Shinto Research Paper

The bones of religion were conceived the moment man first walked the Earth. It has provided comfort to loneliness, answers to the unknown and euphoria with a fulfilling experience. Much like humanity, religion varies, thrives and changes with history. Japan is a land rich in a variety of topography. It is a country abundant in islands, containing lush environments of mountain peaks, volcanic ranges, sweet cherry blossoms, and a history deeply embedded in its indigenous legends (Piggott 11-12). Nothing details this more than its religion, so ancient its songs has ringed bells for a millennium. Shinto has thrived since the Common Era, carrying with it a deep connection to nature to a time wherein humanity has forgotten the root of its existence. Shinto is a religion as old as Japan itself. It has no official founders as according to Oka Masao there are at least five different ethnic groups that came to the making of modern day Japanese (Kitagawa 127). These groups carried with them varying beliefs and deities, from the Melanesian view that man came from across
According to the Kojiki, a reflective disc was given to his children by Izanagi for them to reflect upon and see if they held a pure soul (Piggott 48). A dim mirror meant the individual was unclean and needed to seek betterment in their life while a clear one meant purity and enlightenment (Piggott 48). Mirrors can also serve as a connection between the living and the dead and may bring past memories from a past loved one (Piggott 48). Purification, on the other hand, is a ritual essential to Shinto (Piggott 42-48). There are forms of purification like exorcism and abstention which require Shinto priest to perform (Piggott 42). It is written in the Nihongi that Izanagi purified himself after his visit from Yomi, the land of gloom, in which he tried to pursue his wife Izanami who had recently passed away (Piggott