Origins of Shinto religion

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

In reading the supplemental material found in the binder, under the section “Classical and Warrior Japan”, I found couple of interesting points concerning the origins of Japanese religion in chapter 2 titled “Early Shinto”.

First, and I think this mentioned as well in the April 29th session on Saturday, that the Shinto religion cannot be viewed as being an entirely Japanese religion. In other words, the text stresses that Shinto is a mixture of native and foreign influences, especially from Korea (17).

Another point that I thought was illuminating was that the Shinto religion never developed as a monolithic belief system, but was instead a mixture of different cults; and it is mentioned that Japan’s geography and regionalism had a significant role in creating this hodgepodge of beliefs (17).

Finally, the text mentions that objects of worship in the Shinto religion, called kami, could be anything that was considered outside the normal experience (18). Therefore, whatever inspired or invoked fear could be seen as being kami.

[Anonymous]

In reading the supplemental material found in the binder, under the section “Classical and Warrior Japan”, I found couple of interesting points concerning the origins of Japanese religion in chapter 2 titled “Early Shinto”.

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First, with politics and ethnocentrism of Japan aside, geography and developing archaeological evidence clearly points to Korean influences, especially serving as gate-keepers to Chinese/Mongol/Manchu influences vis-a-vis through the Korean peninsula. The lack of interest, or maybe aptly labeled apathy for the 'other,' I think sometimes is a result of a nation's internal nationalism, conservatism and religious virtues (ala Imperial Japan or Spanish Inquisition?!?). Citizens of a particular nation is often too fraught with internal turmoil, or sometimes worse, blissful existence (can we say the go-go 80's, Flapper 20's, or addicts in the Opium Wars).

Religion, in my own life, was never something I saw as "what is god and religion?" Personal religious experiences defines and permanently marks the "soul", never allowing the parishner to step outside of their religious context/skin. While I only spent my young childhood in Japan, I remember the seasonal rituals and ancestoral ceremonies that followed throughout the calendar year. When my mother converted to Christianity before coming to America, my memories of the Christian faith became unrelated tales of 'greatness' in a far off land. Maybe if I understood the context of where/who/why Christianity started. If I couldn't relate to Buddha in my life in Japan, except for at funerals and good old Japanese Monk anime and manga, then how could I relate to Jesus in a land that schools in Japan never taught me about???...

In my experiences with Shinto in Japan, I always feel that some of the best examples of this is during summer festivals throughout Japan. The community, the food, the chants, the artistry, all come together in great harmonic convergence. Beyond the human experiences, the religion could also be best felt in places beyond the cities in Japan and back in the "woods" or the sea. Growing up as a child in northern Japan, I always felt the forces of nature around me. From the giving sea with rich foods to the deep woods with solitude and spirits, being Japanese or practicing Shinto is to understand the place where you live, and why the 'Gods' let you live. In college, through my Native American studies courses and the archaeological "dig" I participated in Washington state, I began to see the beauty of tribal religions throughout the Americas filled with animanism and natural mysticism. While some tribes were more ritualistic or ceremony-centered, some were care-free in its relationship with the land that gave them life. In also studying Meso-american groups and civilizations, I finally began to see the deeper development of Shinto like relgions throughout the world. While the Aztecs believed in the sun god, so did the Egyptians and Japan's flag has??? While the so-called pagans of Europe celebrated seasonal events such as the Equinox, so did everyone else in Asia??? And did you just hear about the recently-discovered, complicated astronimical observatory built by the Inca's in the Andes???

Who said monotheism rules anyways?!? Look at India. The plethora of gods there is similar to the idea in Japan that 'kami' exists everywhere. Moses taught the world to follow one god, but obivously, explaining one god to the masses is easier than explaining a boatload to the weary...So to truly understand Shinto, go East everyone...Once you get your fill of packed trains and endless consumerism in Tokyo, you will really appreciate the loud roar of nature beyond the cities. But even in the cities, keep an eye out for little Shinto icons and people's private connection to the religion in their daily, busy lives. One of my favorite is the march of the dog walkers to the Shinto shrines in the mornings to do their daily prayers, will Fido tags along....

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Once again back to the festivals. Where I was born called Aomori, the region made large paper floats for the summer festivals called Nebuta/Neputa. The floats can be large as some in the Rose parade, but each had a local/global connection in its art. Some had Chinese gods and goddesses, and some had feudal Samurai and indigenous tribal warriors as the key iconography. I never understood them in detail as a child, but in recent visits, more was pointed out to me by relatives. Yes, there is a sense of "hodgepodge"...

In other regions of Japan, they have their local festivals...Some with lanterns, some with kites, and some with even rolling logs down a hill...What does all this mean to me??? One way to explain this is to ask "have you been to an inter-tribal powwow before?" Gallup, New Mexico??? Flagstaff, Arizona??? Even in LA, the largest Native American population outside of the 'rez'?!? When the various tribes gather, there is a commonality such as the heartbeat of the various drums; yet, there is a difference in regional customs and even behaviors.

While many similar experiences are available to us in modern day America, maybe like a good Grateful Dead show or a protest march for a good cause, I find it hard to find a true 'community' event in LA. Having lived in SF-area during college, LA vs. SF is more about how people are connected to where they live, rather than simple, yet popular explanations such as liberal politics or material life-styles....

<<<TextFirst, and I think this mentioned as well in the April 29th session on Saturday, that the Shinto religion cannot be viewed as being an entirely Japanese religion. In other words, the text stresses that Shinto is a mixture of native and foreign influences, especially from Korea (17).>>>

So, the big question is "How should Shinto be studies?" If a fluff book such as "the Da Vinci Code" could stir up the Catholics so much, can other popular culture props open the minds of apathetic youth in the world today??? Should religion become a manga for the kids to read? We already have 'Bible in Rap,' sorry Jesus.... Will the Japanese of the future, shed their skin and see their own religion beyond their own comfort zone, confronting the deep connections to their Asian brethen, often ignored or homogenized by politicians and conservative nationalists??? Boomerang question is "can we explain religion as an extention of our creating of our own realities to explain the unknown, or is God/ or are Goddesses in control of our destiny?" With either-or, can we really answer this if the kids of the future spend more time on the internet and on video games than in church, temple, or mosque?!?...

[Anonymous]

You are both right, the Shinto religion is very much unfamilar to people in our American culture. Buddhism, while people may not understand it well, at least are aware it exists and the basic facts about it. I've taught about the major world religions in my world history class. Perhaps next year, I will add the Shinto religion to the group I discuss. I think it does, after all, have a lot of connections to Hinduism and other polytheistic religions.

I really found your comments about your personal religious experiences interesting. Its similar to mine. There was a lot of early connections I made religion that stem from my parent's view of organized religion and the sheltering effects that my christian elementary school had on me.

Its also interesting that Japan teaches their students about the world close to them first and then spreads out. That makes much more sense. As the brain becomes more and more adept at handling abstract or outside your reality concepts, the more distant concepts we should introduce. American education can learn from that.

[Anonymous]

While I am extremely knowlegable about my own religion, Christiantanity, clearly aware of other western religions, and enlightened regarding the main teachings of Budda, I really knew very little, if anything about the Shinto religion before embarking upon its origins during this course. Throughout history mankind has searched for God in many different ways that seem to be acceptable to his custom and his way of life. Japan's search for God seems to have lead to the origin of the Shinto religion.

This religion seems to be deeply ingrained in the Japanese culture. According to Sugata Masaaki, a researcher on Shinto, "Shinto is so extricably woven into the fabric of Japanese daily life that people are barely aware of its existence. To the Japanese it is less a religion than an unobtrusive environmental fixture, like the air they breathe."

Before the introduction of Buddism into the Japanese culture, it seems that Shinto was its subconscious religion. This religion, like so many others, incorporated nature in its worship. While science is able to account for many occurences in nature, it is limited in its ability to explain everything. Where science ends, religion begins. For the Japanese, this beginning is the basis for the Shinto religion.

Since no human could possibly have created nature or is able to duplicate nature in its fullness and glory, Shinto, like other religions attributes this amazing feat to some type of god. Whereas, some religions are monotheistic in their beliefs and some others believe in many gods, the number of gods in the Shinto religion is ever increasing, leading one to believe that the Japanese are determined to leave nothing in nature unaccounted for.

While there does exist two books on Shinto mythology ( Kojiki and Nihon shoki), it is interesting to note that the Shinto religion does not have a known founder or a Bible. According to Shouichi Saeki, " It is a religion of withouts ... without doctrine and without detailed theology." While it may seem that way to others who are on the outside looking in, it seems to provide for 3% of the adult Japanese population a way to explain all that cannot otherwise be accounted for and for harmony with gods, nature and the community.

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