Asian Current

The Shinto Festival of Japan

Shintoism is one of Japan’s largest religions. It also holds the distinction of being the native religion of the land. Having originated in Japan and being almost exclusive to the country, Shintoism is believed to date back to the prehistoric times as a religion which preached paying respect to nature and in particular certain sacred sites. These sites were probably used to worship the Sun, rock formations, trees, and even sounds. Since the people of Japan used to associate a deity with each of these things, this led to a complex polytheistic religion. The deities in Shintoism are known as Kami-sama. Shinto itself means ‘The way of the Kami’. The forms of worship celebration in Shinto are all meant to express gratitude to the Kami for what has been, and to secure their continued good favor in the future.

After the sixth century, Shinto gradually became a religion of shrines, with set festivals and rituals, overseen by a separate priestly class. Many festivals are large community celebrations for particular parts of the year such as spring planting, fall harvest, or other special events in the history of a location or shrine. Other celebrations are performed for similar purposes on a smaller scale at home or in a neighborhood shrine.

Cleanliness is a major emphasis in the Shinto festival. Ritual washing, neatness and order, and personal sincerity are all ways in which cleanliness is emphasized. Since the earliest days, Shinto has been the source of a code of honor and action for the Japanese people. This code stresses a gratitude and respect for living things, deep appreciation for natural beauty, and a preference for the simple and unadorned. Thus the lines of a raked stone garden both symbolize and become the ripples of water surrounding the large upright stone(s) in the gardens’ center. Out of respect for the lines in the garden, one treats other human beings with the greatest of respect, not knowing where the ripple effect of one’s action may encounter another human being. The tranquility of this harmony between the human, natural, and divine elements is the source and goal of Shinto celebration.

Worship of Shinto is done at shrines. It is an indigenous religion and has no holy book, no founder, and no canon. There are three essential elements in any form of Shinto worship. The first step is the all-important act of purification, a ritual washing involving water. The second step is an offering to the Kami, which is usually food or money. The third step is offering a prayer to the Kami, of both thanksgiving and petition for the future. Music, dance, and ritual reenactment of planting, harvest, or history are often involved in the large community celebrations. The Shinto celebrations bring the Kami into the presence of the daily life of the community.

Shinto began to fall out of fashion after the arrival of Buddhism, but soon, Shinto and Buddhism began to be practiced as one religion. On sites of Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples were built, and people began to adhere to both. Today, most Japanese adhere to Shrine Shinto, and also to Buddhism.