Shinto

At the centre of Shinto are the kami (神). They are gods, spirits and sacred forces that live in nature and in remarkable things. A kami can live in a mountain, a waterfall, an ancient tree, the wind, the harvest or a great ancestor. Shinto speaks of yaoyorozu no kami (八百万の神), "eight million gods," a poetic way of saying that they are beyond counting. Shinto cares above all about purity, gratitude and harmony with these presences. Followers keep away the uncleanness of death and disorder, give thanks and try to live in balance with nature and community. Shinto lives easily next to Buddhism, and most Japanese take part in both. They turn to Shinto for a birth and to Buddhism for a funeral.

The public life of Shinto happens at the shrine (神社, jinja), the home of a kami. A torii gate marks its entrance. A typical visit is simple. You pass through the gate and rinse your hands and mouth at the water basin to purify yourself. You walk up to the offering hall and toss in a coin. Then you bow twice, clap twice, pray and bow once more. Priests perform cleansing rites and seasonal ceremonies. Local communities hold matsuri, festivals in honour of their kami. Families visit at New Year and at the big moments of life. Much of Shinto is not teaching but gesture: the bow, the clap, the cleansing water, the offering.