Shinto Religion History
Shinto was the once state religion of Japan and still holds today as the name for the religious practices of non-Buddhist origin in Japan. Old Shinto religious practices remain an important part of Japanese culture and everyday life. Many different local mythologies merged to form Shinto religion, and this began with the Kojiki of 712, and was expanded upon in the State Shinto, an imperial court of the Meiji period. Shinto is based upon the practices of animism and polytheism, basically the belief in many Gods and idols. The religion is rich in symbols and ritual worship. Kami are the spirits that are worshipped in Shinto religion.
Kami spirits are local spirits, unique to each location where the religion is practiced. They are considered the spiritual geniuses of that region. For instance, each particular shrine has its own unique Kami, but there are also universal Kami that are worshipped throughout Japan.
The word Shinto is based off the Chinese word “Shin” which means spirits. This is not an organized religion, and has never been truly unified except by historic classification. Shinto is known as “The Way of the Gods”, and much of what we see of Shinto practices today blends traditional Shinto beliefs with Buddhism. The Meiji government tried to separate these two forms of belief; however the connection continued to strengthen throughout history.
Shinto had a major resurgence of practice during World War II, and largely has lost its power today. There are still some common, every day practices that are Shinto in origin, but for the most part the religion is considered to be part of the old ways of doing things in Japan. However, some major civic holidays still hearken back to Shinto practices, such as the annual coronations and imperial marriages that take place in the Three Palace Sanctuaries in Tokyo.
Shinto beliefs were developed and unified with the introduction of writing in the 5th century. Writings from China, and the beginning of Buddhism in the 6th century, both united to codify the religion that became known as Shinto. During the Nara period in Japan, existing myths were finally unified to create a universally accepted Japanese mythology compiled in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.
Despite the fractured political history and teeming influences that have made Japan the nation that it is, the Shinto belief system is one of the most codified and universal Japanese mythologies ever recorded. In fact, it is believed that the Shinto beliefs were recorded to give Japan a sense of universality. The Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves was considered a way to impress others with the Imperial Family, and create a divine mandate of rule that the Japanese could follow and believe.
Shinto religion is based upon the reverence of nature, and thus the most natural and ordinary objects in life can be considered Kami worthy of praise. We see this same reverence for nature in much of Buddhism, as well as the Japanese forms of art and ethical belief.
