Shinto as a religion focuses around the worship and veneration of deities known as [[Kami]] (神). The word refers to divinity, or spiritual power, and is used to mean "God" or "Spirit." Many kami are the representation of powers of nature associated with the sun, storms, trees, mountains, animals, and other facets of nature. Through veneration and tradition, a healthy respect for the natural world.
In 1871 Shinto was established as a state religion(during the [[Meiji Restoration]]), and was used as a mechanism for fostering nationalism and loyalty to the emperor. This time period is when the name "Shinto" was first used to describe the religion.
"State Shinto" came to an abrupt end with the defeat of Japan in the [[Second World War]] in 1945. The emperor (whose worship was used as war propaganda) renounced all claims to divinity, and Japan's post-war constitution of 1947 (which Americans played a role in writing) prohibited the state from having any involvement in religious affairs, thus allowing for freedom of religion.
The sacred space of Shinto are called [[jinja]] (神社, or Shrines). Thousands of small shrines exist across Japan, many sharing ground with [[Buddhist]] Monasteries, especially in [[Kyoto]] and [[Tokyo]]. The entry way into a Shinto shrine is always marked by a Torii (gate), which symbolizes the border between normal life and the divine; the spiritual world as separated from the rest.