Marilyn Meng

CR Essay

October 11th 2016

TheGate

ThewayofgodsorthewayofKamiisthemeaningofShinto.Thereis3

waysyoucandefineKami,mystical,superiorordivine.Shintobecameusedto

differentiateJapanesebeliefsandBuddhism.Shintohasnofounderitwasintroducedin

the6thcenturyandhastreatedtheirbelievesformanycenturies.

ShintodependsonJapanesereligionandtraditionsandpractices,alsofreely

spreadinsociallivesofJapanesepeople.Itmostlyconnectswiththeirpersonal

inspirationthaninaformalbelief.Shintoalsohasastrongconnectionintheways

Japanesepeoplethinkandact.

Shintoisdividedintothreetypes;firstlytheShrineShintoexistedeversincethe

firstdayofJapanesehistoryuntilpresentdayJapan,isthemainandthemostimportant

ofShintotradition.BreakingdownShrineShintoisaplaceofworship,wherethey

worshipKamiknownasShintosgods,peoplewouldgototheseShrinestoprayandask

forgoodfortune.

SecondtypeofShintoisSectShinto,whichhasthirteenmajorindependentsects.

Itwasintroducedinthe19thcenturyafterWorldWar||eachofthethirteensectsissplit

intoreligiousbodies.LastlythethirdShinto,whichisFolkShinto,thisconnectswiththe

otherthreeShinto,theyaremostlyfoundatroadsides.ThesethreeShintoaresomewhat

related,theyaresomesortofstructure.
Marilyn Meng

CR Essay

October 11th 2016

ShintosbeliefsisverymuchmysteriouskamithegodofShintocanbeanything

butitcannotbedescribedbywords.Kamicouldbeunderstoodbyfaithbutitcannever

bedescribed,peopleviewandthinkkamiisasourceofhumanlife.

Kamiarespiritsthattakestheformofthoseimportantthingsofahumanbeings

life,liketheywouldgointotheirsoulandbethosethingsforthehumans.Everyhuman

beingwhodiesbecomesaKamiandtheirancestorswhohavepassedandbecameKami

reverethem.ThemostimportantKamiintheShintoreligionisTheSunGoddess

Amaterasu.

ShintoisareligionthatcomesfromtheJapancultureandthisreligionhasjoined

withBuddhismandConfucianismastheysharedwithreligionbelieve,culturaland

politicalroles.MeijiexplainedtheperiodofShintoin19thcenturyandalsoShintocame

beforeBuddhisminJapanandjoinedtogether.Shintoisfocusonritualpracticessothat

theycanformsconnectionbetweenthepresentdayanditsancientpastandalsoShinto

wasalsocalledkaminomichi.

BeforethearrivalofBuddhism,Shintowasloyalasaspiritofnatureandalso

Kamiandthatwerefoundinplants,mountains,animals,seas,earthquakes,stormsand

allthosephenomenanature.EarlyJapanesehaddevelopedtheideasandstoriessothatit

wouldmakethepeopletobelieveandtotakecontroloftheirlives.Forotherculturesthat

weregroupedtogetherintoShintohadcametoJapanaftertheinvasionofKorean.
Marilyn Meng

CR Essay

October 11th 2016

BuddhismandShintoweretogetherinthe6thcenturyCEandthetraditionalof

ShintoweretakenbytheelementoftheBuddhism.Shintoshrineswereinchargebythe

Buddhismpriestandtempleswerebuilt.ThelackofcomplexbeliefofShintohadmade

itadisadvantagecomparedtoBuddhism.Astimewent,JapanesehadbringbothKami

andBuddhismideasintheirreligionsbeliefwhichdefinetheBuddhahadshieldand

protectJapantosaveallthelivingthings.

In1868,thereturningofMeijihadsomechangesinthereligiousclimateofJapan

whichaimtoprovidetheideasandthespiritofnationalJapanthatsupportthesystemof

thecentraladministration.ShintowasorganizeddifferentlyfromBuddhismthatbrought

upthestructureofstateadministrationandAmaterasuisamajorofspiritualitythat

checkstheroleofEmperorandsendtheinformationtothecenterstateanditisthe

highestpriestinShinto.ShintobecamethemaincharacterinreligionofJapanandthe

structureofShintoshrineswerealsofundedbythestatebutthisisshortlivedoffinance

andbytheyearof1890sitwasoncesupportedbytheworshipper.Buddhistdeitieswere

notlongerconsideredastheKamiandtheconsiderationoftheJapanesepantheonof

spiritbeinghadtocomeup.

ShintoshrineswereaplacewhereKamilivethatitshowsthestrengthofpower

andhownaturetheKamiis.Everytown,villageordistrictofJapanwillhaveitsown

Shintoshrineanditslikeatemplebuttheywouldntusethatnametodescribeit.Each

timewhentheJapaneseseetheshrinetheyfeelpeaceful,relaxandalsotobetheirhome.

Shintoshrinesareveryhugewhichtheycontainsubshrinesandthatcancoverupto
Marilyn Meng

CR Essay

October 11th 2016

thousandsofacresorafewsquarefeetwherewerelocatedinthelandscapethatwere

filledwithnature.PeoplealwaysgotheShintoshrineswhentheyhavefestivalbecause

theycanenjoytheirtimethereandalsotheycouldwishforthegoodoutcomesoftheir

goals.Mostoftheshrinesareplacesofpeacefulthatlayonthebeautifulgardenandwith

theatmospherefullofnature.

CeremoniesandCelebrationsoftheShintowhicharecalledmatsuriandthere

wereperformance,dancing,drunkenandloutishbehavior,singingandentertainments

likecharacterplayswhichthisistheonlytimethatmostoftheJapanesehave.The

entertainmentshadchangedandrepresentdifferentofcelebrationinthatoccasion.Also

thefoodwasprovidedwhichcomeindifferentstyleoffoodthattheyhaveastossingthe

riceup.Thistypeofcelebrationsareveryphysicaleventsandalsothebackgroundofthis

werealsogreatasitbroughtupwithcolors,brightandloudpeoplenoiseswhichthey

werehavingfun.Thisceremoniesmighthaveadifferentfewfromotherreligionwhich

theyhavedifferentopinionaboutthistheofreligion.

BetweenBuddhismandShintohaddifferenttypesofbenefitsasinBuddhismit

emphasisthelifeexperienceandsometypesofmeditationthathadmademanypeopleto

maintaintheirangerandalsoithelpstoletthemfocusmoreasmostofthepeople

nowadaysinJapanarewellknownofthereligionsofBuddhismandwhichithastemples

andpeoplecouldabletopraythereandwishfortheirgoals.CertainJapanesebelievethat

Buddhahavebeenprotectedthemandmaketherecountrytobethepeacefulwaytostay.

ForShintoisareligionthatconnectsthepresentdayandancienttimeandtheywere
Marilyn Meng

CR Essay

October 11th 2016

tryingtoproveforpeopletounderstandfortheirhistoricalroot.Thecelebrationsof

Shintowerereallygoodwhenpeoplearehavingfunandentertainedalsotheyeatmoreof

thegoodfoodthatthelocalhadservedthem.Shintoshrinesarelocatedinpeacefulplace

andfullofnaturewhichtheJapanesecanabletoenjoytheirtimethereespeciallythe

festivals.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shinto
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2056.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2059.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/holydays/matsuri.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/places/shrines_1.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/history/history_1.shtml