Shinto (神道 Shintō) is the name given to the non-Buddhist religious practices of Japan. The word Shinto ("Way of the Gods") was adopted first from the written Chinese (神道), combining two kanji: "shin" (神), meaning gods or spirits (originally from the Chinese word shen); and "tō" (道), meaning "do", or a philosophical path or study (originally from the Chinese word tao). The terms Kami no michi and kannagara also can be used and the meanings are very similar.
Shinto today has about 119 million members in Japan, although a
person who practices any manner of Shinto rituals may be considered
Shinto, there is debate as to the actual numbers. Generally, it is
accepted that the vast majority of Japanese people are Shinto. This same
number may also be considered Buddhist and neither faith has
exclusivity in their dogma. Most people in Japan practice both.
Izanagi (male) and Izanami (female) were called by all the myriad gods and asked to help each other to create a new land which was to become Japan. They were given a spear, stirred the water and when removed water dripped from the end, created an island in the great nothingness. They lived on this island, and created a palace and within was a large pole. When they wished to bear offspring, they performed a ritual each rounding a pole, male to the left and female to the right, the female greeting the male first. They had 2 children (islands) which turned out badly and they cast them out. They decided that the ritual had been done incorrectly the first time. They repeated the ritual but according to the correct laws of nature, the male spoke first. They then gave birth to the 8 perfect islands of the Japanese archipelago. After the islands, they gave birth to the other Kami, Izanami dies and Izanagi tries to revive her. His attempts to deny the laws of life and death have bad consequences.
The Japanese islands are considered a paradise as they were directly created by the gods for Japanese people, and were ordained by the higher spirits to create the Japanese empire. Shinto is the fundamental connection between the power of both and beauty of nature (the land) and the Japanese people. It is the manifestation of a path to understanding institution of divine power.
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Creation Stories
The creation story of Japan was written in the Kojiki in 712 CE; it is a depiction of the events that lead up to and including the creation of the Japanese Islands. There are many translations of the story varying in complexity. The basic story line is as followsIzanagi (male) and Izanami (female) were called by all the myriad gods and asked to help each other to create a new land which was to become Japan. They were given a spear, stirred the water and when removed water dripped from the end, created an island in the great nothingness. They lived on this island, and created a palace and within was a large pole. When they wished to bear offspring, they performed a ritual each rounding a pole, male to the left and female to the right, the female greeting the male first. They had 2 children (islands) which turned out badly and they cast them out. They decided that the ritual had been done incorrectly the first time. They repeated the ritual but according to the correct laws of nature, the male spoke first. They then gave birth to the 8 perfect islands of the Japanese archipelago. After the islands, they gave birth to the other Kami, Izanami dies and Izanagi tries to revive her. His attempts to deny the laws of life and death have bad consequences.
The Japanese islands are considered a paradise as they were directly created by the gods for Japanese people, and were ordained by the higher spirits to create the Japanese empire. Shinto is the fundamental connection between the power of both and beauty of nature (the land) and the Japanese people. It is the manifestation of a path to understanding institution of divine power.
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