies. Experts don't agree as to when Shinto became a unified religion rather than just a convenient label to give to the different but similar faiths found in Japan, so any history of Shinto is bound to cover a wide range of beliefs and traditions.

The scholar Kuroda Toshio has suggested that the traditional view of Shinto as the indigenous religion of Japan stretching back into pre-history is wrong. He argues that Shinto didn't emerge as a separate religion until comparatively modern times, and that this happened for political reasons.

The traditional view, he says, is a modern construction of Shinto that has been projected back into history. The truth, he says, is that for most of Japanese history, Shinto amounted to no more than part of a complicated spiritual view of the world that for most of the time contained as much Buddhism as Shinto.

Some writers suggest that Shinto is actually not so much a religion as "the seamless cultural-religious historical backdrop " in front of which the various religious experiences of Japan are played out - "a backdrop which transforms and interprets those religious experiences and imposes on them a continuity that they would otherwise lack".

Although ancient and modern Shinto are not linked by a single institution, the shrines, structures, and rituals of modern Shinto are so similar to those of ancient Shinto as to provide a clear chain of identity. There have been several periods in Japanese history when attempts have been made, with varying success, to impose a centralised and imperial Shinto on various local shrine cults.

These centralisations usually allowed local variations to flourish within the localities - and this freedom may well have accounted for the survival of Shinto throughout different Japanese communities. Search term:. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets CSS enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience.

Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets CSS if you are able to do so. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about page archiving. Shinto history Last updated Introduction Shinto history Shinto has been a major part of Japanese life and culture throughout the country's history, but for the greater part of that history Shinto has shared its spiritual, cultural, and political roles with Buddhism and Confucianism.

Periods of Shinto history One of the standard classifications of Shinto history reduces it to four major periods: Before the arrival of Buddhism in Japan Shinto and Buddhism together in Japan The Meiji reinterpretation of Shinto in the 19th century Shinto after World War II Historians encounter some problems when trying to understand Shinto history as a discrete narrative.

Before Buddhism Before the arrival of Buddhism Tosho Gu shrine, Nikko During this period there was no formal Shinto religion, but many local cults that are nowadays grouped under the name Shinto. Shinto and Buddhism Shinto and Buddhism together From the 6th century CE the beliefs that are now known as Shinto were greatly altered by the addition of other ingredients.

Photo by Jeffrey and Shaowen Bardzell via Flickr. So what exactly is Shinto and what are its beliefs and rituals. Photo by Travis Wise via Flickr. Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and their cultural activities.

Unlike many religions, Shinto does not have a founder nor does it honor a single god. There is also no sacred book such as the Bible or holy place to pray to. Shinto believes in the kami, a divine power that can be found in all things. Shinto is polytheistic in that it believes in many gods and animistic since it sees things like animals and natural objects as deities.

Also unlike many religions, there has been no push to convert others to Shinto. This has led to the religion remaining for the most part within Japan. Its practice and traditions have spread somewhat due to Japanese emigration but it is rare to find Shinto shrines and priests outside of Japan. Many say that to really understand and appreciate Shinto, you have to experience and practice it in Japan, and this may have led to it not traveling far and wide.

Many say that Shinto is less like a religion and more like a way of life or way of looking at the world. Photo by Japanexperterna. Although the exact beginnings of Shinto are not known specifically, many say its foundations may have begun as early as the 3rd century BCE. Shinto did not start off as a formal religion.

This division emphasizes that kami can be capable of both good and bad. Despite their great number, kami can be classified into various categories. There are different approaches to categorization, some scholars use the function of the kami, others their nature water, fire, field, etc.

Kami are appealed to, nourished, and appeased in order to ensure their influence is, and remains, positive. Offerings of rice wine, food, flowers and prayers can all help achieve this goal.

Festivals, rituals, dancing and music do likewise. Shrines from simple affairs to huge sacred complexes are built in their honor. Annually, the image or object goshintai thought to be the physical manifestation of the kami on earth is transported around the local community to purify it and ensure its future well-being. Finally, those kami thought to be embodied by a great natural feature, Mt.

Fuji being the prime example, are visited by worshippers in an act of pilgrimage. Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Module 5: Shinto.

Search for:. Common to all kami are their four mitama spirits or natures one of which may predominate depending on circumstances: Aramitama wild or rough Nigimitama gentle, life-supporting Kushimatama wondrous Sakimitama nurturing This division emphasizes that kami can be capable of both good and bad. Licenses and Attributions. The Three Teachings. How Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism complement one another. Read on to learn about the "fourth teaching.

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