Shinto Traditions And Beliefs

The Shinto faith originates with the ancient people of Japan. The term Shinto is not a Japanese term but was the term given to the religion present there when Buddhism arrived from China. The Chinese term shen-dao was the term given to the religion meaning “the way of the higher gods”. Immigrants from various countries (Korea, Mongolia, Malaya & possibly Siberia) made up the Japanese culture and the Shinto faith is a melting pot of nature worship, ancestor worship, Confucian morals, Buddhist thought, etc. The people of Japan lived close to nature and the Shinto religion began with its worship of the spirits who are believed to inhabit the natural world.

Founder & Followers:
Shinto has no known person or group as its founder. Its mysterious
The Japanese deify places and see gods in every kind of force or natural object. The Kami (deities, spirits) are thought of as energies that power nature- cause rice to grow, wind to blow, earthquakes, and volcanoes to erupt, etc. Kami are treated as persons and given names. This allows humans to approach them and feel close to them. There are many Kami-fire, sun, moon, wind, grain, ocean, mountain, great rivers, waterfalls, and animal spirits. Ancestors who have become kami live close by and are ready to return to see how their descendents are doing. This is a way of maintaining family connection with family and clan
One’s character must be unstained and human relations must be kept healthy. The human character must be sincere, without egotism, committed and pure. In order for humans to conserve and restore their purity, one must fulfill all obligations, repay debts and apologize for misdeeds. Ethical Formation:
Shinto faith has no clearly defined code of ethics, but a type of morality does come from the Shinto system of values and way of looking at life. There is no judgmental God or basic sin. Shinto worships fertility and new life. It tends to not focus on death and counteracts whatever brings sickness or death. Ritual