Changes

[[Image:Torii-gate.jpg|thumb|200px|Torii (Gate)]]'''Shinto'''（神道）, also known as 神の道（kami no michi） 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 古墳 (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-o-Mikami (天照大御神) rose to prominence. The Imperial Family of [[Japan]] in ancient times claimed familial relationship to the sun goddess.