Overview and Worldwide News of Shinto

Shinto is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. The earliest extant record of its existence is in the Kojiki of 712. It is a polytheistic and animistic faith, and involves the worship of kami, or spirits. Some kami are local and can be regarded as the spiritual being/spirit or genius of a particular place, but others represent major natural objects and processes; for example, Amaterasu (the Sun goddess), or Mount Fuji.

The earliest Japanese sources do not refer to a unified religion. The word Shinto was borrowed from the Chinese, combining two kanji: "shin" (compound words use Chinese pronunciation, hence shin not kami), meaning gods or spirits; and "t?" , meaning a philosophical way or path (originally from the Chinese word dao). As such, Shinto is commonly translated as "The Way of the Gods." Some differences exist between Shintoism (the ancient Shint?) and the many types of Shinto taught and practiced today, showing the influences of Buddhism when it was introduced into Japan in the sixth century.

Shinto is no longer Japan's official state religion. However, it is considered the native religion of Japan. While some Shinto practices and teachings were given a great deal of prominence during World War II, they are no longer taught or practiced today. There are others, though, that still exist as commonplace activities, such as omikuji (a form of fortune-telling) and the Japanese New Year to which few people give religious connotations. Important national ceremonies such as coronations and imperial marriages are conducted at the Three Palace Sanctuaries in Tokyo.

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