SHINTOISM

RELIGION’S HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND ITS

BELIEF SYSTEMS
SHINTOISM
 - Shintoism is considered as the very essence of Japanese
devotion to unseen spiritual beings and powers. It is a very local
kind of religion in that it is focused on the land of Japan, hence an
“ethnic religion” that is not interest in missionary activities so as
to spread it outside Japan.
 - It also espouses the belief that “human beings are basically good
and has no concept of original sin”.
 - Unlike other religions, it has no known founder or god
 - It may be practiced with other religions like Daoism and
Buddhism.
SHINTOISM SHRINES
 -Shrines are an important aspect in Shintoism,
considered as the main religion in Japan which is
more closely associated to the Japanese way of
life and traditions.
 - One of the most visited shrines is the
Itsukushima Shrine.
THE ITSUKUSHIMA SHRINE IN JAPAN
BELIEFS IN “KAMI” OR SPIRITS
 - Shinto belief in kami or spirits is reflected in the
numerous shrines they have to built honor the spirits
which they believe can be found in nature, and which
still guide their everyday lives by giving them good
fortune and prosperity.
 - They perform the necessary rituals in return o appease
the spirits surrounding them.
 - Purification is the key concept in Shintoism, that is
why much of their rituals make use of water for
cleansing purposes.
DIFFERENT KAMIS OF SHINTO
ANCESTOR WORSHIP
 - Ancestor worship is also an important aspect in
Shintoism, as well as showing reverence to forces of
nature, and because Shintoism is considered more as way
of life than a religion, it has co-existed with other
religions in Japan, such as Buddhism and Confucianism.
 - Shintoism, in fact, has become so entrenched with the
way of life of the Japanese people that most of them
would perform Shinto rituals like worshipping at the
shrines while not identifying themselves as Shintoists.
SHRINE DEDICATED TO THE DAUGHTERS OF SUSANOO-NO
MIKOTO, GOD OF THE SEAS AND STORMS (LEFT SIDE) AND THE
SHRINE OF AMATERASU,THE SUN- GODDESS (RIGHT SIDE)
Shintoism is considered the ethnic religion in
Japan and is practiced by less than 40% of the
population according to 2006 and 2008 surveys.
Around 50% to 80% worship spirits or kami at
Shinto shrines while not identifying themselves as
Shintoists. This is because Shintoism has become
a way of life for the Japanese people instead of
considering it as a religion; it does not exist
independently of other religions. Hence,
syncretism is a common practice, with Shintos the
fundamental folk belief incorporated to
Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism.
SYMBOL OF SHINTOISM
 - 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
emerged from the rock cave and relighted the world.
 - It represents the transition between the world of
humans and the world of the gods and goddesses.
 - It is believed to help prepare the visitor for their
interaction with the spirits by signifying the sacredness
of the location.
THE TORII GATE
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
 - During the pre-historic period in Japan,
animism was evident in the agricultural affairs of
the people. Agricultural rites were celebrated
seasonally and all communal religious activities
were focused on objects or places believed to be
inhabited by kami or spirits. Later on, adherents
formulated rituals and stories for them to make
sense of their universe, such as creation stories
regarding Japan and its natural elements.
One such story is the “Story of Creation”, which
narrates that in the beginning there were two kami,
Izanagi-no-Mikoto (male) and Izanami-no-Mikoto
(female). It was said that after Izanagi’s creative work
on earth, he went up to heaven while Izanami was left
permanently on earth as queen of the lower world.
According to the myth, Amaterasu-o-mi-kami, the
goddess of the sun, come out of Izanagi’s left eye
while Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto came out of his right eye,
and Susano-Wo-no-Mikoto came from his nostrils.
The Nihongi narrates the following account of the
creation of the three-great kami of the upper air:
“When Izanagi-no-Mikoto had returned (from the Lower World),
he was seized with regret, and said, ‘Having gone to Nay! A
hideous and filthy place, it is meet that I should cleanse my body
from its pollutions.” He accordingly went to the plain of Ahagi at
Tachibana in Wodo in Hiuga of Tsukushi, and purified himself…
Thereafter a Diety was produced by washing his left eye, which
was called Amaterasu-no-Oho-kami. Then he washed his right
eye, producing thereby a Deity who was called Tsukiyomi-no-
Mikoto. Then he washed his nose, producing thereby a God who
was called Susa-no-Wo-no-Mikoto. In all, there were three
Deities. Then Izanagi-no-Mikoto gave charge to his three
children, saying, “Do thou, Amaterasu-no-Oho-kami, rule the
plain of High Heaven; do thou, Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto, rule the
eight-hundred-fold tides of the ocean plain; do thou, Susa-no-
Wo-no-Mikoto, rule the world.” (Holtom, 1965)
IZANAGI-NO-MIKOTO (MALE )AND IZANAMI-NO-MIKOTO
(FEMALE)
AMATERASU-OMIKAMI
 - Believed to have come from the left eye of
the sky god Izanagi, is considered the sun
goddess and the ancestor of the Japanese
imperial family, with Emperor Jimmu
Tenno, Amaterasu’s great grandson, as the
first emperor of Japan.
 - She exhibited great virtue and ruled over
Takama-ga-Hara.
AMATERASU AND HER SON, EMPEROR JIMMU TENNO
SUSA-NO-WO-NO-MIKOTO
 - A Deity came from Izanagi’s nose.
 - Susa-no-Wo-no-Mikoto performed evil deeds and was
later driven out and went down to Izumo, where he
subdued the rebels and gained possession of the sword,
which he presented to Amaterasu, the Great Deity.
 - He had a child named OkuniNushi-no-Mikoto, who
succeded him as the ruler of Izumo and, with the help of
SukunaHikona-noKami, ordered the cultivation of the
land, suppressed the rebels and taught the knowledge of
medicine, making him popular in the land.
SUSA-NO-WO-NO-MIKOTO (LEFT), OKUNINUSHI-NO-
MIKOTO (RIGHT) AND SUKUNAHIKONA-NOKAMI
(BELOW)
AFTER THE PRE-HISTORIC PERIOD
 - The kami living in some places were gradually associated with
local ruling clans, also known as uji, thus taking the name
ujigami.
 - A clan from Yamato region claimed that they have descended
from Amaterasu, and that family was then recognized as the
imperial household of Japan and cornerstone of Japanese
nationhood.
 - Indigenous festivals and ceremonies became inseperable from
government affairs especially with the emergence of the unified
nation-state. These festivities became known as matsurigoto
(affairs of religious festivals) but retained its meaning to refer to
“government” today.