Shinto

Shinto was the major belief system in Japan before Buddhism. Shinto is mainly composed of ritual practices done to please and provide worship to the numerous gods called kami. These kami are the essence of nature according to followers of Shintoism. Shinto has been around ever since the beginning of Japanese culture. It has records that trace it as far back as the Jomon era from…

Ebisu is a god from Japan, one of few who does not have any influence from other countries such as China or India. Therefore, Ebisu is uniquely Japanese in his realm of influence and stories. He is largely known as the God of Fisherman and one of seven gods of good luck. He is generally portrayed as slightly crippled or having some sort of physical defect as one of his defining stories is his ability to overcome his body at birth, where he was born without bones. He was cast out into the sea as…

universe, and vice versa. While Taoism in China resembles the selflessness of humankind and the laws that abide with the Tao, Japan’s viewpoint takes a different path involving spirits and spiritual deities. Japanese religion is known as Shinto, the way of the gods. Shinto is embodied with many deities, or kami, who are…

People do not often listen to traditional Japanese music; but when they do, it is usually considered by most to be very smooth and peaceful. Shinto was one of the earliest main types of music ever recorded; and was also one of their main religions. This type of music was considered free; as people were able to play what they wanted to, but it became formal, as it progressed over the years. Afterwards, the age of Gagaku came about from the Chinese Buddhists, during ancient times; and was…

The common good is an important thing to consider in our daily lives. Sometimes we must put aside our own worries and beliefs in order to help improve society as a whole. One particular topic that some might say blurs the lines of the common good is whaling. The issue here is whether or not whaling is justifiable in today’s society, can people who are for and against whaling come together and work towards the common good? Organisations such as the International Whaling Commission which are…

What is Buddhism? Buddhism is one of the five major religions of the world. It is a mix of two other Indian religions: Hindu and Shinto. Buddhism began in India around the 6th century B.C. Buddhism was founded by a young prince named Siddharta Gautama who became a monk in search of enlightenment. After he learned many ideas, he believed he had finally found enlightenment. Later on, Siddharta was named Buddha or Enlightened One, which is when the name for the religion was born. Traders and…

Koken. They dress in black and assist the performers in various ways, such as handing them props, but are not directly connected to the story. There are a variety of types of Noh plays. For instance, the kami (god) play involves a sacred story of a Shintō shrine, shura mono (fighting play) centers on warriors, katsura mono (wig play) has a female protagonist, and gendai mono (present day play) is a story considered contemporary and realistic rather than legendary and…

In Japan, Buddhism was introduced as a gift to the emperors, with Shintoists receiving the Buddha as another kami. “Buddhism was now fully Japanese and had merged seamlessly with native beliefs. Not only were Buddhist and Shinto shrines built together on the same premises, but the idea began to arise that Buddhas and kami were in fact, two names for the same deities,” (DuBois, 61). Considering how unaccepting Japan was to the ideals of the outside world at the time, this…

essay will explain why it is so difficult for Japanese homosexuals to publicly reveal their sexuality to their peers in this era. First, the early perception of sexuality will be observed from a religious perspective. Japan’s first main religion, Shintō (the way of the gods), was first recorded in the the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters), completed respectively in 712 AD, and Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan), completed in 720 AD. Both discuss the creation myth of Japan. Within the Kojiki and…

When one looks at the pages of history, it is hard to do so outside the bias of one’s own time and cultural heritage. Due to the preponderance of Western society’s influence in the modern world, it is then unsurprising that the East’s dominance on the world’s stage for much of recorded history is overshadowed by the (relatively recent) European/Anglo dominance. Asia is a complex, rich, and multifaceted region to explore, and is especially enlightening to examine in the time leading up to the…