Shinto Beliefs

Shinto (Shintoism) also known as “The Way of the Gods” (207). A native religious belief and practice in Japan. In the Shinto religion there is no deities the “kami meaning little” (209) Japanese only significant features is the shrine, worship, and festival. Shinto creation goes back to heavens the high Kami sends a couple like a Adam and Eve to create earth`s nature. Later the women is burned and destroyed for what the man couldn’t revive her to do so he had eaten all the food. This is all recorded onto the “Shinto mythology that Kojiki and Nihonshoki two of the oldest books in Japanese” (210). Shinto goes back to the past to now their belief to not lose any traditional elements of the religion. Attitudes and practices go with the architecture of the temples. “…Every Shinto Shrine has its unique set of traditions…” (207). Shinto shrines are known to represent pure and cleanliness. One of the habits they tend to have before entering is washing off their hands or body. Their belief that pure is “…fresh, lively, and bright…” (208), impure is “…stagnant, decaying, sick of dying…” (208). Their understanding of what a person must know before coming in to worship is “In order for a person to Shinto worship and festival they must have a mental picture structure of shrine” …show more content…
Worship occurs at varying periods depending how important/big the shrine is it can be from two to three times a year to daily. Shinto Worship is consisted of “…P: Purification, presentation, prayer, and participation…” (208). During the worship purification comes first priest is dressed in white to symbolize the color to be clean. Offerings are presented such as fruits, vegetables, rice, seafood, salt, water and rice and wine. Which later are burned followed with a prayer. While the offerings are still on the table a dance is made to the offerings. Offerings are removed the participation