Shinto

The sun gleams through the leaves, speckling the ground with dark and light patches and the red of the wooden gate is fire against the sky. Under the trees, the heat of summer is diffused and the carefully manicured gardens and ponds provide a welcome relief. Tourists and locals alike wander across the grounds and make prayers at the shrine. As the priests move around quietly, you could be forgiven for thinking you had stepped back in time as you survey the curves of the buildings, the clothing of the priests and their actions.

Japan is a land of contrasts and one which chooses what it wants from different cultures and incorporates it into its own self. Buddhism is a good example of this; a religion which originated in China but which was adopted by the Japanese. Shintoism however, originated in Japan around 2 to 3 thousand years ago.

Shintoism is not based on the teachings of someone but rather promotes devotion to the Imperial family and veneration of the gods. It is believed that the Emperor is a direct descendant of the goddess, Amaterasu. Amaterasu is believed to be the daughter of two 'kami' (gods) who created the islands of Japan and many other stories about various gods are told. The overriding principle of kami though is to protect and sustain life.

Shinto Shrines

Shinto shrines do not often have pictures of gods but rather something symbolic such as a mirror, sword or beads. Shrines are called miya (important house) or yashiro. The mirror symbol stems from a legend that Amaterasu gave a mirror to her grandson when she sent him to earth to become the first Emperor and told him to look into the mirror as he would look into the face of Amaterasu. The mirror has now become one of the most venerated items in Shinto.

Shrines are usually designed so that you approach over water by a bridge and the roof of the shrine is thatched with cypress. A red gate made by two large logs for edges and a wooden top to join them symbolises the sacred areas and leads to the shrine itself. Following a path will bring you to a place with a ladle and water to wash your hands and rinse your mouth before entering the shrine proper. The shrine is guarded by two stone statues that look half dog, half lion.

Rather than sin, Shinto is concerned with purity and cleanliness so Shinto priests often perform rites of cleansing on building sites and so on and the 'washing' with the water when one approaches a shrine is essential. Shinto is also concerned with peace and it is common to see doves in the grounds. One of the most important aspects of Shinto is fostering harmony and this practice spills over into daily life and into many of the traditional Japanese art forms and martial arts.

Shinto and other Religions in Japan

Although around 30 million Japanese are Shintoists, many also practice Buddhism (Bukkyoo), Christianity (Kuristo-kyoo) and other religions incorporating certain aspects of one and certain aspects of the other into their lives and visiting shrines, churches and temples. It is usually Buddhism and Shintoism however, which are mistaken for each other.

There are quite distinct differences both between the beliefs of Buddhism and the beliefs of Shintoism and also between their more obvious physical practices. For example, Buddhists do not offer food or drink to the gods, while Shinto does. Shinto shrines have braided rope hung above the altar and sell talismans to protect the home, for success in study, to wish for something and so on. Shinto shrines also hang up Ema - wooden blocks with a picture of kami (a god) on one side. A wish is written on the other side and the ema is hung on the racks provided. The ema are ritually collected and burned as an offering.

While Shinto means 'the way of the Gods', the 'kami' that are worshipped are not like the more traditional concept of "God" from other religions but rather kami include the Emperor, good and bad spirits of animals, trees and mountains. Individual shrines often represent one kami and sometimes more. For example, the Meiji Shrine venerates Emperor Meiji while ÔhachimanÕ shrines venerate multiple kami.

Many modern Japanese are unaware of some of the things in daily life that stem from Shinto such as festivals like Children's Day and Tanabata festival. Even origami stems from the worship of trees and veneration of those trees through not cutting paper. The Japanese word for paper, 'kami', even sounds the same as that for the gods!

So, if you get a chance to see some of the Japanese shrines, you are in for a treat, both visually and spiritually. Just be aware that there a lot of them!