INTERFAITH PARTNERSHIP OF METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SHINTO

Shinto, "the way of the gods" is a general term for the collective indigenous faiths of the Japanese people; it is as old as the people themselves. The origins of the beliefs included in Shinto grew out of the oral tradition. Shinto neither has a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures such as the religions of the West of Hindu. There are no absolutes in Shinto, though the Sun goddess, Amaterasu Omikami, is regarded as the most important goddess. The kami or sacred spirits are the objects of worship and can take various forms such as natural elements – the sun, mountains, rocks, trees, the wind, and abstract things like goodness or fertility, but also ancestors, national heroes and protectors. Shinto rites are performed in conjunction with local festivals and important personal and state occasions and prayer is incorporated into daily living. Under the restoration of the Meiji dynasty in Japan, Shinto was made state religion, which it remained until after World War II. Shinto practice places great emphasis on preserving and encouraging the arts – ancient and modern alike. Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism not only co-exist in Japan but elements of each have been incorporated into the national faith.

In Japan, nearly all public and private formal rituals are Shinto in form – whether celebrating a marriage, a state holiday, or burying the dead. Shintoists are found almost entirely in Japan and represent about 0.06% of all religions.