Shinto Religion Essay

1 The religion Shinto has been a major part of Japanese’s life and culture throughout the country’s history. Some scholars have even stated that all Japanese are Shinto by virtue and that those who practice Shinto also practice other religions as well. Everyday many Japanese people visit the Shinto shrines to pray for good luck and to ward off the evil spirits. People who practice and follow Shinto are called Shintoist. The word “Shinto” is equivalent to the meaning of the way of the gods. Those that follow Shinto also worship the Kami, which is defined as the divine spirits that dwelled in nature, in which the Kami can be humanlike, animistic, or even like natural features. 2 Furthermore, the religion Shinto has no historical founder, no creed, and no central

3 However, it has been stated that the religion Shinto was founded in the 6th century CE. 4 Some of the early names of Shinto are Ono Yasumaro and Jimmu Tenno. Ono Yasumaro is a court scholar who compiled the Kojiki in 712 CE. Jimmu Tenno is the first emperor of Japan who is also the great-great grandson of Amaterasu. 5 Moreover, some of the beliefs in Shinto are the four affirmations, which are: the family and tradition, purity, reverence toward nature, matsuri, and the four P’s which are: purification, participation, prayer, and presentation, in addition to the existence and power of the Kami, Makoto, Omairi, Omikuji, Harae, Kagura, Misogi, and they believe in other religions, which makes this religion polytheistic. 6 Moreover, Shinto does not have a clear description about the afterlife such as karma and reincarnation as many other Asian religions. Though they believe in in the spiritual energy such as the Kami in everyone is released any recycled at the time of death. Making the spirits go to another world called “ the other world of heaven”. 7 From the 20th century, one of the recognizable names that practice the religion Shinto is a Korean kpop girl group idol from Twice named