Shintoism
Shintoism
Shintoism
Shintoism
• Local religion in japan
• Shintoists
• Prehistoric period
-Animism is evident in the agricultural affairs of the people.
Agricultural rites were celebrated seasonally and all communal
religious activities were focused on object or place believed to be
inhabited by kami or spirit.
-“Story of Creation”
-Narrates that in the beginning there were two two kami:
Izanagi-no-Mikoto(male)
-he went up to heaven after the creative work
on earth
Izanami-no-Mikoto(female)
-left permanently on earth as the queen of the
lower world
Historical background
Izanagi-no-Mikoto
Susa-no-Mikoto
Okuni-Nushi-no-Mikoto
-ruler of Izumo and with the help of Sakuna-
Hikona-no-Kami,ordered the cultivation of
the land and taught the knowledge of
medicine, making him popular in the land
Historical background
Amaterasu-no-Oho-Kami
Ugaya-Fuki-Ahezu-no-Mikoto
Jimmu Tenno
1ST Emperor of Japan
Historical background
Shintoism
-The way of the kami
Shinto came from “Shentao/Shendao”
Shen
-divine being/kami
Dao
-the way
A. Shintoism shrine(Jinja)
-Consider as the purified/traditional type under which the State
and Imperial Shinto
-7th century, Buddhism was intertwined with Shintoism , Buddha
and bodhisattvas were regarded as kami.
-Recognize as the State Religion in 19th century during the Meiji
Restoration, Japan was transformed to modern nation and the said
transformation covered the political, economic, social and religious
aspects. As a result Shintoism became a vehicle for patriotism.
-Japan’s divine origin was also emphasized on Japanese children. The
Japanese people had to attend and serve shrine and consequently
shrines and priests were put under imperial control. However, the defeat
of Japan in World War II brought a major setback on Shinto, yet it
remained to play a significant part in Shinto in general.
SUBDIVISIONS
B. Sect Shintoism(Kyoha)
-It refers to the 13 government-organized independent sects formed during the
19th century, focusing on the human welfare in this earthly life.
-This type of Shintoism was recognize by the Imperial Government in the late
19th century, referring to the 133 organizes Shintoism. It developed in response
to historical reality, as an administrative way of dealing with the crystallization
of Shinto tradition into organized religious group. These 13 Sect Shinto were
designated by the government as “religion” along with other faiths such as
Buddhism and Confucianism.
-Their place of worship were called “churches” to distinguish them from the
shrines which are under imperial control. Many of the sects were led by women
which is a reflection of women’s prominent role in Japanese religion in ancient
times.
Sect Shinto can be classified into five group:
1. Pure Shinto Sect
2. Confucian Sect
3. Mountain Sect
4. Purification Sect
5. Faith-healing Sect
SUBDIVISIONS
C. Folk/Popular Shintoism (Minzoku)
-Practice on local shrines and considered to be more ingrained to
the people’s rite of passage.
-This type is often associated with superstition, magic, and
common practices of the Japanese people. It includes traditional
often understood as Japanese folk religion. It is a form of Shinto
worship which does not requires a priest formal shrine, hence it is
also known as Shinto which people practice in their daily lives. It
emphasized on purification rituals and regarded as more personal
or local. It is often practice in connection with growing of crops,
major blessing and at major stages of life, such as birth and
marriage.
Selected issues
-Shintoism is a religion in Japan that was
able to co-exist with other religions such as
Confucianism and Buddhism. Shintoism got
from Confucianism its system of ethics and the
value of ancestor worship, while treating
Buddhism as dealing with afterlife matter.
Selected issues
A. Vehicle of patriotism
Japanese government
-done to show respect to people who died in the service of the emperor.