Shinto - A Japanese Religion Essay - 1687 Words

Shinto: A Japanese Religion Uncovering the religious significance and practices of Japanese Shinto As an ancient religion of Japan, Shinto was originally a combination of nature worship, divination techniques, and shamanism. Meaning the way of the Gods, the origins of Shinto are not apparent in comparison to other religions, especially other Asian religions and beliefs. With no obvious founder, as well as original written scriptures and authentic laws, a number of theories exist about the origination of Shinto as a religion and its development across the Japanese lands. However, the significance of the religion has shifted the importance of discovering its origins to the religious influences that Shinto has embarked upon Japanese†¦show more content†¦For the Shinto’s, the â€Å"divine, natural, and human elements† are closely related to one another. The Gods and the spirits co-exist with one another; the Gods exist with humans and nature, while the humans exist with the Gods and nature. Nature, human beings, and deities act â€Å"harmoniously† with one another. Nature, in turn, is a vital part of both the spiritual world and the human world; â€Å"Japanese love and reverence for nature lies at the root of Shinto†. For many other religions, this is not the case. For Western religions, the â€Å"Creator and the created, and the human and natural realms† do not relate with one another immediately. The Shinto religion can again be seen acting in a more spiritual way than any other religion. The spirituality of Shinto and its people can be expressed further: Shinto was the religion of a pristine people who, above all, were sensitive to the spiritual forces that pervaded the world of nature in which they lived. Nature, spirits, and life’s existence are important to the Shinto religion. The way in which spirits existed towards humans can be seen as follows: â€Å"In their world myriad spirits shone like fireflies and every tree and bush could speak†. Religion had manifested itself into the Shinto religion. Nature was the main religious symbol of the religion. The kami, or religious Gods and spirits could be found everywhere in the Shinto life and religion. The Gods in the Shinto religion areShow MoreRelatedJapanese Scholars View of the Shinto Religion1110 Words   |  4 PagesThe Shinto religion is seen in two different lights by Japanese scholars. One is the view that the role of Shinto in Japanese history as a periphery religion and reliant on Buddhist ideals for its success. The other is that Shinto may seem to be a very primitive religion, but it has also maintained a long history of rituals and institutions that represent Japanese culture and its ability to absorb oth er religions and cultures. Both arguments are relatively strong, however I argue that ModernizationRead MoreJapanese Mythology And Folklore Make Up An Extremely Large Portion Of The Shinto Religion1010 Words   |  5 PagesJapanese mythology and folklore make up an extremely large portion of the Shinto religion, of which approximately 2,700,001 people follow worldwide (Pew Research Center). What has kept people fastened to this religion as opposed to the larger faiths such as: Christianity, Buddhism, and Hindus? The majority of people who are researching different religions do not look at less common religions such as this one. Shinto is a series of Japanese myths and folktales that are still passed from parent toRead MoreThe Shinto Religion1186 Words   |  5 PagesThe Shinto religion has a long identification with the island country of Japan and is considered by many to be the oldest religion practiced in Japan (Toshio). 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TheseRead More Shintoism Essay609 Words   |  3 PagesShintoism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Shinto religion was started in the Tokugawa period (1600-1868) of Japanese history. The Tokugawa Enlightenment inspired a group of people who studied kokugaku, which roughly translated means nativism, Japanese Studies, or Native Studies. Kokugakus intent was to recover Japanese character to what it was before the early influences of foreigners, especially the Chinese. Some of these influences include Confucianism (Chinese), Taoism (Chinese), Buddhism (IndianRead MoreEssay on Religions and Japanese Culture597 Words   |  3 PagesReligions and Japanese Culture Many religions are popular within the Japanese culture. Two of the most influential religions, Shinto and Buddhism that help shaped a lot of Japanese values are Shinto and Buddhism, played a large role in shaping Japanese values. Numerous similarities and differences run between these two religions; nonetheless, the Japanese often believe in more than one religion at the same time. This is possible due to the polytheistic nature of most popular religions inRead MoreSimilarities Between Shinto And Shinto Religion933 Words   |  4 PagesOf the many religions in the world, none are quite as unique as Shintoism. Shinto, meaning â€Å"the way of the kami†, is the indigenous religion of Japan. It is believed to have existed since the 6th century B.C.E. However, there is no documented origin nor is there an established founder. At the center of the Shinto religion is devotion toward various kami and the rituals performed to please them. It does not attempt to explain existence o r the afterlife. Instead, Shintoism focuses on interactions withRead MoreEssay on Shintoism and Buddhism1210 Words   |  5 Pagesand Buddhism The Japanese religions, including Shintosim and Buddhism, are rich and complex, and it contains many condradictory trends which may puzzle a Westerner. In the center of the tradition is Shinto, the natural religion of Japan. Also in the center is Buddhism, the Indian religion that was brought to Japan in the sixth century from Korea and China. Throughout the history of Japan, it has been these two religions that have contributed most to the Japanese understanding of themselvesRead MoreThe Shinto Religion Essay1497 Words   |  6 PagesORIGINS The religion we know as Shinto is native to Japan and was first practiced sometime before the year 500 B.C.E. The name ‘Shinto’ comes from a Chinese phrase meaning â€Å"Way of the Gods†. It was first used to describe the native Japanese religion in the 8th Century C.E. It is currently the official religion of Japan along with Buddhism (Ono 1-3). There is a less common name for Shinto that comes directly from the Japanese language, which is â€Å"Kami no michi† which also means â€Å"Way of the Gods†Read MoreIdeology behind the Film Spirited Away862 Words   |  3 PagesSpirited Away, the movie sends out many aspects of ideology in Japanese society. This essay is going to be focusing on two particular aspects which are Shinto beliefs and human versus nature. In Asian culture, people usually give priority to the religion. Shinto was the state religion of Japan in the past. Shinto means Kami Way in Japanese. Kami is term to describe sacred spirits, or something that possesses superior power (Earheart 6). Japanese people believe that there are spirits in everything. All