Shintoism

Shintoism is an ancient religion that originated in Japanese culture. Shinto is a general term for the activities of the people of Japanese descent to worship all the deities of heaven and earth, and at the end of the 6th century the Japanese were conscious of these activities and called them the “Way of Kami” (the deity or the deities)'. The practice of Shintoism finally recognized when Yomei, the 31st Emperor of Japan, prayed before an image of Buddha for the first time as an emperor for recovery of his illness. Then Yomei accepted Buddhism, a foreign religion, the Japanese realized existence of a tradition of their own faith.

The Shinto faith is based on Japanese mythology. One of the most important mythological stories in the Shinto religion is the “Creation Story”. The Shinto believes that Japanese are originally given birth by the couple of deities named Izanagi and Izanami. They had Kami nature in them. So, it is the utmost importance for every individual Japanese that one should endeavour oneself to help and assist the emperor, the ascendant of Amaterasu Ohmikami, whose mission was to make the land prosperous and stable, and to make the land where the human life can be meaningful and joyful. Accordingly, to live means to work, and basically working is the source of joy. This belief is considered to be the base of the Japanese ethics as well as the Shinto philosophy of life. This is because the individual life is, of course, given by the parents; yet, the root of the life is imbedded in Kami.

According to the Shinto faith, a human spirit is believed to remain forever like the spirit of Kami does. The spirit, however, is not conceived as a substantial existence. It is believed because of its work, and the places where the spirit dwells. Are often mentioned as the other world. In each other world, there live Kami. The most well known other world is ‘the other world of Heaven’ where the most venerable deities live, and then it comes to 'the other world of Yomi' where Izanami, the deity who gave birth to the land of Japan lives. This world is to believed to be underground, and it is believed to have the connection with the habit of burial of the dead. The third other world is called 'Tokoyo; which is believed to exist somewhere beyond the sea. According to the Shinto faith there is a belief of...

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...shi are quite large. Some of them have two or three storey’s, which are taller than an ordinary house. Fine brocade and curtains gorgeously decorate them. The carriage for Dashi is often decorated by various curbings. In the evening, the center of a community is brightly lit by lanterns that hang at the eaves of each house, and on Dashi, which is also lit by many lanterns, musicians and dancers, make their performances. At this moment, the festivity reaches its climax. This can be similar to the atmosphere of a carnival in the Christian society. Since Dashi is carried by many people, they shout time and the crowd also respond with the encouraging shout. The festivity becoming an orgy, it happens, some quarrels and some wounds as a result. At this time, people are in an extraordinary stage. A common idea in an everyday life is discarded there. Emotion pent up in a daily life is burst up. Energy preserved through a year is spent up. In a sense, busting up emotion and spending up all the energy ensure peace in the ordinary life, which comes after the festival. At each household a festival banquet is prepared and a day of festivity becomes the most joyful day of the Shinto community.