Who are the main people who started Shintoism?
Who started Shintoism? In the late 6th century AD the name Shinto was created for the native religion to distinguish it from Buddhism and Confucianism, which had been introduced from China. Shinto was rapidly overshadowed by Buddhism, and the native gods were generally regarded as manifestations of Buddha in a previous state of existence.
What are 5 facts about Shintoism?
Here we go :
- Shinto /ˈʃɪn.tɔː/ means "The path of Gods"
- Shinto is a polytheist religion : the number of Gods is infinite and they're called "Kami"
- The Kami live in a world unseen by humans, which Japanese folklore is full of. ...
Who are the religious leaders of Shintoism?
Shintoism . Shintoism (complete list) – Akihito, Emperor of Japan, head of Shintoism (1989–2019) Naruhito, Emperor of Japan, head of Shintoism (2019–present) Jinja Honcho – Atsuko Ikeda, Chairperson (1988–present) Other . Art of Living Foundation – Sree Sree Ravi Shankar, spiritual leader and founder (1981–present)
Who are the gods of Shintoism?
- Amaterasu-Omikami: Sun goddess and the greatest of all the individual Kami. ...
- Ebisu: One of the seven gods of fortune who brings prosperity. ...
- Fujin: The god of the wind.
- Haichman: The god of war and archery.
- Izanami and Izanagi: The two infamous gods who gave birth to Japan. ...
- Susanoo: The all-powerful storm god, the protector, and cause of disasters. ...
Does Shintoism have a founder?
Shintō has no founder, no official sacred scriptures in the strict sense, and no fixed dogmas, but it has preserved its guiding beliefs throughout the ages.
Who originated Shintoism?
Shinto (Japanese: 神道, romanized: Shintō) is a religion that originated in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion.
Who is the leader of Shintoism?
shinshoku, priest in the Shintō religion of Japan. The main function of the shinshoku is to officiate at all shrine ceremonies on behalf of and at the request of worshippers.
What is the origin of Shintoism?
Shinto (Japanese, "the way of the gods"), Japanese cult and religion, originating in prehistoric times, and occupying an important national position for long periods in the history of Japan, particularly in recent times.
Who is Shinto god?
Kami is the Japanese word for a deity, divinity, or spirit. It has been used to describe mind (心霊), God (ゴッド), supreme being (至上者), one of the Shinto deities, an effigy, a principle, and anything that is worshipped.
How many gods do Shintoism have?
eight million kamiKami are the divine spirits or gods recognized in Shinto, the native religion of Japan. There are eight million kami—a number that, in traditional Japanese culture, can be considered synonymous with infinity.Nov 13, 2017
What religion is in South Korea?
Religion in South Korea is diverse. A slight majority of South Koreans have no religion. Buddhism and Christianity are the dominant confessions among those who affiliate with a formal religion. Buddhism and Confucianism are the most influential religions in the lives of the South Korean people.
Do Shinto believe in god?
Shinto has no founder. Shinto has no God. Shinto does not require adherents to follow it as their only religion.Oct 7, 2011
When was Shinto invented?
While various institutions and practices now associated with Shinto existed in Japan by the 8th century, various scholars have argued that Shinto as a distinct religion was essentially "invented" during the 19th century, in Japan's Meiji era.
When did Shinto become a religion?
During the Meiji era (1868 to 1912 AD), Japan's nationalist leadership expelled Buddhist influence from kami worship and formed State Shinto, which many historians regard as the origin of Shinto as a distinct religion.
What is Shinto jingi?
Shinto is polytheistic, involving the veneration of many deities known as kami, or sometimes as jingi. As is often the case in the Japanese language, no distinction is made here between singular and plural, and hence the term kami refers both to individual kami and the collective group of kami.
What is Shinto belief?
However, the authors Joseph Cali and John Dougill stated that if there was "one single, broad definition of Shinto" that could be put forward, it would be that "Shinto is a belief in kami ", the supernatural entities at the centre of the religion.
How many Kami shrines are there in Japan?
There are around 100,000 public shrines in Japan; about 80,000 are affiliated with the Association of Shinto Shrines, with another 20,000 being unaffiliated. They are found all over the country, from isolated rural areas to dense metropolitan ones. More specific terms are sometimes used for certain shrines depending on their function; some of the grand shrines with imperial associations are termed jingū, those devoted to the war dead are termed shokonsha, and those linked to mountains deemed to be inhabited by kami are yama-miya.
How do Shinto priests care for shrines?
Shrines may be cared for by priests, by local communities, or by families on whose property the shrine is found. Shinto priests are known in Japanese as kannushi, meaning "proprietor of kami", or alternatively as shinshoku or shinkan. Many kannushi take on the role in a line of hereditary succession traced down specific families. In contemporary Japan, there are two main training universities for those wishing to become kannushi, at Kokugakuin University in Tokyo and at Kogakkan University in Mie Prefecture. Priests can rise through the ranks over the course of their careers. The number of priests at a particular shrine can vary; some shrines can have over 12 priests, and others have none, instead being administered by local lay volunteers. Some priests earn a living administering to multiple small shrines, sometimes over ten or more.
What is a folk Shinto?
Some scholars have used the term "Folk Shinto" to designate localised Shinto practices, or practices outside of an institutionalised setting. In various eras of the past, there was also a " State Shinto ", in which Shinto beliefs and practices were closely interlinked with the Japanese state.
What is Shinto religion?
religion. Emeritus Professor of Shintō Studies, Kokugakuin University, Tokyo. Author of Japanese Shinto. Shintō, indigenous religious beliefs and practices of Japan. The word Shintō, which literally means “the way of kami ” (generally sacred or divine power, specifically the various gods or deities), came into use in order to distinguish indigenous ...
When did Buddhism start?
Buddhism was officially introduced into Japan in 552 ce and developed gradually. In the 8th century there emerged tendencies to interpret Shintō from a Buddhist viewpoint. Shintō kami were viewed as protectors of Buddhism; hence, shrines for tutelary kami were built within the precincts of Buddhist temples. Kami were made equivalent to deva, or “gods.” According to Buddhist teachings, the deva are said to be undergoing the same suffering ( dukkha) within the endless cycle of death and rebirth ( samsara) that all creatures experience. Help was therefore offered to kami in the form of Buddhist discipline. Buddhist temples were even built within Shintō shrine precincts, and Buddhist sutras (scriptures) were read in front of kami. By the late 8th century, kami were thought to be avatars (incarnations) of buddhas (enlightened individuals who had attained liberation [ moksha] from samsara) and bodhisattvas (buddhas-to-be). Bodhisattva names were given to kami, and Buddhist statues were placed even in the inner sanctuaries of Shintō shrines. In some cases, Buddhist priests were in charge of the management of Shintō shrines.
What was the most important syncretic school?
The most important of the syncretic schools to emerge were Ryōbu (Dual Aspect) Shintō and Sannō (“King of the Mountain,” a common name of the guardian deity of Tendai Buddhism) Shintō.
What did the Kami believe?
They also believed in kami of ideas such as growth, creation, and judgment. Though each clan made the tutelary kami the core of its unity, such kami were not necessarily the ancestral deities of the clan. Sometimes kami of nature and kami of ideas were regarded as their tutelary kami.
When did the kami of the Imperial Household become the kami of the whole nation and people?
Such practices were systematized supposedly around the start of the Taika-era reforms in 645.
How many shrines were receiving state offerings in Japan?
By the beginning of the 10th century, about 3,000 shrines throughout Japan were receiving state offerings. As the power of the central government declined, however, the system ceased to be effective, and after the 13th century only a limited number of important shrines continued to receive the Imperial offerings.
Where did Confucianism originate?
Confucianism, which originated in China, is believed to have reached Japan in the 5th century ce, and by the 7th century it had spread among the people, together with Daoism and yinyang (harmony of two basic forces of nature) philosophy. All of these stimulated the development of Shintō ethical teachings.
What is Shinto religion?
Shinto Religion OR Shintoism. Shinto, also known as kami-no-michi, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan’s indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Shinto is a polytheistic belief system involving the veneration of many deities, ...
What is Shinto worship?
Although Shinto worship features public and shared rituals at local shrines; it can also be a private and individual event, in which a person at a shrine (or in their home) prays to particular kami either to obtain something or to thank the kami for something good that has happened.
Where does Shinto worship take place?
Shinto worship is highly ritualized and follows strict conventions of protocol, order, and control. It can take place in the home or in shrines. Shinto shrines (神社, jinja) are places of worship and the dwellings of the kami, the Shinto “gods”. Sacred objects of worship that represent the kami are stored in the innermost chamber ...
Is Shinto a good faith?
This makes worship ping things like mountains and stones, and even people possible. Shinto is an optimistic faith, there is no absolute right and wrong, as humans are thought to be fundamentally good, and evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits. Consequently, the purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away evil spirits by purification, ...
What is Shinto history?
This article explores the part Shinto has played in Japanese life and culture throughout the country's history, and its shared its spiritual, cultural, and political roles with Buddhism and Confucianism.
When did Shinto and Buddhism come together?
Shintoisms were the only religions in Japan until the arrival of Buddhism in the 6th century CE.
What are the four major periods of Shinto history?
One of the standard classifications of Shinto history reduces it to four major periods: Before the arrival of Buddhism in Japan. Shinto and Buddhism together in Japan. The Meiji reinterpretation of Shinto in the 19th century. Shinto after World War II.
What were the disadvantages of Shinto?
Shinto had a disadvantage compared to Buddhism and Confucianism in its lack of complex intellectual doctrines. This meant that the development of Japanese theology and philosophy inevitably drew on the comparative intellectual richness of Buddhism and Confucianism.
Why was Shinto declared non-religious?
Traditional historians say (rather cynically) that this was done to avoid any conflict between the imposition of Shinto by the Japanese state and the Japanese constitution's guarantee of religious freedom.
What was the 16th century in Japan?
The 16th century was a time of conflict in Japan, but religious establishments continued to play a part in the administration of the various territories of the country. Religion became something of a hot potato when missionaries arrived in Japan during this period and started converting people from Shinto and Buddhism.
How did the Japanese make sense of the world?
The early Japanese developed rituals and stories which enabled them to make sense of their universe, by creating a spiritual and cultural world that gave them historical roots, and a way of seeming to take control of their lives, in what would otherwise have been a fearful and puzzling landscape.
Who is the originator of Shinto?
Ōgimachi Shintō. Originated by Suika Shinto by Ōgimachi Kinmichi's (1653–1733) transmission to the sovereign and court retainers. In 1680 Kinmichi presented a Shinto oath to Yamazaki Ansai, taking up a full-scale study of Suika Shinto. Reisō Shintō.
Who founded the Shinto sect?
Founded by Senge Takatomi (1845–1918) and one of the original thirteen pre-war sects of Shinto. Jikkōkyō. One of the thirteen sects of pre-war Shinto. Based on Fujidō, founded by Hasegawa Kakugyō (born in Nagasaki, 1541–1646).
Why are Shinto schools not included in authoritative publications?
This may be because of their small size and influence, fairly unknown presence or practices, or because those schools are new branches from older schools and still considered within their structure.
Which sect of Buddhism incorporated kami cults within its own system?
These doctrines were influenced by the Nichiren sect of Buddhism which incorporated kami cults within its own system. Inbe Shintō. This is the Inbe clan lineage and commonly held to have been created by Inbe Masamichi that was in charge of court rituals together with the Nakatomi clan. Ise Shintō.
Who founded the Federation of New Religious Organizations of Japan?
Established in 1951 with a membership of twenty-four groups. Founded by Tomokiyo Yoshizane (1888–1952). Founded by Koyama Mihoko (1910–).
Who founded the Taisha?
Kuzuryū Taisha. Founded by Ōnishi Masajirō (1913–88) after receiving a dream oracle from the deity Benzaiten (Sanskrit Sarasvati) during a dream in 1954. Kyūseishukyō.
Who was the only Confucian scholar employed by the Tokugawa government?
Razan was the only Confucian scholar officially employed by the Tokugawa government. Ryōbu Shintō. These are the Shintō doctrines derived from Shingon Buddhism. These doctrines relate the Inner Shrine of Ise with Dainichi of the Womb Realm ( taizōkai) and the Outer Shrine with Dainichi of the Vajra realm ( kongōkai ).
Summary
Early modern times
When the era of warfare ended and the Edo period began, the administration of shrines was reorganized. The shogunate first relieved each shrine of its current territory and granted it the privilege of "not entering into the custody of the guardian. However, what was granted was the right to make profits from the shrines, and the ownership of the land belonged to the shogunate. The Shogunate also established the Jisha-bugyō as a position reporting directly to the shogun, an…
Overview
Although there is no definitive theory on the origin of Shinto as a religion; its origins date back to the ancient history of Japan. Based on rice cultivation introduced at the end of the Jōmon period and at the start of the Yayoi period, nature worship, which views nature as one with some god, arose in the Japanese archipelago. These beliefs were spread throughout the archipelago as a national festival by the Yamato Kingship [ja] in the Kofun era. Rituals were held at the first Shinto shrines such as Munakata …
Ancient times
As rice cultivation was introduced to the Japanese archipelago from the late Jomon to the Yayoi period, a belief in nature based on rice cultivation also arose. This belief was based on the idea that nature and the gods were one, and that sacrifices and rituals were performed to prevent the gods from haunting the land in the form of natural disasters.
Middle Ages
With the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate, the shrine system under the shogunate was reorganized. Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the shogunate, was a great admirer of Shintoism and relieved Ise Grand Shrine of its Shinto domain. In particular, it has been pointed out that successive shoguns made it a tradition to pay homage to Izu-Hakone Nisshogongen every January…
Modern and Contemporary
In 1867 (the third year of Keiō), the Great Decree of the Restoration of the Monarchy was issued. This was drafted by the Kokugaku scholar Tamamatsu Misao, who was a brainchild of Iwakura Tomomi, and it set forth the philosophy of "the founding of the Jinmu". The government first emphasized Shintoism with the goal of unity of ritual and government and pro-emperor government, and re…
Bibliography
• Muraoka Tsunetsugu (1936). 直毘霊・玉鉾百首 [Naobirei, Tamahoko Hyakusoku (Iwanami Bunko)] (in Japanese). 岩波書店. ISBN 978-4-00-302194-1.
• Taira Shigemichi; Akie Abe (1972). 近世神道論 前期国学 [Modern Shintoism Pre-National Studies]. 日本思想大系 39 (in Japanese). 岩波書店. ISBN 978-4-00-070039-9.
Overview
Shinto, (Japanese: 神道, romanized: Shintō) or Shintoism, is a religion that originated in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners Shintoists, although adherents rarely use that term themselves. Shinto has no central authority in c…
Definition
There is no universally agreed definition of Shinto. However, the authors Joseph Cali and John Dougill stated that if there was "one single, broad definition of Shinto" that could be put forward, it would be that "Shinto is a belief in kami", the supernatural entities at the centre of the religion. The Japanologist Helen Hardacre stated that "Shinto encompasses doctrines, institutions, ritual, and co…
Beliefs
Shinto is polytheistic, involving the veneration of many deities known as kami, or sometimes as jingi. As is often the case in Japanese, no distinction is made here between singular and plural, and hence the term kami refers both to individual kami and the collective group of kami. Although lacking a direct English translation, the term kami has sometimes been rendered as "god" or "s…
Practice
Shinto tends to focus on ritual behavior rather than doctrine. The philosophers James W. Boyd and Ron G. Williams stated that Shinto is "first and foremost a ritual tradition", while Picken observed that "Shinto is interested not in credenda but in agenda, not in things that should be believed but in things that should be done." The scholar of religion Clark B. Offner stated that Shinto's focus was o…
History
Earhart commented that Shinto ultimately "emerged from the beliefs and practices of prehistoric Japan", although Kitagawa noted that it was questionable whether prehistoric Japanese religions could be accurately termed "early Shinto". It was the Yayoi period of Japanese prehistory which first left traces of material and iconography prefiguring that later included in Shinto. Ka…
Demographics
Most Japanese participate in several religious traditions, with Breen and Teeuwen noting that, "with few exceptions", it is not possible to differentiate between Shintoists and Buddhists in Japan. The main exceptions are members of minority religious groups, including Christianity, which promote exclusivist worldviews. Determining the proportions of the country's population who enga…
See also
• Dōsojin
• Hari-Kuyo
• Iwakura (Shinto) – rock formation where a kami is invited to descend
• Kodama (spirit)
Further reading
• Averbuch, Irit (1995). The Gods Come Dancing: A Study of the Japanese Ritual Dance of Yamabushi Kagura. Ithaca, NY: East Asia Program, Cornell University. ISBN 978-1-885445-67-4. OCLC 34612865.
• Averbuch, Irit (1998). "Shamanic Dance in Japan: The Choreography of Possession in Kagura Performance". Asian Folklore Studies. 57 (2): 293–329. doi:10.2307/1178756. JSTOR 1178756.