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Shintoism
A thousand torches blaze with fire in dozens of cities and towns in Japan. It is January 15th, the start of the lunar year. Before World War II, the emperor of Japan used to light fires twice a year at the four corners of his palace in homage to Kagutsuchi, the God of Fire. Today, temples across the country continue to celebrate the fire festivals, known as Dosojin Matsuri, to honor the fire deities and ask for favors. Shintoism is not a normal religion. In modern perspective, it resembles the views of many modern pagan religions—for instance Wicca—in the sense that it involves ideas like animism, shamanism and the existence of a spiritual world; nevertheless, Shintoism, unlike western modern paganism, is deeply rooted in Japanese culture including its literature.
Shintoism has no founder ,and the history behind the technicalities of the rise of Shinto are rather obscure. Experts don't agree as to when Shinto became a unified religion more than just a label to give to the different faiths of Japan. Before the arrival of Buddhism, Shinto referred to the many local cults of the prehistoric Japanese people. These people were animists; devoted to the worship of nature and spirits. These spirits were the Kami; found in living things, nonliving things and natural phenomena. The early Japanese created a spiritual world—and rituals and stories to accompany it—that seemingly gave them control of their lives. It wasn't considered a religion at those times, early Japanese people regarded their faith as a commonality as a part of the natural world. The realms of Earth and the supernatural were closely integrated into each other for them. (“Religions”)
In the 6th century C.E, Confucianism and, more importantly, Buddhism arrived i...
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... history of the Japanese Islands. The texts where compiled during the 8th Century and are not directly related to shinto doctrine. They are, nevertheless, a collection of mythological narratives and historical chronicles that informe about the cultural traditions of early Japan.
Works Cited
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Operation Cooperation. “Shinto.” Oracle Thinkquest. n.d. Web 01 December 2013.
"Shinto in History."Shinto in History: Ways of the Kami. Ed. John Breween and Mark Teeuwen. Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 2000. 4.Book.google.com. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.
Stuart, James. “The Shinto Fire Ritual” Opposing Views. n.d Web 01 Dec. 2013.
Schumaker, Mark. SHINTŌ FESTIVALS, RITES, & CEREMONIES. OnMarkProductions. n.d. Web 01 Dec. 2013.
Elacqua, Joseph. Shinto Sacred Texts. Faithology. n.d. Web 01 Dec 2013.
Junko Habu, Ancient Jomon of Japan: Case Studies in Early Societies (Cambridge University Press. 2004)
Analysis: Shinto: The Way Home’s organization is quite useful because it moves in chronological order and it leads the reader in a way that allows for understanding the most unrelatable Ideas of Shintoism. The book uses many Japanese terms and names that may lead confusion for the audience as they have to learn the vocabulary to understand many of the statement Kasulis uses. Kasulis also lack an argument through most of this work and he seems to focus on supplying information as accurately as possible. The author discusses a variety information pertaining to Shintoism making it useful
writings of The Diary. In Japan, it was also a rise of the warrior class and the samurai.
Shinto: The Way Home written by Thomas Kasulis is a book designed to inform the reader of Shinto traditions and history, but how does his work stand on its own as a scholarly source. Kasulis uses simple organization strategies to control the flow of the work the simplest method is the separation of the book into six chapters as well as a two prefaces one from the editor and one from the author. The first chapter discusses Shintoism in the terms of a western audience while the second chapter confers the connection with normal Japanese culture with Shinto traditions. The third, fourth, and the fifth chapter canvases the history of Shinto traditions in chronological order from prehistory to 2002. Chapter 6 explains Issues with Shinto in a modern
The Kojiki lit. “Record of ancient things” (古事記), is a book of Japanese mythology recorded in regard to the origin of the four main islands of Japan and the Kami, and is the oldest surviving chronicle in Japan, dating in its completion in 712 A.D., composed in the Japanese Imperial Court in the ancient capital of Nara, by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei (元明天皇, gemmei-tenno).
There are many regions that entail the belief of a spirit transcending into a place of serenity. One religion that focuses on transcending is Shintoism. Shintoism is a religion of Japanese origin that devotes its belief in spirits of natural forces. This is expressed by the meaning of Shinto, which means “the way of Kami.” A kami is a divine being or spirit in the religion such as the Emperor who was believed to be a sun goddess. In the movie, Spirited Away, Shintoism is expressed by Chihiro finds purity through the use of liminal process. Liminal Process are the steps needed to allow an individual to pass the threshold of the Earthly world to the Spiritual realm. These steps are similar to the way an alcoholic would reach sobriety.
Roberts, Jeremy. Japanese Mythology A to Z (Mythology a to Z). New York: Facts on File, 2004.
The origins of Shinto and Judaism are rich in history, yet it is the steadfast strength of their belief systems that are most fascinating. While the beliefs of most religions will evolve with time, the core beliefs of these two religions seem impervious to the cultural and generational changes in modern times. In fact, their belief systems seem to be the very foundations of which their cultures were originally built upon In exploring the completely diverse beliefs of Shinto and Judaism, an appreciation for the longevity of each is undeniable.
Generally, it is believed that the introduction of Buddhism took place upon the giving of a sparkling Buddha’s image by Baekje, which was a Korean Kingdom, offered scripture scrolls as well as ornaments to Emperor Kimmei of Japan. During those days, the emperor’s rulership over Japan was via the ruler’s nobles within the court. Therefore, there was an immediate controversy on whether people should accept any foreign cult. For instance, certain clans like the Nakatomi vehemently opposed the new religion because they believed Japan had arranged for a traditional, indigenous religion known as Shinto. Nonetheless, Soga clan, which enjoyed influence, favored Buddhism because it could enrich their culture more.
The Japanese medieval age consists of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (from approximately 1185 to 1600). During this time, the political power was switching from the imperial family to a militaristic government. In addition, civil wars (from 1156 to 1568) were increasing throughout Japan. This change of centrality in society’s focus from court to warriors shifted the perception and style of Japanese literature.
... middle of paper ... ... These rituals or acts of "superstition" do enter the daily life of the Japanese and may even "regulate the conduct of a great number of persons" (Hori, Ichiro, 46). Although the religions of Shinto, Buddhism and "new religions" seem different in many aspects, there are common themes and theories among them.
Shintoism originated from Japanese culture and remains the native religion of Japan. Shintoism is also one of the oldest religions in the world. The word “Shinto” is a generalized term for the activities the Japanese followers participates in to worship all the deities of heaven and earth. The word is derived from the meaning the “way of the higher spirits or gods” (Noss, D. & Grangaard, B., 290). Followers participate in these activities to abide by the “Way of Kami,” the way of the deities. The religious practices, underlying life attitudes, and ideologies of Shintoism developed mainly among the Japanese people and became more than just a religion because it was a religion influenced by culture. Shintoism’s popularity spread when Emperor Yomei prayed before Buddha asking him for recovery from his illness. This allowed for
Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Atheism, just to name a few, are a collection of major world religions that are practiced in various regions around the globe. Each one, has their own history of origins, belief systems, and influence on society in the past to the present. Among these popular world religions is Shintoism, the indigenous religion of Japan. The roots of the word Shinto means “way of the kami” (WRP, 1) and is also defined as “kannagara no michi”, literally meaning “the way of the deities” (Yale, 1). No matter how it is defined, Shintoism is essentially a religion that focuses on the relationship between humans and the beauty of the natural world. Today, Shinto beliefs, folklore and myths, and religious practices continue to influence
The Japanese have been around for many years. They are a very distict population where their culture influences many aspects of our lives. A brief history of Japan will enlighten the many ideas and topics in which explains how and why these ideas play a role in their culture. Shinto is the older animist religion of traditional Japan. However, Japans’ religious status is Buddhism. This faith has been sacred for just litte over twelve hundred years. These two religions have intertwined and influenced each other and Japanese culture. The two religions are very common, you would be able to find both of these religions easily. Over the centuries the capital of the Japan has been shifted around. The capital city has moved from Nara to Kyoto and now Tokyo. Japan has also seen many political structurs.
Hopfe, Lewis M., and Mark R. Woodward. "Shinto." Religions of the World. 11th ed. New York: Vango, 2009. 213-23. Print.