Japanese Shinto- History and Geography- Answers

Historical Details The indigenous folk religion, which later became known as Shinto, most likely began during the prehistoric times around a feeling of awe for sacred powers, or gods (called kami) that brought life to the land as well as human beings. The religion was believed to have begun as animism. The Shinto religion cannot be traced to its exact beginning- (there is no one founder, written scripture or dogma)- due to oral transmission which lasted until the 5th century. A written documentation of the rituals, customs and ancient beliefs first appeared in the Kojiki (record of ancient matters) in the 6th century. In the 8th century, the religion took its name from shin tao (meaning way of the spirits) and its main origins lie here. With the coming of Buddhism somewhere between the 6th and 8th centuries CE, the two religions formed a strong symbiotic connection. This was a result of the followers of Shinto regarding death as unclean and so they were reluctant to be involved in anything to do with Buddhists as they took care of death and funerals. Another reason these two religions were highly compatible was due to adherents of Shinto regarding Buddha as another kami. As a result, Shintoism took on many Buddhist elements. Today Shinto is the traditional indigenous religion of Japan, still practiced by a large percentage of Japanese people. It is regarded as the national religion of Japan. It is much more than a simple animistic religion. At its heart is love and worship of Japan as a land. The Japanese consider their homeland the centre of the world in which every feature brings forth significance in which the Japanese have encountered some form of sacred mystery. The Geography of Shintoism Shintoism is mainly practiced in Japan (in which 80% of the population in Shinto), however adherents can be found in spread throughout other countries. The religion is practiced mainly in shrines and Japanese temples with each shrine and temple having great significance inclusive of its natural features or existence as a result of historical events. There are over 110,000

shrines and temples for the kami in Japan in which adherents are expected to visit to celebrate significant events in the life cycle. Many Japanese homes have small shrines within referred to as a kami-dana. The mountainous terrain of Japan has had an immense impact upon the Japanese religious consciousness. Many shrines are located on the top of mountains where many go to heighten and purify their spiritual life. The most famous of these is Mount Fuji.