Shinto

large role in WWII, where Japanese citizens were pushed towards emperor worship in an attempt to spark feelings of fervent nationalism among the people. In the period leading up to the war, the government required citizens to seek membership in a Shinto shrine. Shintoism remained the state religion until 1945 when Japan was defeated in WWII (BBC 2009). The emperor denied his divine descent, and General MacArthur outlawed Shintoism as a state religion, ultimately leading to its…

the essences of multiple things of nature, animals, places, and even people. The name Shinto comes from the name Kami no Michi, which the translation is “Way of the Kami”. In Shinto, it does not have any written teachings or a founder, instead how it is taught is by the rituals and through the passing from generation to generation. Now unlike most religions Shinto does not have a fully developed theology, Shinto uses mostly stories…

JJapanese Prime Minister Junichi Koizumi brought relations between China and Japan to a standstill with his annual visits to Yasukuni Shrine. Koizumi’s campaign pledge to visit Yasukuni on the 15th of August 2001 was intended to garner political support from prominent Japanese rightists, had the added effect of internationalising the issue. Within China and Korea, Yasukuni is considered to be a symbol of Japanese imperialism and expansionist militarism. Further, the enshrinement of Japan's 14…

and Shinto traditions. According to Buddhist mythology, Mount Fuji was named after the fire goddess Fuchi who represents inspiration, courage, safety (protection), fire (ancient), skill (sports), and relationships. As a fire goddess, she rules natural energy sources and those generated within ourselves. This energy, along with summer’s sun, joins together in our life today, generating strength, endurance, keen vision and relationships with genuine warmth. (Monaghan, 2012) According to Shinto…

form of Shinto known Folk Shinto. This religion was a religion that was formed even before Shinto was considered it was during this form of the religion that many traditions were formed that would later be incorporated into the actual religion of Shinto. The important factor of this form of Shinto was the shamanic role that certain women would take known as the Miko. This role had the duty of being possessed by Kami to utter poems and songs and also in the spread of folklore. After Folk Shinto…

and also the traditions of their location. Daoism is a religio-philosophical tradition that has affected the Chinese way of life for many years, their attitude towards life can be seen within the accepting and joyful personalities in the believers. Shinto means the way of the Gods; Shintoism preaches the belief that spiritual powers exist in the mundane world. One of the most common beliefs of the origin of the universe is the ‘big bang’ however, this isn’t the case for Daoism and Shintoism. In…

standards. These alterations have stripped Japanese sumo wrestling of its ties to the Shinto religion. Japanese tradition is infused into professional sumo wrestling. Therefore, the core of Japanese sumo wrestling has been diminished to the point of a non-recognizable existence within amateur sumo wrestling. In traditional sumo wrestling, the wrestlers compete in wrestling rings called dohyos which are symbolic of the Shinto shrines. As far as dress is concerned, wamashis are worn to cover and…

There are many differences between Christianity and the different Japanese beliefs such as Shinto or kami worships. One of the most obvious differences is the difference in god worship. Christianity follows one God who is believed to be the creator of everything and believe in the holy trinity. The Japanese however, believe in many gods, goddesses and kami. These gods played many roles and include a story of the god, Izanagi, and a goddess, Izanami, creating islands. These gods also created…

Alongside of Buddhism, Shinto is Japan’s major religion that contributes to the Japanese philosophy of life. These two religions complement each other and coexisted for over a thousand years both culturally and socially to the life of Japanese people. It is also influenced by Confucianism and Taoism. Shinto is Japans state religion, created in the late 6th century. In 1868, the government forced Shinto and Buddhism to separate in the Meiji period. Meiji government ordered a separation of…

delicacies and dishes based on what season it is. Religion is a part of everyday life for most Japanese people. You can find several shrines and temples throughout the country, and there are countless religious festivals that occur throughout the year. The shinto religion is the indigenous religion of Japan. Shintoism is about worshiping nature and the changing of seasons. This is partly why cherry blossoms and bonsai trees are important to them. Japanese people value honor, respect, and manners…