Shinto
Shintoï¼ç¥éï¼, also known as ç´ã®éï¼kami no michiï¼ or the way of the gods, is an ancient polytheistic religion indigenous to Japan. Shinto has played a large role in shaping of Japanese culture and identity. Shinto, unlike Buddhism or Christianity, has no known founder. It was not until the late prehistoric Yayoi culture ca.(300BC - 300AD) that features emerged that are reminiscent of some of the religion's central aspects (for example, the kami). Archaic Shinto seems to have evolved by the beginning of the final phase of Japanese prehistory, the å¤å¢³(Kofun, or Tumulus) era (ca. 300-550AD) This belief system was locally based, focusing on the spiritual power inherent in nearby topographical features and on the divine ancestors of clans and lineages. As the Yamato (Sun) clan gained influence over the others, its divine ancestor, the sun goddess Amaterasu (ã¢ããã©ã¹æ§) rose to prominence. The Imperial Family of Japan in ancient times claimed familial relationship to the sun goddess.
Kami
Shinto as a religion focuses around the worship and veneration of deities known as Kami(ç´). 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, 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 conclusion of the Second World War in 1945. The emperor renounced all claims to divinity, and Japan's post-war constitution of 1947 prohibited the state from having any involvement in religious affairs.
The sacred space of Shinto are called jinja (ç¥ç¤¾, 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.