“In modern scholarship, the term is often used with reference to kami worship and related theologies, rituals and practices. In 2008, 26% of the participants reported often visiting Shinto shrines, while only 16.2% expressed belief in the existence of a god or gods (神) in general. Shinto has about 81,000 shrines and about 85,000 priests in the country. According to surveys carried out in 2006 and 2008,less than 40% of the population of Japan identifies with an organised religion: around 35% are Buddhists, 3% to 4% are members of Shinto sects and derived religions. Thus, “Shinto membership” is often estimated counting only those who do join organised Shinto sects. Most of the Japanese attend Shinto shrines and beseech kami without belonging to an institutional Shinto religion. There are no formal rituals to become a practitioner of “folk Shinto”. Practitioners express their diverse beliefs through a standard language and practice, adopting a similar style in dress and ritual, dating from around the time of the Naraand Heian periods (8th–12th centuries).Īs much as nearly 80% of the population in Japan participates in Shinto practices or rituals, but only a small percentage of these identify themselves as “ Shintoists” in surveys. This is because Shinto has different meanings in Japan. Shinto today is the religion of public shrines devoted to the worship of a multitude of “ spirits“, “essences” ( kami), suited to various purposes such as war memorials and harvest festivals, and applies as well to various sectarian organizations. Still, these earliest Japanese writings do not refer to a unified religion, but rather to a collection of native beliefs and mythology. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written historical records of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in the 8th century. There is no central authority in control of the movement and much diversity exists among practitioners. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners Shintoists, although adherents rarely use that term themselves. 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 ( 神道 Shintō or Shintoism or kami-no-michi) is the traditional religion of Japan that focuses on ritual practices to be carried out diligently to establish a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient past.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |