Religions of Japan

Welcome to Horace Mann's Webpage on:

Traditional Religions and Philosophies of Japan

Introduction: There were two major religions in medieval Japan: Shinto, the original religion, and Buddhism. There two religions did not compete, they worked together. Even today most Japanese people say they follow both Shinto and Buddhist beliefs.

Buddhism was brought to Japan from Korea and China. After a while, Buddhism was adapted to Japanese beliefs and a new kind of Buddhism developed. This was Zen Buddhism.

I. Shinto - "the Way of the Gods"

Shinto, "the way of the gods", is the original religion of Japan. Starting about 500 BCE (or earlier) it was originally a mix of nature worship, fertility cults (groups that pray for more crops), fortune telling, hero worship, and shamanism (magic). Its name came from the Chinese words "shin tao" (The Way of the Gods) in the 8th Century CE.

Followers of Shinto worship the spirits (or "kami") that live in nature. Every mountain, river, tree or other part of nature is thought to be animated (brought to live) by a divinity (god or goddess or spirit). These gods or spirits are called "kami". They dwell in nature, but can protect people. Therefore, people pray to them and make offerings, such as wine, food, or incense. The Kami are seen as benign (good, kind); they help and protect people.

The kami are consulted before important events, such as weddings, the openning of a business, making a major decision, etc. Believers look into the Shinto calendar for a lucky day when all the gods will work in the favor of the event. Even today before a new office building is built, there are offerings to the god by a high official of the Shinto religion to bring good luck to the building and to the new business.

The Japanese people in the Middle Ages and in modern times love nature. Nature is sacred. To be in contact with nature is to be close to the gods. Natural objects are worshipped as sacred spirits.

Shrines: The followers of Shinto built shrines dedicated to a specific kami. Some shrines are small and like look a small altar covered with a roof. Others are surrounded by walls and have several buildings dedicated to the kami. When entering a shrine, one passed through a Tori gate, a special gateway for the Gods. This gate marks the movement between the finite world (the world that is limited, has boundaries and endings for people in death) and the infinite world (the world that is limitless, without end) of the gods. Inside the shrines, the believers would wash their hands and rinse their mouths with water from a special well to purify themselves. They would offer prayers, make a request to learn the future, make an offering, or observe a sacred dance performance dedicated to the gods. When they left the shrine they would carry out the peace that came from the contact with the gods.

Many homes also have small shrines. The family would pray and make offerings of incense or food at this shrine, and pray to their ancestors.

Physical cleanliness was important. Japanese took baths, washed their hands, and rinsed out their mouth often.

Another important part of Shinto is worship and respect of ancestors. In the worship of ancestors absolute loyalty was very important. Tradition and the family are still important. The family is seen as the main way by which traditions are preserved. The main celebrations in Shinto relate to birth and marriage, through which the family traditions are preserved.

Shinto creation stories tell of the history and lives of the "Kami." Among them was a divine couple, Izanagi-no-mikoto and Izanami-no-mikoto, who gave birth to the Japanese islands. Their children became the deities of the various Japanese clans. Amaterasu (the Sun Goddess) was one of their daughters. She is the ancestress of the Imperial Family. Her descendants unified the country. Her brother, Susano came down from heaven and roamed throughout the earth. He is famous for killing a great evil serpent.

The emperor was considered to be a direct descendant of the heavenly Sun Goddess.

Shinto Religion is not like most religions.

Shinto has no real founder, no written scriptures, no body of religious law, and only a very loosely-organized priesthood.
Most Japanese citizens follow two religions: both Shinto and Buddhism.
Believers respect animals as messengers of the Gods. A pair of statues of "Koma-inu" (guard dogs) face each other within the temple grounds.
Shrine ceremonies, which include cleansing, offerings, prayers, and dances are directed to the Kami. Kagura are ritual dances accompanied by ancient musical instruments. The dances are performed by skilled and trained dancers. They consist of young virgin girls, a group of men, or a single man.
"Mamori" are charms worn as an aid in healing and protection. They come in many different forms for various purposes.
An altar, the "Kami-dana" (Shelf of Gods), is given a central place in many homes.

Seasonal celebrations are held at spring planting, fall harvest, and special anniversaries of the history of a shrine or of a local patron spirit. Shinto started when most people were farmers who depended on nature, so the kami of the sun, rain, wind, and good weather are honored.

Other festivals also come from Shinto:

National Founding Day is held on FEB-11 to commemorate the founding of Japan. This is the traditional date on which the first (mythical) emperor Jinmu ascended the throne in 660 BCE. Some shrines held festivities on that day.

JAN 1-3 Shogatsu (New Year)

MAR-3 Hinamatsuri (Girls' festival)

MAY-5 Tango no Sekku (Boys' festival)

JUL-7 Hoshi Matsuri (Star festival).

Followers are expected to visit Shinto shrines at the times of various life passages. For example, the Shichigosan Matsuri involves a blessing by the shrine Priest of girls aged three and seven and boys aged five. It is held on NOV-15.

Origami ("Paper of the spirits"): This is a Japanese folk art in which paper is folded into beautiful shapes. They are often seen around Shinto shrines. Out of respect for the tree spirit that gave its life to make the paper, origami paper is never cut.

See many photographs of Shinto shrines at Cyber Shrine.

Shrines are sometimes just a small area on the land. One enters the sacred place through a "tori gate".

Somei Shrine / Fukuoka (Cyber Shrine)
: Other shrines are a series of large buildings. In this entrance you can see a sacred rope that hangs above the entrance.
Kushida Shrine / Fukuoka (Cyber Shrine)

Statues of dogs protect the path into the shrine. (Cyber Shrine)

This shrine is for the sea and the islands. Note the ropes that connect the two islands. Futamigaura / Fukuoka (Cyber Shrine)

White rocks cover the pathways of many shrines. It is common for shrines to have rivers or lakes flowing by the walkways. A special type of wood is used to build the housings for the gods. Dedicated believers and followers of the Shinto religion work very hard to keep the shrines very clean, since cleanliness is favored by the gods.

On the left you can also see paper "charms" or wishes which are tied together to bring good luck. A Shinto tradition is for people to write their wishes on a piece of paper. The paper is tied onto a tree, in the hope that the kami, or spirits, will grant their wishes.

Trinity College article: Shinto: The Way of the Gods

Learn more about Shinto:

See the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance site.

Read a discussion of early Shinto from Washington State University's World Cultures Program.

Tour a Shinto shrine. This excellent site guides you through shrines in Japan, explains the torii gate, guard dogs and sacred animals, wash basins, ropes and other symbols, shows you how to pray, and how to learn your fortune.

See more images of Shinto shrines and even more Shinto shrines.

See Shinto priests.

Shinto is further introduced. See their many good links including their page on shrines.

Shinto Festivals: Shinto still plays a role in personal lives. Most marriages are performed at a Shinto shrine and the groom and bride are dressed in the traditional clothing. Ceremonies such as New Year's, Obun Festival (Day of Paying Respect to Ancestors), and 7-5-3 Day have their origins in Shinto. See the chart of festivals and their origins.

For some fascinating Shinto Creation Myths, see "World Cultures Program: Readings"

Take a Virtual Tour of Japan which has two slides on Shinto Shrines (Oakland Unified School District's Core Values site).
See a Shinto ceremonial fire.

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Go to Page Two: Religions of Japan (Buddhism, Confucianism and Christianity)