SHINTO - Literally "The Way of the Gods." Japan's indigenous folk religion can be traced back to at least the Yayoi period (300 BC). SHIN, also pronounced KAMI, is the generic term for god, goddess, divine spirit, and various demonic and semi-benevolent nature spirits. The second character, TO, means road, path, or way. Presented below are some basic Shinto concepts and terms. This is a side page. The main Shinto menu is here.

• Amaterasu, Amaterasu O-mikami, Amaterasu-o-mi-kami
  
  Sun Goddess, Queen of Kami, She Who Illuminates the Heavens, the Supreme Shinto Deity. Amaterasu is the child of Izanagi and Izanami (creator gods of Japanese mythology). Japan's imperial family claims direct decent from her line; the nation's flag symbolizes the sun; the name of the country means "Land of the Rising Sun." Shrines associated with the imperial family are called "Jingu" -- the most prestigious is called Ise Jingu (Mie Prefecture) and it is dedicated to Amaterasu. Ise Jingu is reportedly pulled down every 20 years and rebuilt in its original form.
  
  Below text courtesy of:
  Encyclopedia Mythica
  She was so bright and radiant that her parents sent her up the Celestial Ladder to heaven, where she has ruled ever since. When her brother, the storm-god Susanoo, ravaged the earth, she retreated to a cave because he was so noisy. She later closed the cave with a large boulder. Her disappearance deprived the world of light and life, which resulted in demons ruling the earth. The other gods used everything in their power to lure her out, but to no avail. Finally Uzume succeeded in bringing her out. The laughter of the gods as they watched Uzume's comical and obscene dances aroused Amaterasu's curiosity. When she emerged from her cave a streak of light escaped (dawn). The goddess then saw her own brilliant reflection in a mirror which Uzume had hung in a nearby tree with beautiful jewels. When she drew closer for a better look, the gods grabbed her and pulled her out of the cave. She returned to the sky, and brought light back into the world. Later, she created and cultivated Japan's rice fields. She also invented the art of weaving with the loom and taught the people how to cultivate wheat and silkworms. Many Shinto shrines contain a sacred mirror, said to be the mirror in which Amaterasu saw her reflection. Celebrations in her honor take place on July 17 each year. She is also honored on December 21, the winter solstice, to indicate her role in bringing light back to the world.

• Amaterasu and the Imperial Family
  Emperor Akihito (the current emperor) is said to be the 125th direct descendant of Emperor Jinmu, Japan's legendary first emperor and a mythical descendent of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. Though not often referred to today, the Japanese calendar year starts from 660 BC, the year of his accession. The reigning emperors were considered to be the direct descendant of the Sun Goddess and revered as living gods at one time or another. When the Pacific War was imminent in 1940, the fascist government was boasting it was the year of 2600 to exalt the national prestige, and it even made a song cerebrating the 2600th year. <Above text courtesy of Kondo Takahiro>
  
  

  Hinomaru Wartime Flag

  Sun imagery is still very prominent in modern Japan. Japan's national flag, the hinomaru (literally "sun circle"), symbolizes the sun, and was officially adopted by the Japanese Diet in August 1999, when the National Flag and Anthem Law was enacted. The exact origin of the hinomaru is unclear, but many point to the 12th century, when it appeared during a military campaign. Historically the hinomaru is a symbol of the reign of the "divine" emperor. The country's name, Nippon or Nihon, is typically translated as "Land of the Rising Sun" or "Source of the Sun." The country's national anthem, the kimigayo, also officially adopted in 1999, is a song of praise to the emperor. Its lyrics basically mean "May the emperor reign forever." The imperial family's crest, the chrysanthemum, is used on the cover of Japanese passports.
  
  

  Kimigayo Lyrics Kimi ga yo wa Chiyo ni yachiyo ni Sazare ishi no Iwao to nari te Koke no musu made

  English Translation May the Emperor's reign continue for a 1000, nay, 8000 generations and for the eternity it takes for small pebbles to grow into a great rock and become covered with moss.

• Ancestral Spirits
  (see "Deceased People"
  below for more)
  Shinto asserts that all people are endowed with a soul or spirit (tama, reikon), and upon death, these souls may or may not find peace. Those who die happily among their family become revered ancestors. Ancestral spirits thereafter protect the family, and every summer they are welcomed back to the family home during Japan's Obon festival (click photo for more Obon images). Those who die unhappily, or violently, or without a family to care for their departed spirit, or without the correct funeral and post-funeral rites, become ghosts who wander about causing trouble; they are typically called yurei (tormented ghosts), and they must be appeased. This concept is akin to "hungry ghosts" in Buddhist philosophy -- the second lowest state in the Six Realms of Existence; click here for details). Curiously, in Japan, funerals and graveyards are handled entirely by the Buddhist temples, not by the shrines.

• Animal Spirits
  Most shrines are guarded by the Koma-inu (Shishi), a pair of magical lion-dogs who stand watch outside the Shinto compound to ward off evil spirits. Inari shrines, however, are typically guarded by the fox. The Fox, Tanuki, and powerful birdman Tengu are well-known Shinto tricksters. Collectively they are called Henge, or shape-shifters, for they can transform into human or inanimate shapes to trick humans. Over the centuries, they have taken on both Shinto and Buddhist attributes. There are hundreds of legends and stories about human encounters with these magical creatures, who can do both good or evil. The stories are so varied and voluminous that Lafcadio Hearn referred to such legends as "Ghostly Zoology." Other well-known animal kami are the Kappa (evil blood-sucking river imp) and Dragon (Serpent).

• Deceased People
  Ujigami, Clan Deities
  Deceased individuals are sometimes deified and thereafter worshipped as Tenjin (lit. "heavenly spirit"). Shrines devoted to Sugawara Michizane and to Emperor Meiji are the two most prominent examples. Michizane (courtier in the Heian period) was deified after death, for his demise was followed shortly by a plague in Kyoto, said to be his revenge for being exiled. He is commemorated in the Gion Matsuri (religious festival). Michizane is worshipped as the god of calligraphy and learning, and every year on the 2nd of January, students go to his shrines to ask for help in the school entrance exams or to offer their first calligraphy of the year.
  
  There are also the Ujigami (clan or village deities). These kami are responsible for a particular community or locality, and in many cases, they represent the ancestors who founded the village (e.g., Fujiwara Shrine, Kasuga Shrine, Tachibana Shrine, Umemiya Shrine). The protective deity of one's birthplace is called ubusunagami, and all the people living in one locality worshipping the local deity are called ujiko. In the Buddhist realm, there is a related term called danka. These are families who select a temple based on their own individual convictions, and thereafter they rely on the temple for funeral and memorial services in exchange for monetary donations to the temple. There are also two famous human guardians who stand at opposite ends of many Shinto halls, Udai-jin and Sadai-jin (editor's note: need to research this; are these two associated with Tenjin, or rather with other shrines?).
  
  
  
  
   

• Dosojin
  
  Deities of Roads and Borders. Also called Sai no Kami or Dorokujin in some areas. These deities reside in stone markers found at village boundaries, in mountain passes, and along country byways. In urban areas today, dosojin stone markers are often placed at street corners and near bridges to protect pedestrians. As the deity of the village border, the dosojin wards off evil spirits and catastrophes, and protects the village from evil outside influences. As deity of the road, the dosojin protects travelers, pilgrims, and those in "transitional" stages. These stone markers may bear only inscriptions, but often they depict human forms, in particular the images of a man and woman -- the latter manifestation is revered as the kami of marriage and fertility. In some localities, the dosojin is worshipped as the kami of easy childbirth.
  
  Japan's popular Fire Festivals, held around January 15 each year, are known as Dosojin festivals. Shrine decorations, talismans, and other shrine ornaments used during the local New-Year holiday are gathered together and burned in bonfires. They are typically pilled onto bamboo, tree branches, and straw, and set on fire to wish for good health and a rich harvest in the coming year. The practice of burning shrine decorations has many names, including Sai-no-Kami, Sagicho, and Dondo Yaki. According to some, the crackling sound of the burning bamboo tells the listener whether the year will be lucky or not. Children throw their calligraphy into the bonfires -- and if it flies high into the sky, it means they will become good at calligraphy. (above two photos courtesy kazekobo.cool.ne.jp)
  
  The origin of dosojin stone markers is shrouded in the mists of uncertainty, and no exact date can be given. But precedents are ample in the Buddhist world. Here again we meet one of Japan's most popular and beloved deities, Jizo Bosatsu. In the early centuries following the introduction of Buddhism to India (introduced around 500BC), Jizo became known as the guardian of travelers and pilgrims, and statues of his image could be found along pilgrimage routes and mountain passes in India and Southeast Asia. That tradition is still evident in modern Japan, where one often finds groupings of six Jizo statues standing guard on the high roads or at busy intersections. Among the many trails zigzagging the foothills of Kamakura, one can also find solitary figures of Jizo guarding the way.

• Kami
  
  The term KAMI can refer to gods, goddesses, great ancestors, and all variety of spirits that inhabit the water, rocks, trees, grass, and other natural objects. These objects are not symbols of the spirits -- rather they are the abodes in which the spirits reside. The abode of the kami is considered sacred, and is usually encircled with a shimenawa (rope festooned with sacred white paper). For photos and further details, please visit the Shrine Guide.
  
  
  The Japanese believe this world is inhabited by myriad kami -- nature spirits that can do either good or evil. These spirits are constantly increasing in number, as expressed in the Japanese phrase yaoyorozu no kami -- literally "the eight million kami," which can also be translated as "ever-increasing innumerable kami."
  
  Kami are not necessarily benevolent. There are numerous Shinto demons (Oni) and spirits (Kappa) that must be appeased to avoid calamity, but there is no absolute dichotomy between good and evil -- all phenomena manifest "rough" and "gentle" characteristics. The noted Japanese scholar Motoori Norinaga defined kami as anything that was "superlatively awe-inspiring," either noble or base, good or evil, rough or gentle, strong or weak, lofty or submerged -- there is no definitive standard of good and evil, there is no moral code. Things are as they are. Even the evil bloodsucking Kappa has some redeeming qualities -- i.e., when benevolent, the Kappa is a skilled teacher in the art of bone setting and other medical practices. 
  
  Says Alan Watts in "The Watercourse Way: "The term "kami" presents problems for the translator, for the usually chosen meanings -- spirit, god, divine, supernatural -- are unsatisfactory. I take it to mean that innate intelligence (or li 理) of each particular organism. Li is translated as "organic pattern," an ideogram which referred originally to the grain in jade and wood, although it is more generally understood as the "reason" or "principle" of things. <Author's Note: Of course Watts is talking about the Chinese term Shen, which in Japan is pronounced either Shin (as in Shinto) or Kami.

Small shrines, Towada-ko, photo by Matt Berlow              

• Kamikaze
  神風 | かみかぜ | Kamikaze
  Literally "divine wind" or "wind from the gods" that blew the invading Mongolian fleet off course, saving Japan from invasion in the 13th century. Also the name of the suicide bombers of Japan's imperial armed forces during World War II.
   
• Nature Spirits
  Earth Elements
  and Powerful Forces
  Sun, wind, rivers, lakes, trees, rocks, mountains, agriculture, war. The most important kami is the Sun Goddess Amaterasu (see above). To the Japanese, Mt. Fuji is the nation's most sacred mountain, wherein lives a powerful kami. Tour groups and individuals climb it regularly as an act of worship. Agriculture itself is deemed a powerful force. Inari, the god of agriculture, has shrines all over Japan. Inari's messenger is the magical and mischievous fox. Hachiman, the god of war, is also highly revered at Hachimangu shrines throughout Japan. One of the most predominant is Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, located in Kamakura. It was founded by the military lord Minamoto Yoritomo, who established the Kamakura shogunate, and a sub-shrine dedicated to the Minamoto clan is within its compound.

• Purification -- Water and Salt
  The Shinto elements that provide purification are water, salt, fire, sand and sake (rice wine). Before praying to the Shinto deity, worshippers and casual visitors are asked to purify themselves (Harai ) of impurity. The act of cleansing is called Misogi, and the actual washing of hands and mouth with water is called Temizu. An associated term is Imi, meaning "abstention from defilement." Most large shrines have a stone wash basin where worshippers and casual visitors rinse their mouth and hands before approaching the deity (most people no longer rinse their mouth). Sometimes a fire is burning in the shrine compound, and people will waft the smoke over their heads (to catch the blessings of the deity? to burn away their impurities?). Some Japanese still practice the old tradition of sprinkling water at the gate of their home in the morning and evening to purify the family environs.
  
   (purification)
   (things to avoid; impurities)
   Misogi (the act of cleansing)
   (washing of hands and mouth)
  
  The Misogi (also called Misogi Harai) concept traces its origin to the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters; see Scriptures & Texts below). The Kojiki presents numerous tales about Japan's creation. One is about Izanagi-no-Mikoto, the primordial ancestral kami who purifies himself with water and thereby rids himself of the impurities of the temporal world. The verb form of harai is harau (literally "to brush off dust" or "pay off one's debts."
  
  In Japan, purification ceremonies precede the commencement of all important events and functions. When a new building or home is to be constructed, a groundbreaking ceremony called jichinsai is performed to pacify the earth kami and to purify the spot where construction will take place. New airplanes are purified before their maiden flight. Many car owners take their vehicles to shrines to be purified.
  
  Another important concept is IMI, which means "avoidance." Shinto abhors impurity, and thus all impurity should be avoided -- "imi" is the name given to all things to avoid. In Shinto, the period of mourning following death is also referred to as "imi." Imikotoba literally means "words to be avoided." Imina originally referred to the name of the deceased while still alive, but now it refers to the posthumous name. Misogi Shuho means to conduct one's own purification ritual by bathing in the sea, the river, or by standing underneath a waterfall cascading at freezing temperatures.
  
  Purification Using Salt -- Mori Shio, Maki Shio
  Salt is another major element of purification. In Shinto ceremonies, salt is often sprinkled to remove impurities -- this act is usually called shubatsu. Salt is sometimes placed outside homes in little piles called Mori Shio (piles of salt), usually near the entrance, so people who enter the home are purified. Mori-shio may also be put at the four corners of a plot to purify the area (especially before one moves in ?? ). Elsewhere, Japanese sometimes sprinkle salt over themselves after attending a funeral (although funerals are typically Buddhist affairs).
  
  Restaurants may place small piles of salt at the entrance to their eateries. The origin of placing salt piles outside restaurants, some say, was to encourage wealthy clients to enter the establishment -- they rode horseback in the old days, and horses love salt. But this tradition may have originated elsewhere. According to one Chinese story, the Chinese emperor had many wives, who he would visit in turns. One of the wives, hoping to encourage the emperor to visit more often, spread salt outside her house, and the beasts pulling the emperor's carriage would stop in front of her home to lick up the salt.
  
  Maki Shio (scattered salt) is throw around the boundaries of the house to stop impurities from entering the home area. Before buildings are erected, salt is scattered on the empty plot to pacify the earth kami. Salt is also offered to the spirits on the household altar (kamidana) and at shrines, and in both cases, it is usually gathered together into small or large conical piles. In Shinto mythology, the first land mass (Onogoro Shima, or "self-congealing island") was formed when Izugaki stirred the primordial oceans, causing salt to separate from the brine. (need to confirm this latter item)
   

• Regalia - Mirror, Sword, Jewels
  Goshintai | 御神体 | ごしんたい | Objects of Worship
  Mitamashiro | 御霊代 | みたましろ | Objects worshipped as symbols
  Most Shinto shrines house a sacred mirror (the symbol of Amaterasu), sword, and jewel. Indeed, these three items represent the Imperial regalia, for the Emperor and imperial family claim the same bloodline as Amaterasu. The divine spirit is said to reside within these objects, and they are typically placed on the main Shinto altar -- they are not displayed for public viewing. The jewels (magatama, or necklace) and mirror (kagami) are said to belong to Amaterasu -- the mirror by tradition is said to reflect her image. It is the mirror in which she sees her reflection after coming out from hiding in her cave. See Amaterasu above for details. The sacred sword is reportedly that used by Susanoo (brother of Amaterasu) to defeat the dragon. Susanoo, according to Shinto mythology, tricks the eight-headed eight-tailed serpent of the Hino River in Izumo into drinking sake. Susanoo then kills it as it lies in a stupor. In one of the serpent's tails, Susanoo finds a sword, which has since become one of Shinto's three imperial regalia (mirror, sword, curved jewel).

• RICE, MOCHI, AND SAKE. Rice is a long-standing staple of the Japanese diet, and it is not surprising that rice is offered in prayer and praise to Shinto deities throughout Japan. In many Shinto ceremonies, pounded rice cakes (mochi) are offered to the deities by the Shinto priest on behalf of the local community. According to some, each grain of rice symbolizes a tamashii (human soul), and thus a rice cake is said to represent millions of souls.
  
  In olden times, the rice was hand-pounded by the community in an event known as mochitsuki (lit. "making rice cakes"). Even today, Shinto and secular groups in Japan typically gather to make mochi on the third day before the New Year. This is mostly a community event, but to some, it is also a rite of self purification. Sake, which is made from rice, is one of the five Shinto elements of purification, and is offered to the deities and worshippers at Shinto ceremonies, and used symbolically in weddings (e.g., sansankudo tradition; see Shrine Guide for more).
  
  Sake (Rice Wine)
  In olden days, sake was produced in the shrine's sakadono (wine hall). At religious ceremonies, the communal partaking of miki (another name for sake) is called naorai. There are two types of ritual sake -- Shiroki (light) and Kuroki (dark) -- that are typically presented as offerings (e.g., at the Niinamesai and Daijosai festivals). According to the Engi Shiki, divination was performed prior to production to determine what rice to use, and from what region to harvest. Dark sake was often made by mixing in the ashes of the kusaki (type of arrowroot) or utsugi (Deutzia scabra).
  
  Sanku and Shinsen
  Sanku is the practice of scattering offerings of rice, sake, or money to the local deity or household deity. At the offering site, the offerings are typically scattered around the four corners and into the center. Shinsen refers to food offerings and includes Shinto staples like rice or rice cakes, sake, salt, and water. But just about anything will do, including fish, fowl, meat, seaweed, vegetables, fruits, or sweets. Some shrines still prepare the food in a consecrated kitchen building called the shinsenden. Jukusen refers to cooked food, seisen means raw food, and sosen means vegetarian food. 

• Scriptures. Shinto has no canon or written scriptures like the Bible or the Koran, although ceremonial prayers -- called norito -- are chanted by shrine priests. The scholar Motoori Norinaga says that "norito" are sacred incantations by which humans can address the gods, while others say norito are commands issued by the gods to humans. The norito are typically chanted in an archaic form of Japanese or Chinese, and not many shrine visitors have a clue to the meaning -- i.e., the laity don't understand the incantations. 
   
• Shinten = Shinto Texts
  Earliest Sources of Shinto Mythology
  Below text courtesy of Kokugakuin University
  www.kokugakuin.ac.jp/ijcc/wp/bts/
  
  
  
  
  Shiten refers to the main texts of Shinto, even though Shinto is not defined by any specific set of scriptures such as the sutras of Buddhism or the Bible of the Christians. The classic sources of Shinto thought are the Kojiki, Nihon Shoki, Kogo Shui, Man'yoshu, and Fudoki. The Taihoryo (Ritsuryo), Engi Shiki, and other legal compilations also provide valuable documentation of ancient Shinto systems and ceremonies. These works contain mythological accounts and historical records concerning matters such as the origin of the world, the birth of the land, the appearance of the gods and goddesses and of all things in the universe, the establishment of  the nation, and the relation of the gods to government, ceremonies of worship, manners and customs, and Shinto attitudes and norms. Most of Japan's surviving mythology comes from the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. They tell of the origin of the ruling class, and were apparently aimed at strengthening its authority. Therefore, these two works have much political coloring. They are based on two main traditions: the Yamato Cycle, centered around the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami, and the Izumo Cycle, in which the principal character is Susanoo no Mikoto, the brother of Amaterasu.
  
  Below text courtesy Encyclopedia Britannica
  Genealogies and mythological records were kept in Japan, at least from the 6th century AD. By the time of Emperor Temmu (7th century), it became necessary to know the genealogy of all important families in order to establish the position of each in the eight levels of rank and title modeled after the Chinese court system. For this reason, Emperor Temmu ordered the compilation of myths and genealogies that finally resulted in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. The compilers of these and other early documents had at their disposal not only oral tradition but also documentary sources. While the Kojiki is richer in genealogy and myth, the Nihon Shoki adds a great deal to scholarly understanding of both the history and the myth of early Japan. Its purpose was to give the newly Sinicized court a history that could be compared with the annals of the Chinese.

• Suijin
  
  These creatures of Shinto mythology are found near irrigation waterways, in lakes, ponds, springs and wells. They can be depicted as a serpent, an eel, a fish, or a kappa. According to the Institute for Japanese Culture and Classics (Kokugakuin University), women have played an important role in the history of Suijin worship in Japan. Another widely known Suijin is the dragon (called Ryujin in Japanese); the dragon is also closely associated with Buddhism, and is considered the most powerful of the serpents. .
  
  
• Sumo
  
  Sumo wrestling began as a Shinto ritual to pray for a bountiful harvest. Introduced into ceremonies of the Imperial Court sometime in the Nara Era (8th century). Most modern-day Sumo traditions were developed under the patronage of the court. In the Edo Era, professional sumo groups were organized to entertain the rapidly expanding merchant class. Above the modern-day sumo ring is a canopy with Shinto attributes (looks like a mini-shrine). The tossing of salt before individual bouts (a purification rite), and the opening and closing Sumo ceremonies, all reflect Sumo's Shinto origin.
  
  Salt is scattered in quantity by sumo wrestlers before each bout to purify themselves and the sumo ring (dohyo). The dohyo is considered a sacred place, and regrettably women are not allowed to enter it because they are considered impure. Huh? Shinto revers the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, so I am not sure why this bias against women continues to exist. One young female wrestler who won a regional sumo competition for primary school children was not allowed to enter the professional ring to collect her prize from a famous pro wrestler. Approximately 45 kilos of salt are scattered every day at national sumo tournaments (must confirm this; need to find source).  

• Yurei (Ghosts). For reasons unknown to me, Shinto does not deal with death and funerals. In modern Japan, funerals and graveyards are handled by Buddhist temples. Nonetheless, Shinto asserts that all people are endowed with a spirit or a soul, called reikon, and when we die, we all become kami. Those who die peacefully and happily among their family members become revered ancestors. Ancestral spirits protect the family, it is believed, and every summer they are welcomed back to the family home during Japan's Obon festival. Those who die unhappily, or violently, or without a family to care for their departed spirit, or without the correct funeral and post-funeral rites, become hungry ghosts (one of the lowest states of existence in Buddhism; click here for details). These hungry ghosts wander about causing trouble; they are typically called yurei (tormented ghosts). Most younger Japanese don't remember that the Obon holidays are also a time when the gates of hell are uncovered, and the hungry ghosts allowed to return to their ancestral haunts.

LEARN MORE

• SHINTO DICTIONARIES
  www.kokugakuin.ac.jp/ijcc/wp/glossary/index2.html
  www.kokugakuin.ac.jp/ijcc/wp/bts/index.html
  http://hikyaku.com/dico/histxtg.html
   
• FAMILY TREES
  www.harapan.co.jp/english/miya_e/myth/myth_index.htm
  www.din.or.jp/~a-kotaro/gods/ (Japanese language only)
   
• GENERAL
  http://shinto.org/menu-e.html
  www.gagaku.net/
  www.japan-guide.com/e/e2056.html
  www.jnto.go.jp/eng/illustrated/ (Japan Nat'l Tourist Org.)
  http://cla.calpoly.edu/~bmori/syll/Hum310japan/Shinto.html
  www.questia.com/Index.jsp?CRID=shinto&OFFID=se1
  www.nihonbunka.com/
   
• SHINTO CREATION MYTHS
  www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ANCJAPAN/CREAT.HTM
  (Washington State Univ.)
   
• PHOTOS (Obon and Dosojin Stone Markers)
  www.theforeigner-japan.com/photoessays/2003/kyotonight/
  http://kazekobo.cool.ne.jp/plngallery/vol07/idx.htm
  http://kasuichi.gooside.com/photo/01_allJapan_b.html (Jap. only)
   
• SHINTO FESTIVALS
  http://farstrider.net/Japan/Festivals/
  http://mothra.rerf.or.jp/ENG/Hiroshima/Festivals/24.html
  www.home.worldcom.ch/~negenter/474bGatewayJpF_E.html
  www.embjapan.dk/spotlight/List%20of%20festivals.htm