Shinto

Also called

Shinto

Origin

Japan, with practices that go back to prehistoric times; it has no founder.

Texts

The Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki are the old chronicles, though Shinto has no single scripture.

Place of worship

A shrine (jinja), recognised by its torii gate.

Main beliefs

• The kami are the spirits or sacred powers that dwell in nature, ancestors and places such as mountains and trees.
• Purity and the cleansing of pollution are central.
• Harmony with nature and the community, and gratitude to the kami.

Practice

Visits to shrines, with purification at the water basin, a bow, two claps and a bow; seasonal festivals (matsuri); charms and wooden prayer tablets (ema); weddings and birth blessings.

Holy days and festivals

New Year (hatsumode), Setsubun, Obon (shared with Buddhism), and the festivals of each shrine.

Visiting a place of worship

Bow at the torii, wash your hands and mouth at the basin, and follow the rule of two bows, two claps and a bow at the main hall; photography may be limited.

A note

Most Japanese people take part in both Shinto and Buddhist customs.

The other eleven faiths · Comparison table

Questions people ask

This is a short, neutral introduction written from widely agreed facts. Every faith has many traditions and its members may describe it differently; for a true account, ask a member of that faith. We state no figures and no dates of moveable festivals.