Shintoism
By: PRASANT, GAVIN, Harshita
Essential Question
Origins of Shintoism
Origin of Shintoism
Basic Religious Beliefs
Classification of Shintoism
Branches of Shintoism
Jinja Shinto
Kyoha Shinto
Minzoku Shinto
Geographic Distribution
How the religion diffused
When Japanese people immigrated to the Americas and other places all over the globe including Africa and Central Asia, Shintoism went with them and spread through relocation diffusion.
Shintoism originally spread in Japan as Japan spread its empire. This is an example of expansion diffusion as Shintoism spread along with the growing Japanese empire but it can also be considered Hierarchal diffusion as many people followed the emperor who was Shinto.
Sacred Places and People
Sacred Places
Dazaifu Tenmangu
First shrine dedicated to Tenjin
Sengen Shrine
Shrine of Mt. Fiji
Hakone Shrine
Most famous Shrine in Hakone
Ise Shrines
These are the most sacred shrines in Japan
Izumo Taisha
This is the second most important shrine in all of Japan
Tsurugaoka Hacimangu
Very important shrine located in Kamakura
Zeniarai Benten
A shrine for those who desire money.
Oyama Shrine
Shrine dedicated to a former local lord
Kompira san
A Popular hillside shrine
Fushimi Inari Shrine
It is Famous for its "torii"
Heian Shrine
It is modeled after an imperial palace
Yasaka Shrine
This place is home of the Gion Festival
Meiji Shrine
It is dedicated to the kami Emperor Meiji
Yasukuni Shrine
Dedciated to those who died in war
Itskushima Shrine
It is famous for it large torii standing in the ocean
Nikko Toshogu
It is a mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Futarasan Shrine
It is a shrine of the kami of 3 of Nikko's sacred mountains
Sumiyoshi Taisha
The most prominent shrine in Osaka
Who Practices Shintoism
Where is Shintoism practiced today?
Number of Followers
Unique Features
Key figures and important people
- Kami - spirits which may be found in water, rocks, trees and other natural manifestations which have a particular aura about them.
- 7 Gods of Luck
- 1) Benten - goddess of music, arts, beauty and fertility (identified with Ryugu Otohime - Shinto Princess of the Dragon Palace - sea)
- 2) Hotei - the fat, laughing god of happiness
- 3) Jurojin - the god of longevity
- 4) Fukurokuju - the dwarf god of wisdom
- 5) Bishamon - the armor clad god of religious zeal
- 6) Daitoku - the generous god of wealth
- 7) Ebisu - the god of honest labor.
- The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered Shinto's most important Kami.
Holy Text
O'dno Jing
Book of Salvation
Kojiki
Records of Ancient Matters
Nihongi or Nihon Shoki
Chronicles of Japan
Religious Symbols
Place of Worship
- Shinto shrines are the places of worship and the homes of kami
Impact on social and family structures:
- Shinto is an indigenous religion of Japan.
- People who, for political reasons, see Shinto as extremely conservative or linked to the prewar and wartime governmental political military structure, may be reluctant to participate in community events if they think that by doing that they would be endorsing Shinto in this sort of old-fashioned ideological sense.