HISTORY

In the late 6th century AD the name Shinto was created for the native religion to distinguish it
from Buddhism and Confucianism, which had been introduced from China. Shinto was rapidly
overshadowed by Buddhism, and the native gods were generally regarded as manifestations of
Buddha in a previous state of existence. Buddhist priests became the custodians of Shinto
shrines and introduced their own ornaments, images, and ritual.

At the end of the 8th and the beginning of the 9th centuries, the celebrated Japanese teacher
Kukai, or (posthumously) Kobo Daishi, established a doctrine uniting Buddhism and Shinto
under the name of Ryobu Shinto (Japanese, "the Shinto of two kinds"). In the new religion,
Buddhism dominated Shinto, and elements were adopted from Confucianism.

The ancient practice of Shinto proper virtually disappeared and was maintained only at a few
great shrines and in the imperial palace, although the emperors themselves had become
Buddhists. The distinctively Shinto priests became fortune-tellers and magicians.

Beginning in the 18th century, Shinto was revived as an important national religion through the
writings and teachings of a succession of notable scholars, including Mabuchi, Motoori
Norinaga, and Hirata Atsutane.

Motivated by nationalistic sentiments that took the form of reverence for Japanese antiquity and
hatred for ideas and practices of foreign origin, these men prepared the way for the
disestablishment of Buddhism and the adoption of Shinto as the state religion. In 1867 the
shogunate was overthrown, and the emperor was restored to the head of the government.

According to revived Shinto doctrine, the sovereignty of the emperor was exercised by divine
right through his reputed descent from the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami, who is considered
the founder of the Japanese nation. Related beliefs included the doctrines that the Japanese
were superior to other peoples because of their descent from the gods, and that the emperor
was destined to rule over the entire world. Until the defeat of Japan in World War II, these
beliefs were of the utmost importance in assuring popular support for the military expansion of
the Japanese Empire.

SHINTO AND NATIONALISM

Shinto can't be separated from Japan and the Japanese, but in the late 19th and first half of the
20th centuries Shinto became an established state religion, inextricably linked to the cause of
Japanese nationalism.

THE LINK BETWEEN SHINTO AND NATIONALISM

Shinto legend tells that the emperors of Japan are descended in an unbroken line from the first
Emperor, Jimmu Tenno, Amaterasu-Omikami's great-grandson. The native Japanese people
themselves are descended from the kami who were present at the founding of Japan.
This story contains a very clear message that Japan is an old country, whose people are
descended from the founding kami, and an Imperial family with an unbroken line of descent
from Amaterasu herself. The Imperial family is older than the people of Japan, and descended
from a kami of higher rank.

The political message of the story is that Japan is the way it should be, that its survival depends
on maintaining the relationship between the Emperor and his people, and that the Emperor
rules Japan because the gods want him to. Before the Meiji Restoration and the creation of
State Shinto, this story was just one myth among many, and not something crucial to Japanese
self-image.

FESTIVALS

Matsuri (祭り)
- most of the time translated by festival. Matsuris take
their roots in shintōism. Originally, they were organised to
celebrate a shrine’s divinity (神 kami) and even though religion
remains the main motive for organising those matsuris, some
of them are more season oriented, like the paddy harvest or
sakura blooming.
- Matsuris according to seasons
Because matsuris have become a more and more common
practice, it’s not odd, nowadays, to see festivals with no
religious connotations. For example, in spring, during sakura
season, many matsuris are held in order to enjoy cherry
blossoms while munching on Japanese snacks. But it doesn’t
stop there. In summer, many matsuris come along with
fireworks. They are called “hanabi taikai” and one of the most
popular ones in Tokyo is Sumidagawa’s hanabi taikai, near the
Sky Tree. In winter, one of the most famous matsuris is held in Sapporo, in Hokkaido. It’s
“Sapporo Yuki Matsuri”, which lasts eight days and where many visitors come to admire
snow sculptures and ice statues.

TYPES OF FESTIVALS

正月, shōgatsu

- most important holiday in Japan. Most businesses

shut down from January 1 to January 3, and families typically
gather to spend the days together.
- Years are traditionally viewed as completely separate,
with each new year providing a fresh start. Consequently, all
duties are supposed to be completed by the end of the year,
 while bonenkai parties ("year forgetting parties") are held with the
purpose of leaving the old year's worries and troubles behind.
- Homes and entrance gates are decorated with ornaments made
of pine, bamboo and plum trees, and clothes and houses are cleaned.
- On New Year's eve, toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles),
symbolizing longevity, are served. A more recent custom is watching the
music show "kohaku uta gassen", a highly popular television program
featuring many of Japan's most famous J-pop and enka singers in
spectacular performances.
- There are also a few games traditionally played on New Year,
however, their popularity has decreased in recent times. Hanetsuki
(Japanese badminton), takoage (kite flying) and karuta (a card
game) are some of them.

Explanation:
January 1 is a very auspicious day, best started by viewing the new
year's first sunrise (hatsu-hinode), and traditionally believed to be
representative for the whole year that has just commenced.
Therefore, the day is supposed to be full of joy and free of stress
and anger, while everything should be clean and no work should be done.

Seijin Shiki (Adults day)

- “SEIJIN-no- hi,” or Coming of Age Day, is a national
Japanese holiday held on the second Monday of January to
honor young adults who turned 20 years old in the past
year. It is a way of welcoming them into society and is an
essential rite of passage for the Japanese people.

Explanation:
- This symbolic moment of transitioning from
childhood to adulthood marks the point at which the journey
to become an honorable members of society begins.
- take place across Japan in city halls and other official centers. Customarily, people
return to their hometowns for this celebration, the young women dressed in a gorgeous
kimono called furisode for the ceremony and young men wearing hakama, the traditional
men’s kimono.
- It is an opportunity for the SEIJIN, the newly recognized adults, to receive encouraging
advice for the next chapter of their lives as newly gained freedom and responsibilities are
celebrated in the company of family members and old friends. This moment is one that
people remember for the rest of their lives. It is a memory that we all look back on fondly.
Haru matsuri (spring festivals)

- Springtime (January to May) is a time for

many festivals, haru matsuri, often centred on
the planting of crops. Different shrines
countrywide hold their own celebrations on
varying dates.
- Toshigoi-no-Matsuri
- This spring festival is a celebration to pray
to the gods for a good harvest.

Aki Matsuri (autumn festivals)

- It is, along with the New Year festival,
one of the two main occasions during the year
when the dead are believed to return to their
birthplaces. Memorial stones are cleaned,
community dances performed, and paper
lanterns and fires are lit to welcome the dead
and to bid them farewell at the end of their visit.

Shichigosan
- November 15, iterally means seven, five,
three; in most regions around the country, boys
and girls aged three, boys aged five, and girls
aged seven visit a Shinto shrine with their
parents. a day of prayer for the healthy growth of
young children.

Rei-sai (annual festival)

- Reisai is one of three major festivals (the
others are “Kinen-sai” and “Niiname-sai”). The
festival is held to give thanks to divine blessing of
Samukawa-daimyojin, and to pray for further
prosperity.