Shinto

Shinto (?? Shint?) (sometimes called Shintoism) is a native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. It involves the worship of kami, which can be translated to mean gods, spirits of nature, or just spiritual presences. Some kami are local and can be regarded as the spirit or genius of a particular place, but others represent major natural objects and processes, for example, Amaterasu, the Sun goddess. The word Shinto was created by combining two kanji: "?" shin meaning god (the character can also be read as "kami" in Japanese) and "?" t? meaning Tao ("way" or "path" in a philosophical sense). Thus, Shinto means "the way of the gods."

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After World War II, Shinto lost its status of state religion; some Shinto practices and teachings, once given a great deal of prominence during the war, are no longer taught nor practiced today, and some remain largely as everyday activities without religious connotations like omikuji (a form of drawing lots).

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Religion: Religion (see etymology below) —sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system—is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions and rituals associated with such belief. In its broadest sense som...

Japan: For other uses, see Japan (disambiguation)....

State religion: A state religion (also called an established church or state church) is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state. The term state church is most closely associated with Christianity, although it is sometimes used in the context of other faiths as well. Closely related to state churc...

Shinto related Images and Photos (experimental)

A Shinto Priest Offering Sake to the Kami 1880

Fortune Papers at Shinto Shrine Tokyo Japan