Shinto

 What is Shinto?

    It is known as the distinctive religion of the Japanese people and indigenous to the island. As a separate religion it became distinctive in the literature after the Meji restoration in 1868. Before that Shinto and Buddhism were closely tied to each other. In fact for most of history you couldn`t have one without the other with Shinto shrines in Buddhist temples.

    That doesn`t mean they were always together. In the beginning they were non-anthropomorphic spirits known as kami causing trouble or protecting the people of the villages. As the culture grew and developed they, like the Greek gods, became more defined and detailed. The term was first used in 1450 but they existed from as early as the Yayoi period. In 400 BCE in grave sites bells, specialized rice and a jewel called a magatama were found in grave sites.

https://orientalsouls.com/blog/traditional-crafts/magatama-traditional-japanese-power-stone/

    These rituals were associated with the rice growing culture of the Yayoi era, which possibly came over with the Chinese and Korean migrants who brought rice to Japan and replaced the Jomon people. Shinto developed and grew over the centuries. With it`s association with Buddhism after it arrived in Japan in the 6th century the Shinto kami developed more human characteristics and developed into the moral center of the Japanese people. The became less troublemakers and more helpers.

    Shinto and Buddhism have a long history together and both an adversarial and beneficial relationship. For most of it Buddhism was the religion of the elite while Shinto was the belief of the regular people. After World War 2 Shinto fell out of favour but never disappeared. Today it is said that a Japanese person is born into Shinto and dies with Buddha. What the future holds is unknown but hopefully I can explore more about it in the future.

main source: Shinto: A history by Helen Hardacre, 2017