The Place of Shinto in Contemporary Japan - Coursework Example

Shinto Shinto is a traditional Japanese religion, the one that has an inextricable connection with Japanese culture and history. Researchers say that it's impossible to understand the Japanese mentality without having at least a general idea about their religious beliefs, as the culture of this country is built one them. This paper will research some general aspect of Shinto, like its gods, sacred places, festivals, and the history of development of this religion. The paper will also contain a information about the place of Shinto in the contemporary Japan. General information The name "Shinto" appeared from the Chinese words shen and tao, which mean "the way of the gods." Japanese themselves refer to it as "kami-no-michi", and this combination of words has the same meaning as the Chinese variant. There are four main Shinto traditions: 1. Koshitsu Shinto, or the Shinto of the Imperial House, which includes the rituals performed by the Emperor. Until 1945 the Emperor was considered to be the descendant of Amaterasu, the most worshipped Shinto deity. Nowadays he is referred to as the "symbol of the state and of the unity of the people" in Japanese Constitution. Shoten and Nai-Shoten, the male and female clergy help the Emperor to perform the rituals. The most important ritual is Niinamesai, the offering the first fruits from the harvest to the deities. 2. Jinja Shinto, or Shrine Shinto. The most widespread form of Shinto in Japan. Until 1945 the followers of Shrine Shinto worshipped the emperor as a living god. This form of Shinto puts the emphasis on the importance of the shrines. 3. Kyoha Shinto, or Sectarian Shinto. Consists of 13 sects, each has its own doctrine, some of them worship some kami, other are near-monotheistic. 4. Minzoku Shinto, or Folk Shinto. This form is seen in the local rural practices, it has no formal organization. (Littleton, 2002) Shinto is one of the most tolerant religions worldwide. Nowadays it has the elements of Buddhism, and of some other religions. Shinto accepts the elements of other religions, and Shintoists are usually very tolerable forwards the beliefs that are different from the ones they hold Historical Background What is peculiar about Shinto is that while it has been a main Japanese religion for thousands of years, it has always shared is cultural and spiritual role with other religious movements, like Buddhism and Confucianism. Some researchers eliminate the four phases of the historical development of Shinto: Before the arrival of other religions in Japan Shinto and other religions together in Japan The Meiji reinterpretation of Shinto in the 19th century Shinto after World War II (Religion and Ethics, Shinto) Scott Littleton, the author of the comprehensive guide towards Shintoism, states that the Shintoistic iconographic evidence appears when the more complex Yayoi culture arrives (300BCE - 300CE) (2002). It is reported that before the 6th century CE there was "no formal Shinto religion, but many local cults that are nowadays grouped under the Shinto" (Religion and Ethics, Shinto). The ancient beliefs and customs were first written in the Kojiki [records of ancient matters], which were prepared under the imperial order and completed in 712 AD. (Reader, 1998) At that times Shinto was different from the religion we know nowadays. From the scientific point of view, the sets of beliefs that existed among different tribes that inhabited the territory of contemporary Japan cannot be referred to as "religion". In the minds of the ancient Japanese their beliefs were just a part of the world that surrounded them. Their beliefs were secularized, and used in their day-to day existence. The ancient Japanese developed Shinto to explain the world they saw around. Lots of natural phenomena were incomprehensible for people who lived at those times, thus they had to invent explanations. It's well known that the things people don't understand scare them the most. Like all the other ancient belief systems, Shinto was developed to help ancient people cope with their fears, incomprehension, and to feel confident in the world they existed in. (Littleton, 2002) Before the arrival of Buddhism in the sixth century CE the Japanese beliefs were just a combination of legends about the creation of the islands, and about the occult forces and spirits called Kami. What is interesting about this period of Japanese history, is that there were almost no conflicts when the new belief system was introduced (Reader, 1998). The Japanese saw the endless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, present in Buddhism, as forms in which kami were revealed to the Chinese and Korean people. Shinto didn't have the ideological potential needed to unite the nation, thus Japanese officials accepted the foreign religious concept such as Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, which helped to strengthen the Japanese state. Moreover, as Japanese didn't have the script, they adopted the Chinese one. Time passed, and to the beginning of the 8th century Shinto and Buddhism began to co-exist in Japan. At those times Shinto was seen as a religion that guided the mundane life, while Buddhism took care of the afterlife. (Hoare, 2004) In the 17th century, during the Tokugawa period (1600-1868) Shinto got support from the government, as it was the native Japanese religion. At that period Japan was isolated from the outer world, and from the influences of the foreign religions. In 1868, during the Meiji Restoration, Shinto became a state religion, but in 1945 its official status was cancelled. Nowadays lots of Japanese are the adherents of Shintoism (Littleton, 2002). Kami The Shinto religion is based on the worship of kami - the occult spirits. Kami are neither good, nor bad, they can either protect the person and help her, or bring misfortune to her. The researchers say there are three main types of Kami: 1. Clan ancestors (uji-gami) that are worshipped at shrines throughout Japan. 2. Deification of a power of nature or humanity. There are kami that represent different aspects of humanity, like creative, or ruining kami, or nature, like kami of the mountains, soil, rain etc. 3. Souls of dead leaders (Neilson, 1983) According to the creation myth, the first kami that appeared on the earth were Ame-no-minaka-nushi-no-kami, Taka-mi-musubi-no-kami, and Kami-musubi-no-kami. Than two more kami came, Umashi-ashi-kabi-hiko-ji-no-kami and Ame-no-toko-tachi-no-kami. Than the pair of gods emerged, Izanagi-no-kami, and his goddess wife, Izanami-no-kami. Those were the parents of many other kami, and, as the legend says, Amaterasu, the Goddess of Sun was born from the Izanagi's left eye. Amaterasu is the most worshipped kami in Japan. (Williams, 2004) Shintoists worship kami by performing individual and group rituals, shrine worship, customs, and festivals. The usual sequence of actions for the shrine worship is washing, which is the purification ritual, offering of money, or products, and a prayer. Shinto Festivals Japanese have heir own word for the festivals they conduct in order to worship their gods, kami. It is matsuri, which means "to entertain", or "to serve". Every festival is usually centered on the particular kami. This kami is treated as if it was the most respected and valuable guest at the event. The Shinto festivals include feasting, processions, dramatic performances, sumo wrestling etc. All the participants of the festivals are active, the food offered is bright, tasty, and smells good, the costumes are bright and beautiful. The reason for this is that the Shinto doctrine preaches the importance of aesthetic and sensual pleasures; the Shinto worshippers are stimulated to be closer to the nature, and to feel happy living on the Earth. It is often that the processions, which are the parts of the Shinto festivals, carry the mikoshi, a "divine palanquin" where the image of the kami is. When procession comes to the territory where some community dwells, the dwellers believe that the kami came to them in order to give its blessings. Below are the most important Shintoist festivals: 1. New Year (Oshogatsu), (1 January). During this festival people visit the shrines in order to ask kami for blessings in the following year. 2. Spring Festival (Haru Matsuri, or Toshigoi-no-Matsuri), (17 February) when people pray for the good harvest. 3. Adults' Day (Seijin shiki), (15 January), when all the youth who had their 20th birthday during the previous year come to the shrines to thank kami. 4. Autumn Festival (Aki Matsuri, or Niiname-sai), (15 August). People thank kami for the good harvest. 5. Annual Festival (Rei-sai). The dae of thi festival is individual for the each shrine. The image of the kami is carried throughout the village, or town. 6. Shichigosan (15 November). Children (boys - 3 and 5 years old, girls - 3 and 7 years old) are taken for to thank the gods for health, and to pray for the future. (Littleton, 2002) Shinto Shrines For Japanese, shrines are the places where kami live, the places of their power. Every village and town in Japan has its shrine. Shrines can cover thousands of acres, or few square feet. The shrines may contain trees, streams, mountains and other objects. Each shrine is dedicated to the local kami. Shintoists visit the shrines during festivals, or just when they feel like doing it; there are no special days for it. At the shrines people request help from their kami, or just have a rest. There are the shrines in Japan which are of national importance. Those are the places that are visited by millions of people every year. The amount of visitors grows when the festivals take place. (Littleton, 2002) Big shrines can have several sub-shrines in them. The shrines are separated from the mundane world by special ropes called shimenawa. The shrines are usually situated somewhere, where the nature is beautiful, to emphasize the deep connection between nature and kami. The most worshipped shrines in Japan are Ise Shrines, Izumo Shrine and Atsuta Shrine. Most Japanese people also have individual shrines at their homes. (Reader, 1998) Shinto Today Nowadays lots of Japanese people are Shintoists. They have their own shrines a home, and they visit the other shrines, either local or nationwide popular ones. Most of Japanese children come through the ritual of Shichigosan, and lots of Japanese couples prefer to have a wedding near the shrine. In the same time, the Shintoists consider death to be impure, thus it is often that the Buddhists take care of the funerals. The Emperor is no longer considered to be a deity, but the Japanese still love and respect him. Shintoism is an ancient religion that is connected to the culture and psychology of the Japanese people. After reviewing the material about this religion it's possible to make further conclusions about Japanese culture and politics. Nevertheless, Shinto is much more complicated than it's possible to describe given the word count of the essay. Shinto is worth further studying, as it is the unique phenomenon, one of the few polytheistic religions that are nationwide popular in Asian region. Works Cited 1. Littleton, S. Understanding Shinto: Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Festivals, Spirits, Sacred Places. Duncan Baird Publishers, 2002. 2. n.d. Religion and Ethics. Shinto. Shinto History. The BBC Network. Retrieved April, 17, 2006 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/history/ 3. Littleton, S. Shinto and the Religions of Japan. Oxford University Press, 2002 4. Reader, I. Simple Guide to Shinto, The Religion of Japan. Global Books Ltd, 1998. 5. Hoare, T. Some Basic Concepts in Shinto. Exploring World Religions Course, 2004. Retrieved April 19, 2006 from < http://staff.jccc.net/thoare/REL120.htm> 6. Neilson, N. The Nature and Myths of Shinto. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1983 Read More