shinto
Way of gods
Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan, centered on the worship of kami—spirits associated with natural phenomena, ancestors, and sacred places.
The word combines the Japanese for "spirit" and "way." Shinto emphasizes ritual purity, reverence for nature, and honoring ancestors through shrine visits and ceremonies.
It coexists with Buddhism in Japanese religious practice: The wedding followed Shinto traditions. (Also capitalized as Shinto.)
kami
Shinto sacred spirits
- purityUncontaminated quality
- natureInherent quality or disposition
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
harmony · spirits · animism · sacred · reverence · divinity · mythology · polytheism · syncretism · Buddhism
- JapanTokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Mount Fuji, Hokkaido
shintoBuddhism
Enlightenment-seeking Eastern religion
Zen Buddhism · Pure Land Buddhism · Christianity · Catholicism · Islam
shintomonotheism
Belief in one god
Christianity · Islam · Judaism · atheism · orthodoxy
- Shinto shrineJapanese spirit worship site
- Shinto priestJapanese shrine clergy