WORLD RELIGION

SHINTOISM

historical background - belief system -

doctrines and practices

GROUP 2
SYMBOL

The Torii gate is the most common symbol for Shintoism. It is a sacred gateway
Supposed to represent a gate upon which a cock crew on the occasion when
Amaterasu emerge from the rock cave and relighted the world. It marks the
entrance to a sacred space which is the Shinto Shrine . It represents the
transition between the world of humans and the world of the Gods and
Goddesses. It is believed to help prepare the visitors for their interaction with
the spirits by signifying the Sacredness of the Location. It is traditionally made
of wood or stone but now most of torii's are now made by concrete and steel.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Shintoism is considered as the essence of Japanese

devotion to unseen spiritual beings and powers. It is a very
local kind of religion that is focused on the land of Japan,
hence an "ethnic religion" that is not interested in
missionary activities so as to spread it outside Japan.
Shintoism espouses the belief that "human beings are
basically good and has no concept of original sin". Unlike
other religions, it has no known founder nor God, and it may
be practiced with other religions such as Buddhism and
Daoism.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Unlike many other religions, Shinto had no recognized founder. The people of ancient
Japan had long held animistic belief worship divine ancestors and communicated
with the spirit world via shamans. Some elements of these beliefs we're incorporated
into the first recognized religion practiced in Japan, the Shinto, which began during
the period of the YAYOI culture .(c. 300 B.C.E - 300 C.E). For example certain natural
phenomena and geographical features were given attribution of divinity. Most
obvious among these are the sun Goddess AMATERASU and the wind God SUSANOO.
Rivers and mountains where especially important, none more so done Mt. Fuji, whose
name derives from the AINU name " FUCHI" the God of volcano.
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Gods, spirits , supernatural forces and essences are known as KAMI. The KAMI are
governing the nature in all its forms, and are thought to inhabit places of particular and
natural beauty. In contrast evil spirits or demons (oni) are mostly invisible. Some are
envisioned as giants with horns and three eyes. Their power is usually temporarily, and
they do not represent an inherent evil force. Ghosts are known as a obake and required
certain rituals for them to be sent away before they can cause harm. Some spirits of dead
animals can even possess humans, the worst being the fox and these possesses individuals
must be exorcist by a priest.
 SACRED SCRIPTURES

In Shintoism, the Kojiki and Nihongi are considered as the sacred scriptures but it's not only
for Shinto because it also contains extensive information from Buddhism and Confucianism.
The books are compilations of ancient myths andtraditional teachings with a dual purpose.
According to Jose and Ong (2016), its political purpose is to establish the supremacy of
Japan over all the countries in the world by legitimizing the divine authority of the ruling
families and to establish the political supremacy of the Yamato. Its moral purpose is to
explain the relationship between the kami and human beings by establishing that the
Japanese are special people chosen by the kami, who have many humanlike characteristics.
It also emphasizes purification as both a creative and cleansing act. Death is considered as
the ultimate impurity.
SACRED SCRIPTURE- KOJIKI

•Most important texts in Shintoism

•Composed of three books
1. First is the Age of Kami - narrates the mythology

2.Second book discusses the imperial lineage that narrates the events concerning the imperial family up to
the death of the thirty-third ruler,Empress Suiko.

3. The third book is also about the imperial lineage but it is concerned mainly with revolts and love stories
of successive rulers intertwined in a song-story format.

•The establishment of the three orders are reflected in the three books: the establishment of the order of
the universe,the establishment of the erder of humanity, and the establishment of the order of history.

•Even though it was written at the onset of the spread of Buddhism in Japan and despite the fact that
Emperor Genmei,to whom the Kojiki was presented,was a Buddhist, there was no mention of Buddhism in
the Kojiki. It just goes to show that Kojiki is based on the eternal and cyclical world of mythology.
SACRED SCRIPTURE- NIHON SHOKI / NIHONGI

•Nihon Shoki or Nihongi records the descent of the Yamato rulers of Japan from
the gods. It represents a combination of a political purpose with folklores and
myths.

•It isc omposed of 30 books, the first two of which discuss the "age of the kami"
while the remaining books chronicle the events pertaining to the rulers up to
the 41st emperor.
SEASONAL FESTIVALS

Japan celebrates numerous festivals (calledmatsuri) since almost every shrine

has its own festival. Festivals are usually held once a year to celebrate the
shrine's kami or a seasonal/historical event.

1. Processions - the figure of the local kami carried through dashi or decorated
floats around town.

2. Great Purification Festival-celebrated in shrines all over Japan everyJune

and December, with priests waving a cleansing wand over the people,who rub
paper dolls on their bodies to symbolize the transfer of impurities from their
bodies to the dolls, then these dolls are thrown away by the priest.

3. New Year Festival - considered the most extravagant festival in Japan,which

begins on the first day of January and just like other festivals in Japan, lasts for
several days.
BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES
Like other religions Shintoism also has beliefs and one of their beliefs is worshipping kami or
spirits. According to Jose and Ong (2016), scholars agree that the concept of kami is difficult to
explain, and that even the Japanese themselves who are Shinto believers cannot provide a
definite definition of kami.

The kami is classified into three categories:

1. the ujigami or clan ancestors;

2. kami who resides in elements and forces of nature; and

3. the souls of exceptional human beings who died

Shintoism has a concept of Yao Yoruzuno Kami, or eight Hundred Myriads of Kami. Some of them
are tutelary deities of clans who were later elevated to tutelary deities of their respective
communities while some have no direct connection with the Shinto faith. Here are some of the
most important kami in Japan
IMPORTANT KAMI'S IN JAPAN

•Amaterasu-o-mi-kami :Sun Goddess; greatest of the kami;

•Kami of the Ise: shrine; ancestor of the imperia1 family

•Benten: music and the arts.

•Ebisu: Prosperity; abandoned leech-child of Izanami and Izanagi

•Hachiman :Archery and war

•Izanami: Sky god

•Izanagi: Earth goddess

•Susanoo: Wind/storm;Amterasu's brother

•Tenjin: Education
PRACTICES

Visiting shrines: Most visitors will bow when entering the shrine. Be
careful not to walk down the center path under the torii or Shinto
gate, as only the god of the shrine can do this. Worshippers need to
stop by the temizuya or chozuya, a fountain or stone basin filled with
water where visitors purify themselves before prayer.

Oharae: This is the "ceremony of great purification". It is a special

purification ritual that is used to remove sin and pollution from a
large group. The ritual is performed at the end of June and December
in the Imperial Household and at other shrines in order to purify the
whole population.

Reciting Prayers and giving offerings are essential Shinto practices.

 SUBDIVISIONS

Shintō can be roughly classified into the following three major types: Shrine Shintō
(•JINJA) Sect Shintō (KYOHA), and Folk Shintō (MINZOKU)

• Shrine Shintō (Jinja Shintō), which has been in existence from the beginning of Japanese
history to the present day, constitutes a main current of Shintō tradition.

•Sect Shinto (KYOHA), refers to the 13- government organized independent sects formed
during the 19th century. Focusing on this human welfare in this earthly life.

•Folk or Popular Shinto, is the type of Shintoism practiced in local shrines and considered
to be more ingrained to the people's rite of passage. It is considered as a Japanese folk
religion.
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