Shinto

Overview of Shinto

Shinto, the way of the kami, is the indigenous religious tradition of Japan. Kami are sacred powers or presences found in mountains, rivers, trees, rocks, ancestors and outstanding people, as well as in great deities such as Amaterasu, the sun goddess. Shinto has no founder or single scripture, but early chronicles such as the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, compiled in the eighth century, record myths of creation and the divine origins of the imperial line.

For centuries Shinto and Buddhism were closely intertwined, with kami often understood as manifestations of buddhas. In the Meiji era, the government separated them and promoted State Shinto as a national ideology, a system dismantled after 1945. Today Shinto centers on roughly 80,000 shrines, called jinja, ranging from tiny roadside sanctuaries to grand complexes. Most Japanese people visit shrines for life events, New Year prayers and festivals, while also participating in Buddhist rites for the dead.

Shinto emphasizes purity, gratitude and harmony with nature. Shrines are marked by torii gates, sacred ropes called shimenawa and white paper streamers that signal a sacred space. Visitors purify their hands and mouth at a water basin before approaching the main hall. Seasonal matsuri festivals, with portable shrines carried through the streets, drums and food stalls, are among the most joyful experiences for travelers in Japan. Many shrines also welcome foreign visitors.

Core beliefs

• Kami are sacred presences found in nature, ancestors and places.
• Purity and cleanliness are essential to approach the kami.
• Humans and nature are deeply interconnected.
• Gratitude and sincerity, called makoto, guide ethical life.
• Ancestors continue to watch over and protect their descendants.
• Ritual keeps harmony between the human and divine worlds.

Practices and worship

• Purification at a temizuya water basin before prayer.
• Offering coins, bowing twice, clapping twice and bowing again.
• Buying protective amulets called omamori and fortune slips called omikuji.
• Writing wishes on wooden plaques called ema.
• Celebrating life stages such as Shichi-Go-San and Shinto weddings.
• Participating in local matsuri festivals.

Pilgrimage in Shinto

Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture, dedicated to Amaterasu, is Shinto's holiest site and has been rebuilt every twenty years for centuries. Izumo Taisha, linked to matchmaking, welcomes all the kami of Japan each autumn. Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto is famous for its tunnels of vermilion torii climbing Mount Inari. The Kumano Kodo trails lead pilgrims through forested mountains to the three Kumano shrines, and Itsukushima's floating torii near Hiroshima is iconic.

Major festivals

Etiquette for visitors

• Bow once before passing under a torii gate.
• Walk to the side of the central path, which is reserved for the kami.
• Purify your hands and mouth at the water basin following posted steps.
• Do not photograph inside main halls or where signs prohibit it.
• Avoid visiting shrines when grieving a recent death, according to custom.
• Leave ema and omikuji in designated places rather than taking them away.

Map of Shinto sacred sites

Frequently asked questions