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Shinto: The Kami Way
"An excellently rounded introduction by an eminent Shinto scholar."—Library Journal
Shinto, the indigenous faith of the Japanese people, continues to fascinate and mystify both the casual visitor to Japan and the long-time resident. Relatively unknown among the religions of the world, Shinto: The Kami Way provides an enlightening window into this Japanese faith.
In its general aspects Shinto is more than a religious faith. It is an amalgam of attitudes, ideas, and ways of doing things that through two millennia and more have become an integral part of the way of the Japanese people. Shinto is both a personal faith in the kami—objects of worship in Shinto and an honorific for noble, sacred spirits—and a communal way of life according to the mind of the kami. This introduction unveils Shinto's spiritual characteristics and discusses the architecture and function of Shinto shrines. Further examination of Shinto's lively festivals, worship, music, and sacred regalia illustrates Shinto's influence on all levels of Japanese life.
Fifteen photographs, numerous drawings and Dr. Ono's text introduce the reader to two millennia of indigenous Japanese belief in the kami and in communal life.
Chapters include:
The Kami Way
Shrines
Worship and Festivals
Political and Social Characteristics
Some Spiritual Characteristics
Shinto, the indigenous faith of the Japanese people, continues to fascinate and mystify both the casual visitor to Japan and the long-time resident. Relatively unknown among the religions of the world, Shinto: The Kami Way provides an enlightening window into this Japanese faith.
In its general aspects Shinto is more than a religious faith. It is an amalgam of attitudes, ideas, and ways of doing things that through two millennia and more have become an integral part of the way of the Japanese people. Shinto is both a personal faith in the kami—objects of worship in Shinto and an honorific for noble, sacred spirits—and a communal way of life according to the mind of the kami. This introduction unveils Shinto's spiritual characteristics and discusses the architecture and function of Shinto shrines. Further examination of Shinto's lively festivals, worship, music, and sacred regalia illustrates Shinto's influence on all levels of Japanese life.
Fifteen photographs, numerous drawings and Dr. Ono's text introduce the reader to two millennia of indigenous Japanese belief in the kami and in communal life.
Chapters include:
The Kami Way
Shrines
Worship and Festivals
Political and Social Characteristics
Some Spiritual Characteristics
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
311 people are currently reading
2303 people want to read
About the author
Sokyo Ono
4 books6 followersEl Dr. Sokyo Ono fue catedrático de la Universidad Kokugakuin Daikaku, la universidad sintoísta de Tokio y conferenciante habitual de la Asociación Nacional de Santuarios Sintoístas. También ha ocupado el cargo de director ejecutivo del Instituto Internacional para el Estudio de las Religiones y el Consejo de Cooperación de las Religiones de Japón.
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April 14, 2012Sokyo Ono's The Kami Way provides a decent introduction to Shinto for Westerners. At 128 pages, the book is extremely concise, and it feels even shorter than that in the reading. It is meant only as introductory text, so naturally, criticism of its brevity or incompleteness is not really fair; but while those already familiar with Shinto may learn a new thing or two, they will not likely find themselves with a deeper or enriched understanding of the kami no michi.
A weakness of the book is its age, which is definitely starting to show. Fifty years ago, with the Second World War a very recent memory, it's understandable that a Japanese scholar would want to tailor this book to Western audiences by emphasizing the peaceful and humanistic aspects of Shinto; there is, consequently, and tendency to gloss over its role in Japanese fascism, which receives only brief mention. Some readers may also find the brief description of the miko rather patronizing, as it does not indicate the full historical significance of this women's office, which descends from early female shamanism; some mention of the greater historical importance of this office, compared with its increasing marginalization under the Tokugawa and Meiji periods, would help balance the picture Ono provides of the quaint priest's daughter who performs the sacred dances and engages in other unspecified "minor duties."
A weakness of the book is its age, which is definitely starting to show. Fifty years ago, with the Second World War a very recent memory, it's understandable that a Japanese scholar would want to tailor this book to Western audiences by emphasizing the peaceful and humanistic aspects of Shinto; there is, consequently, and tendency to gloss over its role in Japanese fascism, which receives only brief mention. Some readers may also find the brief description of the miko rather patronizing, as it does not indicate the full historical significance of this women's office, which descends from early female shamanism; some mention of the greater historical importance of this office, compared with its increasing marginalization under the Tokugawa and Meiji periods, would help balance the picture Ono provides of the quaint priest's daughter who performs the sacred dances and engages in other unspecified "minor duties."
May 21, 2012
My only prior sense of Shinto came from watching Miyazaki films, realising this is a creator who is drawing on a tradition, and that I want to know more about the tradition. This book was purchased on spec, and is the first thing I’ve read on the subject.
In many ways it’s a dry and academic little book, but it is packed with information. It provided me with some very interesting surprises, and I have come to the tentative conclusion that Shinto makes a very interesting comparison with Druidry.
Shinto honours spirits of place, and ancestors (kami), using ritual and creativity. It has a long and complex history, influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism, caught up in politics and the development of the nation. Shinto is inherently Japanese. It honours the land of Japan, the ancestors of Japan – I cannot see that you could do it anywhere else without being culturally Japanese. Also interesting to note, it has no sacred book, no doctrine, very little authoritarian structure, and yet it works and other religions and bodies are able to recognise it. Given the trouble pagans have trying to get people to grasp the idea of religions without sacred books, this is a very useful thing to have. Druidry – it’s a bit like Shinto, only rooted for some of us in a Celtic history and culture rather than a Japanese one.
The book religions have adapted and changed to fit into other cultures, but that sense of religion transcending culture is, I think, out there. However, when you start considering religion as inherent to culture, part of the underpinning fabric of a society, it is necessary to consider it in very different ways. This book does convey something of the relationship between culture and belief, and the impossibility of considering them as separate in this context. For a religion that permeates life and does not separate mundane and sacred out as western traditions do, this is another useful point of reference.
As a first book goes, it will suit people of a more academic bent, but if you favour more experiential writing, I wouldn’t start here.
In many ways it’s a dry and academic little book, but it is packed with information. It provided me with some very interesting surprises, and I have come to the tentative conclusion that Shinto makes a very interesting comparison with Druidry.
Shinto honours spirits of place, and ancestors (kami), using ritual and creativity. It has a long and complex history, influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism, caught up in politics and the development of the nation. Shinto is inherently Japanese. It honours the land of Japan, the ancestors of Japan – I cannot see that you could do it anywhere else without being culturally Japanese. Also interesting to note, it has no sacred book, no doctrine, very little authoritarian structure, and yet it works and other religions and bodies are able to recognise it. Given the trouble pagans have trying to get people to grasp the idea of religions without sacred books, this is a very useful thing to have. Druidry – it’s a bit like Shinto, only rooted for some of us in a Celtic history and culture rather than a Japanese one.
The book religions have adapted and changed to fit into other cultures, but that sense of religion transcending culture is, I think, out there. However, when you start considering religion as inherent to culture, part of the underpinning fabric of a society, it is necessary to consider it in very different ways. This book does convey something of the relationship between culture and belief, and the impossibility of considering them as separate in this context. For a religion that permeates life and does not separate mundane and sacred out as western traditions do, this is another useful point of reference.
As a first book goes, it will suit people of a more academic bent, but if you favour more experiential writing, I wouldn’t start here.
March 14, 2016
Japonların inancı konusunda meraklılarına bir kitap. konu hakkında hiçbirşey bilmeyenler için çok iyi bir tercih ama konuya aşina iseniz ve çoktan derinleştiyseniz yeterli gelmeyecektir.
August 19, 2021
Read for research. Gave me what I needed for the most part, so no complaints. Glossed over Shinto's relation to Japanese fascism, which seems a big oversight. Stating Shinto is more communal than military kinda misses the point on Japanese fascism, since it was mostly about finding ways for communities to accept militarization and Shinto was fundamental to this project precisely because it reached into local communities. Helen Hardacre's work deals with this with more rigor.
May 26, 2014
This is an excellent introductory text for Shinto. The last chapter is the most interesting because it actually gets into the real belief system. Other chapters involve a lot of information about shrines and the historical background of the religion.
August 8, 2016
This book is disappointingly brief, but understandably so. It's intended as a primer on Shinto, and as such assumes less than basic knowledge on the part of the reader. Shinto itself is also difficult to condense or summarize, as the author explains. It's the kind of subject that will either result in an easily digestible beginner's pamphlet or a dense, university level thesis delving into intricacies that only an expert could understand.
A large part of the difficulty is actually rooted in simplicity. Shinto is a folk religion with no founder, no supreme deity, and no authoritative scripture. Its traditions arose from the mists of antiquity through popular ritual, the complete origins of which are now lost. "Therefore, it is impossible to make explicit and clear that which fundamentally by its very nature is vague," as Ono explains. Even using the word "Shinto" to describe "a" religion is somewhat inadequate, kind of like trying to describe "Hinduism." There is so much variation and subtlety behind the word that it's almost useless as a descriptor.
The Christian West tends to approach comparative religions in a problematic way. Whether consciously or not, it is always asking other religions questions like "who is your Jesus?" or "what is your Bible?" It's arrogant, but in a way understandable, since as individuals we tend to latch on to what we know. With something like Shinto, however, it is especially limiting because these questions have no answer. They are simply the wrong questions to ask entirely.
Shinto is "the way of the kami." Ono chose to use "kami" instead of "gods" (the usual English translation) for a good reason--even the word "gods" is weighted with misconceptions tied to Judeo-Christian ideas. "Kami" can be gods, yes, but are not limited to such beings. Technically, humans are kami as well, albeit not fully realized ones (this comes only after death). Kami can also embody concepts and inanimate objects.
Worshiping the kami is a matter of devotion and ritual. As such, it is concerned more with "orthopraxy" than "orthodoxy." Even then the rituals themselves are deceptively simple, their implements equally so--some strips of paper, a sakaki branch, a mirror, etc. The richness and depth comes from the heart of the worshiper themselves, and the purity and sincerity with which they approach the act of worship. The result is remarkably compelling, and as anyone who has been to a shrine before can attest, unmistakably solemn.
You get from the kami what you put in. All religions are like this in a way, but Shinto places few barriers between the human and divine realms. In addition to being kami ourselves, Shinto originally stressed direct connection with nature. One of the oldest shrines in Japan, at Omiwa, has no main hall for a kami to reside in. That is because the mountain on which the shrine stands IS the kami.
Also like all religions, Shinto has evolved over the course of its existence. It encompasses worship in the home before private shrines, limited to only a single family, to shrines like at Ise, whose spiritual authority is over all Japan. The lowliest peasant from ancient times had his own way of worshiping the kami, and the Emperor himself has one. Shrines can cover thousands of acres or be little more than a box on the roadside. All of these are expressions of the same faith, despite being very different in appearance.
Then there was the dark period when Shinto became a tool of State violence and control. After the Meiji Restoration, Shintoism and its worship was placed under official government organization. Shrines became government property and priests were appointed by bureaucrats. The reason this happened is complex and didn't happen overnight, but was closely tied to Japan's quest to modernize while simultaneously maintaining a "pure" culture. It is said that the twin weapons of western colonial ambition were the Gun and the Bible. Japan, despite its two centuries of isolation, was a keen observer of western methods when it came to conquest and expansion.
Not to say that Japanese Shinto priests were unhappy about the official backing. Contrary to what many might think, Shinto was actually on the decline for most of Japan's history prior to Meiji. Buddhism was by far the more popular religion, and had even absorbed many of its practices (it was not uncommon for shrines and temples to share the same space). The modernization of Japan served the more fanatically faithful well in the short-term, but like many zealots who embraced government countenance in the past, it came back to haunt them later.
Meiji, followed by the loss of the war, had an interesting effect on Shinto culturally. Prior to either, Japan had no sense of church/state separation, much like most other countries emerging from an agricultural economy. Shinto shrines were patronized by government officials, but this was considered no different from regular citizens doing the same (except in terms of scale or wealth). The result was more of an in-between state in which Shinto was not disconnected from the government, but not officially attached to it either. This changed under Meiji when official control was made explicit, and again after the war when the Occupation government officially dissolved this connection permanently, even forcing the Emperor to renounce his divinity. This historically rapid back-and-forth between extremes rocked Shinto in a way it had never experienced before, and its a wonder it survived at all.
As Ono points out, it is also a wonder that Shinto was used for such dark aims at all. It is so fundamentally simple and nature-based that it's hard to see how it could be twisted into serving a military-industrial juggernaut. Believing that almost everything has a kami which must be respected should promote harmony and peace, not mass slaughter and devastation. Perhaps it only goes to show that no matter what a religion or philosophy says, people can bend it toward whatever purpose they want, good or bad.
In closing it is also worth mentioning Shinto's approach to other religions and the rest of the world outside Japan. Ono rather baldly states that Shinto is a "racial" religion--it is deeply rooted to the ethnic identity of the Japanese people. This concept is usually off-putting to westerners since it is not egalitarian or universal, and modern sensibilities tend to view such things as provincial or quaint at best. It is interesting to note however as Japan continues to move forward into the 21st century, and as they grapple with what it truly means to be "Japanese" in a global society. There is a growing demographic of Japanese citizens and residents who are either not ethnically Japanese or are racially mixed. What does Shinto mean to them? Are they allowed to participate in its rites? Do the kami hear them? Can kami even have power outside of Japan?
Perhaps Shinto will eventually embrace a more heterogeneous vision as it struggles to adapt to a Japan whose native inhabitants are increasingly leaving it. I know there is already an officially recognized shrine in Washington state, headed by a priest who is not Japanese. It was established well after Ono wrote this edition, and I'm curious if he ever knew about it or commented on it.
A large part of the difficulty is actually rooted in simplicity. Shinto is a folk religion with no founder, no supreme deity, and no authoritative scripture. Its traditions arose from the mists of antiquity through popular ritual, the complete origins of which are now lost. "Therefore, it is impossible to make explicit and clear that which fundamentally by its very nature is vague," as Ono explains. Even using the word "Shinto" to describe "a" religion is somewhat inadequate, kind of like trying to describe "Hinduism." There is so much variation and subtlety behind the word that it's almost useless as a descriptor.
The Christian West tends to approach comparative religions in a problematic way. Whether consciously or not, it is always asking other religions questions like "who is your Jesus?" or "what is your Bible?" It's arrogant, but in a way understandable, since as individuals we tend to latch on to what we know. With something like Shinto, however, it is especially limiting because these questions have no answer. They are simply the wrong questions to ask entirely.
Shinto is "the way of the kami." Ono chose to use "kami" instead of "gods" (the usual English translation) for a good reason--even the word "gods" is weighted with misconceptions tied to Judeo-Christian ideas. "Kami" can be gods, yes, but are not limited to such beings. Technically, humans are kami as well, albeit not fully realized ones (this comes only after death). Kami can also embody concepts and inanimate objects.
Worshiping the kami is a matter of devotion and ritual. As such, it is concerned more with "orthopraxy" than "orthodoxy." Even then the rituals themselves are deceptively simple, their implements equally so--some strips of paper, a sakaki branch, a mirror, etc. The richness and depth comes from the heart of the worshiper themselves, and the purity and sincerity with which they approach the act of worship. The result is remarkably compelling, and as anyone who has been to a shrine before can attest, unmistakably solemn.
You get from the kami what you put in. All religions are like this in a way, but Shinto places few barriers between the human and divine realms. In addition to being kami ourselves, Shinto originally stressed direct connection with nature. One of the oldest shrines in Japan, at Omiwa, has no main hall for a kami to reside in. That is because the mountain on which the shrine stands IS the kami.
Also like all religions, Shinto has evolved over the course of its existence. It encompasses worship in the home before private shrines, limited to only a single family, to shrines like at Ise, whose spiritual authority is over all Japan. The lowliest peasant from ancient times had his own way of worshiping the kami, and the Emperor himself has one. Shrines can cover thousands of acres or be little more than a box on the roadside. All of these are expressions of the same faith, despite being very different in appearance.
Then there was the dark period when Shinto became a tool of State violence and control. After the Meiji Restoration, Shintoism and its worship was placed under official government organization. Shrines became government property and priests were appointed by bureaucrats. The reason this happened is complex and didn't happen overnight, but was closely tied to Japan's quest to modernize while simultaneously maintaining a "pure" culture. It is said that the twin weapons of western colonial ambition were the Gun and the Bible. Japan, despite its two centuries of isolation, was a keen observer of western methods when it came to conquest and expansion.
Not to say that Japanese Shinto priests were unhappy about the official backing. Contrary to what many might think, Shinto was actually on the decline for most of Japan's history prior to Meiji. Buddhism was by far the more popular religion, and had even absorbed many of its practices (it was not uncommon for shrines and temples to share the same space). The modernization of Japan served the more fanatically faithful well in the short-term, but like many zealots who embraced government countenance in the past, it came back to haunt them later.
Meiji, followed by the loss of the war, had an interesting effect on Shinto culturally. Prior to either, Japan had no sense of church/state separation, much like most other countries emerging from an agricultural economy. Shinto shrines were patronized by government officials, but this was considered no different from regular citizens doing the same (except in terms of scale or wealth). The result was more of an in-between state in which Shinto was not disconnected from the government, but not officially attached to it either. This changed under Meiji when official control was made explicit, and again after the war when the Occupation government officially dissolved this connection permanently, even forcing the Emperor to renounce his divinity. This historically rapid back-and-forth between extremes rocked Shinto in a way it had never experienced before, and its a wonder it survived at all.
As Ono points out, it is also a wonder that Shinto was used for such dark aims at all. It is so fundamentally simple and nature-based that it's hard to see how it could be twisted into serving a military-industrial juggernaut. Believing that almost everything has a kami which must be respected should promote harmony and peace, not mass slaughter and devastation. Perhaps it only goes to show that no matter what a religion or philosophy says, people can bend it toward whatever purpose they want, good or bad.
In closing it is also worth mentioning Shinto's approach to other religions and the rest of the world outside Japan. Ono rather baldly states that Shinto is a "racial" religion--it is deeply rooted to the ethnic identity of the Japanese people. This concept is usually off-putting to westerners since it is not egalitarian or universal, and modern sensibilities tend to view such things as provincial or quaint at best. It is interesting to note however as Japan continues to move forward into the 21st century, and as they grapple with what it truly means to be "Japanese" in a global society. There is a growing demographic of Japanese citizens and residents who are either not ethnically Japanese or are racially mixed. What does Shinto mean to them? Are they allowed to participate in its rites? Do the kami hear them? Can kami even have power outside of Japan?
Perhaps Shinto will eventually embrace a more heterogeneous vision as it struggles to adapt to a Japan whose native inhabitants are increasingly leaving it. I know there is already an officially recognized shrine in Washington state, headed by a priest who is not Japanese. It was established well after Ono wrote this edition, and I'm curious if he ever knew about it or commented on it.
September 27, 2020
I am of course a massive weeabo, and that is more than clear to anyone that follows this account.
But for some reason even with that I never tried to learn more about Shinto the native religion of Japan.
Now this little book is a good introduction, very concise and useful (It helped a lot, because I have seen references to Shinto in japanese media I just had a vague idea of what was going on but now everything is more clear)
But for some reason even with that I never tried to learn more about Shinto the native religion of Japan.
Now this little book is a good introduction, very concise and useful (It helped a lot, because I have seen references to Shinto in japanese media I just had a vague idea of what was going on but now everything is more clear)
December 15, 2019
Ypperlig lesestoff dersom du er interessert i shintoismen. Forfatteren oppsummerer de viktigste punktene innenfor religionen med et kortfattet og presist språk. Boken er veldig lettlest og relativt kort. Den dykker ikke dypt inn i de ulike konseptene, men jeg sitter likevel igjen med en følelse av at mine kunnskaper om shintoismen har økt betraktelig. Anbefales til alle som er nysgjerrig på japansk kultur og religion.
April 2, 2024
I shamefully know so little about religion, history, culture, etc. outside of Europe and the US, so I thought it would be good to read and learn about Shinto. I wish I had read this before going to Japan! I would have appreciated the shrines that much more. Still it was sort of dry and did not tell a story but stated facts. I think it was still fascinating but it could probably do better
July 15, 2020
I asked for this book for Christmas to help with my research for two different YA Japanese Fantasy novels I am working on. I felt that this gave some good insight of what it is like at Shinto shrines and how Shintoism is engrained in a lot of daily life actions in modern Japan. I found it to be quite fascinating, as we don't learn much about this religion in schools or while looking at cultures in general. A lot is said about Buddism, but not much is said about Shintoism, and this book goes over a bit of why that is. I wished it went a little more on the changes throughout history and what actions changed or didn't with a timeline, as my novel takes place in different periods through Japan.
I highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about this religion, whether it be because they are interested in Japanese culture, research for something they are writing, or if they want to visit shrines in Japan and understand what is respectful and what is not. I can't wait to visit Japan and pay my respects to the kami at various shrines.
I highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about this religion, whether it be because they are interested in Japanese culture, research for something they are writing, or if they want to visit shrines in Japan and understand what is respectful and what is not. I can't wait to visit Japan and pay my respects to the kami at various shrines.
December 23, 2025
Librito super entretenido y didáctico. Una lectura muy amena para aprender sobre esta religión tan hermosa. No le doy 5 estrellas porque al autor (que publicó esta obra originalmente en 1960, dato importante) se le ve bastante el plumero. Un poco menos de ultranacionalismo fachilla lo habrían hecho un libro perfecto. Aún así lo he disfrutado muchísimo.
April 26, 2023
Dry as hell, but there's some interesting stuff here.
September 7, 2014
Although the writing is a little dry at times, and often becomes a little too encyclopaedic, this is still a worthwhile introduction to Shinto. The style is more a product of the broad ground the book tries to cover in such a short space.
The Kami Way covers in broad strokes the most important aspects of Shinto, which is what you want from an introduction to any topic. However, I found that in many aspects Ono seems to hold back from actually engaging with the real substance of the topic. It's as though he has decided at an early stage that the reader will not be able to engage meaningfully at anything beyond a surface level examination, and so with a few rare exceptions, that's more or less where the book stays.
Still a valuable reference, all minor issues aside. And for the most part largely enjoyable.
The Kami Way covers in broad strokes the most important aspects of Shinto, which is what you want from an introduction to any topic. However, I found that in many aspects Ono seems to hold back from actually engaging with the real substance of the topic. It's as though he has decided at an early stage that the reader will not be able to engage meaningfully at anything beyond a surface level examination, and so with a few rare exceptions, that's more or less where the book stays.
Still a valuable reference, all minor issues aside. And for the most part largely enjoyable.
March 20, 2021
Muy buena aproximación a una creencia cuyos detalles son altamente desconocidos fuera de Japón.
Claro y sencillo, muy instructivo. Lleno de notas a tener en cuenta en mi siguiente viaje a Japón.
Claro y sencillo, muy instructivo. Lleno de notas a tener en cuenta en mi siguiente viaje a Japón.
May 6, 2024
4 stars.
A short and to-the-point overview of Shinto; it’s history and how it functions in Japanese society today. Having lived in Japan as long as I have, it’s impossible not to notice how everyday life is imbued with small rituals or mannerisms that extend from the Shinto faith.
If you were to ask a layperson in Japan (as I have done many times) what a particular action they do means, you will most likely receive the answer “I don’t know it’s just what we do.” This often perplexed me as I’m the type of person who always likes to know “why” something is done but after reading this book I think it’s a bit clearer to me. There isn’t an overarching doctrine for Shinto (though there is a common mythology/origin story), the understanding of the faith lies in small acts/ rituals borne out by people each day. More about the ✨vibes✨ if you will.
Shinto is at once communal and individualistic in nature-it’s the individual acts that bring one closer to the Kami and the harmony they wish for the world. It’s this wish for harmony and individual nature of the practice of Shinto that allows it to co-exist with Buddhism and other religions (in the modern day) quite peacefully…and I think that’s a beautiful thing.
Shrines have always fascinated me and I visit them often here, but I think I’ll enjoy them that much more from having read this book.
A short and to-the-point overview of Shinto; it’s history and how it functions in Japanese society today. Having lived in Japan as long as I have, it’s impossible not to notice how everyday life is imbued with small rituals or mannerisms that extend from the Shinto faith.
If you were to ask a layperson in Japan (as I have done many times) what a particular action they do means, you will most likely receive the answer “I don’t know it’s just what we do.” This often perplexed me as I’m the type of person who always likes to know “why” something is done but after reading this book I think it’s a bit clearer to me. There isn’t an overarching doctrine for Shinto (though there is a common mythology/origin story), the understanding of the faith lies in small acts/ rituals borne out by people each day. More about the ✨vibes✨ if you will.
Shinto is at once communal and individualistic in nature-it’s the individual acts that bring one closer to the Kami and the harmony they wish for the world. It’s this wish for harmony and individual nature of the practice of Shinto that allows it to co-exist with Buddhism and other religions (in the modern day) quite peacefully…and I think that’s a beautiful thing.
Shrines have always fascinated me and I visit them often here, but I think I’ll enjoy them that much more from having read this book.
October 7, 2020
Insightful
I found this to be a handy little book which provided for me a good launch point into the practices and beliefs of Shinto. It does not delve deeply into any particular topic but is rather a surface-level primer, and it does that well. There are good sketch illustrations and photos throughout and I found it to read quickly and easily. I would recommend this as an intro to Shinto.
I found this to be a handy little book which provided for me a good launch point into the practices and beliefs of Shinto. It does not delve deeply into any particular topic but is rather a surface-level primer, and it does that well. There are good sketch illustrations and photos throughout and I found it to read quickly and easily. I would recommend this as an intro to Shinto.
August 17, 2024
Me ha gustado mucho el entender cuánto ha afectado el sintoismo a muchísimas de las obras Japonesas, tanto literarias como audiovisuales. Este libro también ayuda a comprender gran parte de la forma de ser del Japonés y de cómo experimentan la espiritualidad en su día a día a lo largo de las últimas épocas de su historia.
July 22, 2021
Un libro-enciclopedia explicativo y detallado sobre el sintoísmo. Muy ilustrativo e informativo, aunque se nota que el autor es muy pro-sintoísmo en su forma de narrar algunos aspectos.
Recomendado para todos aquellos que deseen conocer más esta parte cultural de Japón.
Recomendado para todos aquellos que deseen conocer más esta parte cultural de Japón.
October 10, 2025
Llibre breu però interessant i útil per introduir-se una mica en el shintoïsme. No s'hi fa tan d'èmfasi a les bases religioses, però si molt en les pràctiques, el simbolisme dels espais, els temples,.els rituals, etc i la influència d'aquest culte en la societat i la història del Japó. Per tenir una primera aproximació a aquesta religió és un llibre bastant adient.
January 27, 2020
If you're interested in Japan, you're probably aware of Shinto imagery. Even if you've never been, even if you're not really that interested in religion, you'll know some of its signifiers. Red gates, either in profusion or alone in the sea. Trees tied with paper. Clean temples and guardian animals.
You just don't know it yet.
Reading Ono's Shinto: The Kami Way was my attempt to try and underpin my personal interest in the religion – as an observer, rather than a participant – with some knowledge. I've had my eye on the book for some time, as it's been one of the most referenced works when I've tried to research the subject, so I figured it was worth a look.
I had assumed the text was a fairly recent publication, but it's not. The Tuttle version is a reprint (perhaps an expansion?) of a journal-printed text from the 1950s. In this regard, it suffers from fairly stolid language. While the age of the copy within probably won't affect your conception of Shinto too much – it has remained pretty much the same apart from the organisation/administration of temples (changed only through government fiat, restoration and war defeat) for its history – this isn't the text to pursue if you're after something that grapples with the religion's modern face.
Put simply, the book tries to explain the concept of kami – like gods, but also not – and how they interact with both their surrounds and the residents thereof. In this regard, it is fairly successful: it forces the reader to see Shinto as a religion without texts: it's something people do rather than something people are taught out of a book.
Ono's text is pretty easy to read, and it does offer a good description of the religion, which (along with Buddhism) provides a key to understanding parts of the Japanese society and mindset. There's a good description of the architecture and function of temples. But most importantly, the author places much emphasis on the fact that the religion is something people feel deeply, in a way that is incommunicable to even fellow adherents, let alone foreigners. It's something that you either get or you don't, and if you're not Japanese – well, you just won't.
(Speaking of difficulty of understanding, the Kindle version of this book is pretty messy: there's typographical issues throughout, and the footnoting isn't particularly useful. Some spelling errors lead me to assume this is an OCR-interpreted version of the text, and if possible I'd recommend prospective readers find a hard copy, rather than the current lamentable digital edition.)
I already had gleaned a fair bit about Shinto through my travels and general nosiness, but Ono's work filled in some of the gaps I had. I wish it were a little more modern, but as a starting point it's not a bad one.
You just don't know it yet.
Reading Ono's Shinto: The Kami Way was my attempt to try and underpin my personal interest in the religion – as an observer, rather than a participant – with some knowledge. I've had my eye on the book for some time, as it's been one of the most referenced works when I've tried to research the subject, so I figured it was worth a look.
I had assumed the text was a fairly recent publication, but it's not. The Tuttle version is a reprint (perhaps an expansion?) of a journal-printed text from the 1950s. In this regard, it suffers from fairly stolid language. While the age of the copy within probably won't affect your conception of Shinto too much – it has remained pretty much the same apart from the organisation/administration of temples (changed only through government fiat, restoration and war defeat) for its history – this isn't the text to pursue if you're after something that grapples with the religion's modern face.
Put simply, the book tries to explain the concept of kami – like gods, but also not – and how they interact with both their surrounds and the residents thereof. In this regard, it is fairly successful: it forces the reader to see Shinto as a religion without texts: it's something people do rather than something people are taught out of a book.
Ono's text is pretty easy to read, and it does offer a good description of the religion, which (along with Buddhism) provides a key to understanding parts of the Japanese society and mindset. There's a good description of the architecture and function of temples. But most importantly, the author places much emphasis on the fact that the religion is something people feel deeply, in a way that is incommunicable to even fellow adherents, let alone foreigners. It's something that you either get or you don't, and if you're not Japanese – well, you just won't.
(Speaking of difficulty of understanding, the Kindle version of this book is pretty messy: there's typographical issues throughout, and the footnoting isn't particularly useful. Some spelling errors lead me to assume this is an OCR-interpreted version of the text, and if possible I'd recommend prospective readers find a hard copy, rather than the current lamentable digital edition.)
I already had gleaned a fair bit about Shinto through my travels and general nosiness, but Ono's work filled in some of the gaps I had. I wish it were a little more modern, but as a starting point it's not a bad one.
December 8, 2024
This is a reprint of a 1962 book, which I didn’t realize when I bought it. I’m curious how different a modern book on the same topic would be. Fewer than two decades removed from World War 2’s end, the U.S.’s intervention into Japanese affairs is very present here — especially the 1945 “Shinto Directive”, which disestablished Shinto as a state religion.
Even so, the book is very informative, almost structured as a report or maybe thesis on the state of the Shinto religion, its origins, practices, and beliefs.
In many places it felt dry and academic, but perhaps it was intended to be so — the author was a professor at Kokugakuin Daigaku, a Shinto university in Tokyo, and lectured for the National Association of Shinto Shrines. (Imagine if there was a book on Southern Baptists in the U.S., and it focused heavily on the number of churches, how their locations were chosen, what kind of suits the pastors wear, the order of operations for Sunday morning services, the demographics of parishioners, and the construction methods used for their buildings.) I did like that it used the transliterated “kami” instead of the usual poor translation “gods”.
A few things struck me as I read. One, Shinto is rare among religions for not having scriptures, sacred texts, or really any set of books or writings that practitioners accept as definitive or sufficient. Two, it is referred to (both in this book and elsewhere) as a “racial religion”, by which I assume is meant “only for Japanese people” (since races aren’t real things). In fact, this book claims it’s “inconceivable” that non-Japanese people could venerate kami in the same way Japanese people do.
In all, I think it’s a decent introduction for anyone mostly unfamiliar with Shinto (as I was).
May 6, 2008
Professor Sokyo Ono's 'Shinto: The Way of the Kami' is an outstanding resource over the indigenous Japanese religion of Shintoism. It covers in brief everything from its history, shrine architecture, belief systems,rituals, and holidays, and its historical and cultural relevance to Japanese culture. It must be emphasized that this book is for the layman and not for the student of Theology or Asian History or Culture. It is meant as an overview only, as the only 112pages attest to.
The only problem with this book is the gloss over and avoidance to call certain things controversial or otherwise troublesome in the history of Shintoism. Such things Ono passes over as misunderstandings are Shinto's lack of tradition and rites regarding the dead (is there really a historical controversy here? There might not be, but we don't get much of a discussion over the perspectives, only Ono's assurances that it is a "misunderstanding" over the nature of Shinto practices. I hope to read more on this later. Also though brought up to some degree, the historian and theologian might want to dig deeper in the role Shinto played in conservative Nationalistic Japan starting around the end of the 19th century until the end of the war. Also, not mentioned at all is the degree in which Shinto may have had its foundations in Korean Shamanism. this is also something that could possibly be dealt with in more detail in other works.
Overall, a great book for the traveler new to Japan, one who would like an introduction to Shinto, and one who wants a brief exposure to a religion so knitted in the fabric of Japanese culture.
By the way, if I had my way, I'd give this book a 4 1/2 review, but Good Reads only allows for whole stars, so there you go!
The only problem with this book is the gloss over and avoidance to call certain things controversial or otherwise troublesome in the history of Shintoism. Such things Ono passes over as misunderstandings are Shinto's lack of tradition and rites regarding the dead (is there really a historical controversy here? There might not be, but we don't get much of a discussion over the perspectives, only Ono's assurances that it is a "misunderstanding" over the nature of Shinto practices. I hope to read more on this later. Also though brought up to some degree, the historian and theologian might want to dig deeper in the role Shinto played in conservative Nationalistic Japan starting around the end of the 19th century until the end of the war. Also, not mentioned at all is the degree in which Shinto may have had its foundations in Korean Shamanism. this is also something that could possibly be dealt with in more detail in other works.
Overall, a great book for the traveler new to Japan, one who would like an introduction to Shinto, and one who wants a brief exposure to a religion so knitted in the fabric of Japanese culture.
By the way, if I had my way, I'd give this book a 4 1/2 review, but Good Reads only allows for whole stars, so there you go!
February 8, 2019
It was short and to the point, any longer and I probably would have had difficulty finishing it. The author provides an excellent introduction to the Shinto faith, but he does tend to stick to the technical aspects. He also focuses heavily on the religion during the Meiji Restoration, which is fine, but I would have liked to know more about the origins. I don't think much is known about the origins unfortunately.
Another strike against the book is just its age. It was written in 1962 and Japan and Shinto have most likely evolved quite a bit since then. There really isn't much literature for or about Shinto out there, it just seems, as the book says, something inherited, not taught.
Ultimately, more mythology would have been exciting, but it served as a very detailed and brief overview of the mysterious, racial, nature-infused religion of Japan.
Another strike against the book is just its age. It was written in 1962 and Japan and Shinto have most likely evolved quite a bit since then. There really isn't much literature for or about Shinto out there, it just seems, as the book says, something inherited, not taught.
Ultimately, more mythology would have been exciting, but it served as a very detailed and brief overview of the mysterious, racial, nature-infused religion of Japan.
December 24, 2025
A must read for anyone interested in approaching Shinto: super comprehensive and detailed, very dense for its brevity. It also gives hints and information on the Japanese culture that surprised me.
I would have loved to get more insights on the myths and legends around the kami instead of dwelling so long on the rituals description and the ceremony procedures, but I understand it is an historical document/compendium and not a book on the japanese folklore. This is the only (personal) reason for the three stars, the quality of the document is overall very high
I would have loved to get more insights on the myths and legends around the kami instead of dwelling so long on the rituals description and the ceremony procedures, but I understand it is an historical document/compendium and not a book on the japanese folklore. This is the only (personal) reason for the three stars, the quality of the document is overall very high
July 6, 2017
Sıkılmadan okuduğum,oldukça kısa ve şintoizm inancını beginner düzeyde anlatan bir kitap.Çok derin bilgiler arıyorsanız işinizi görmez,ama yazarın söylediği kadarıyla zaten şintoizm hakkında çok ayrıntılı ve kadim bilgilere ulaşmak mümkün değilmiş.Okumanızı öneririm.
June 5, 2021
Wish I could give this a lower review. Contains fatal misinformation, has obvious imperialist tones, and illustrated by a priest from the war criminal shrine. The English translation is done by a Christian missionary which may be why there are so many misspellings. Do not read this book.
June 9, 2018
Greek text follows the English one/ Ἑλληνικὸ κείμενο ἀκολουθεῖ τὸ Ἀγγλικὸ
This book serves as a great introduction to Shintō [神道, also known in English as Shintoism], the traditional and indigenous faith of the Japanese people. The Japanese word Shintō [神道] can be translated as the Way [道 / dō] of the Gods [神 / kami, also pronounced as shin].
The book outlines the basic Shintō mythology and its sources, and it roughly presents the concept of kami [神, "gods" or "deities" or "spirits" or deified natural phaenomena]; it provides useful information on the Shintō shrines, including their organisation, architecture, and priesthood; it briefly presents the elements of worship at home and in public, as well as the various festivals; it emphasises the spiritual characteristics of this faith, and its role in the social and political life of Japan since the dawn of the Japanese history.
Written by Dr. Professor Sokyo Ono, a Japanese expert Shintō academic, and initially published back in 1960 as a bulletin of the International Institute for the Study of Religions, Tōkyō, the text was first published as a book in 1962 with the collaboration of Willian P. Woodard, Director of Research for the Institute, who also served as an editor. It must be noted here that the original Japanese manuscript was first translated into English by Chido Takeda, a member of the staff of the Institute, then checked and edited, and then re-translated back in Japanese by other staff members, for final editing.
The text is beautifully accompanied by a plethora of sketches and drawings by Sadao Sakamoto, a Shintō priest, as well as by fifteen (15) black and white photographs (called "plates", showing the age of the text). That's perhaps the only downside of the present edition by Tuttle, a well-known publishing house for the quality of its books, that bridge the gap between East and West; on one hand the black and white photographs preserve the originality of the text, on the other hand a modern edition could have been enriched with more photos, including colour ones.
Nevertheless, this is a very good edition, and an excellent reference work both for people who want a basic introduction to Shintō, as well as for students, scholars and academics studying the Shintō faith, as long as they keep in mind that this is just an introductory book.
Tὸ βιβλἰο αὐτὸ λειτουργεῖ ὡς μιὰ ἐξαιρετικὴ εἰσαγωγὴ στὸ Σίντο [神道 / Shintō, ὀρθότερη γραφὴ στὰ Ἑλληνικὰ Σίντω, γνωστὸ κιαὶ ὡς Σιντοϊσμὸς], τὴν παραδοσιακὴ κιαὶ αὐτὀχθονη πίστι τοῦ Ἰαπωνικοῦ λαοῦ. Ἡ Ἰαπωνικὴ λέξι Σίντο [神道 / Shintō] μπορεῖ νὰ μεταφραστῇ ὡς ἡ Ὁδὸς ἢ ὁ Τρόπος [道 / ντῶ / dō] τῶν Θεῶν [神 / κάμι / kami, ἰδεόγραμμα ἐπίσης προφερόμενο ὡς σὶν / shin].
Tὸ βιβλἰο περιγράφει τὴ βασικὴ μυθολογἰα τοῦ Σιντοϊσμοῦ κιαὶ τὶς πηγὲς τῆς, ἐνῶ παρουσιάζει ἀδρὰ τὴν ἔννοια τῶν κάμι [神 / kami, «θεοὶ» ἢ «θεότητες» ἢ «πνεύματα» ἢ θεοποιημένα φυσικὰ φαινόμενα]· παρέχει χρήσιμες πληροφορίες γιὰ τὰ ἱεροφυλάκια (γνωστὰ στὴν Ἀγγλικὴ ὡς shrines) τοῦ Σιντοϊσμοῦ, συμπεριλαμβανομένων τῆς ὀργάνωσῆς, τῆς ἀρχιτεκτονικῆς, κιαὶ τοῦ ἱερατείου τῶν· παρουσιάζει συνοπτικὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς λατρείας στὸ σπίτι κιαὶ δημόσια, καθὼς κιαὶ τὶς διάφορες γιορτές· δίνει ἔμφασι στὰ πνευματικὰ χαρακτηριστικὰ αὐτῆς τῆς πίστης, ἀλλὰ κιαὶ στὸν ῥόλο τῆς στὴν κοινωνικὴ κιαὶ πολιτικὴ ζωὴ τῆς Ἰαπωνίας ἀπ᾽ τὴν αὐγὴ τῆς Ἰαπωνικῆς ἱστορίας.
Γραμμένο ἀπὸ τον Δρ. Καθηγητὴ Σόκυο Ὄνο (Sokyo Ono), ἕναν Ἰάπωνα πανεπιστημιακὸ εἰδικὸ στὸ Σίντο, κιαὶ δημοσιευμένο ἀρχικὰ στὸ μακρινὸ 1960 ὡς ἐνημερωτικὸ δελτίο τοῦ Διεθνοῦς Ἰνστιτούτου γιὰ τὴ Μελέτη τῶν Θρησκειῶν, στὸ Τόκυο, τὸ κείμενο πρωτοδημοσιεύθηκε ὡς βιβλίο τὸ 1962 μὲ τὴ συνεργασία κὶ ἐπιμέλεια τοῦ Γουΐλλιαμ Π. Γούνταρντ, Διευθυντὴ Ἔρευνας τοῦ Ἰνστιτούτου. Πρέπει ἐδὼ νὰ σημειωθῇ ὅτι τὸ αὐθεντικὸ Ἰαπωνικὸ χειρόγραφο πρωτομεταφράστηκε στὴν Ἀγγλικὴ ἀπὸ τὸν Τσίντο Τακέντα (Chido Takeda), μέλος τοῦ προσωπικοῦ τοῦ Ἰντιτούτου, μετὰ ἔγινε ἔλεγχος κὶ ἐπιμέλεια, κιαὶ μετὰ ἐπαναμεταφράστηκε στὴν Ἰαπωνικὴ ἀπὸ ἄλλα μέλη τοῦ προσωπικοῦ, γιὰ τὴν τελικὴ ἐπιμέλεια.
Τὸ κείμενο συνοδεύεται ὄμορφα ἀπὸ μιὰ πληθώρα σχεδίων κιαὶ ζωγραφιῶν τοῦ Σαντάο Σακαμότο, ἱερέα τοῦ Σιντοϊσμοῦ, καθὼς κὶ ἀπὸ δεκαπέντε (15) ἀσπρόμαυρες φωτογραφίες (ποὺ ὀνομάζονται «plates» / «πλάκες», φανερώνοντας τὴν ἠλικία τοῦ κειμένου). Αὐτὸ εῖναι ἴσως τὸ μόνο ἐλάττωμα τῆς παρούσας ἔκδοσης ἀπὸ τὶς ἐκδόσεις Tuttle, ἕναν ἐκδοτικὸ οἶκο εὐρέως γνωστὸ γιὰ τὴν ποιότητα τῶν βιβλίων τοῦ, ποὺ γεφυρώνουν τὸ χάσμα μεταξὺ Ἀνατολῆς κιαὶ Δύσης· ἀπ᾽τὴν μιὰ οἱ ἀσπρόμαυρες φωτογραφίες διατηροῦν τὴν αὐθεντικὀτητα τοῦ κειμένου, ἀπ᾽τὴν ἄλλη μία σύγχρονη ἔκδοσι θὰ μποροῦσε νἄχῃ ἐμπλουτισθεῖ μὲ περισσότερες φωτογραφίες, συμπεριλαμβανομένων ἔγχρωμων.
Σὲ κάθε περίπτωσι, εἶναι μιὰ πολύ καλὴ ἔκδοσι κὶ ἕνα ἐξαιρετικὸ ἔργο ἀναφορᾶς, τόσο γιὰ ὅσους θέλουν μιὰ βασικὴ εἰσαγωγὴ στὸ Σίντο, ὅσο κιαὶ γιὰ φοιτητές, λογίους κιαὶ πανεπιστημιακοὺς ποὺ μελετοῦν τὴν πίστι τοῦ Σιντοϊσρμοῦ, ἐφόσον λάβουν ὑπόψιν ὅτι εἶναι ἀπλὼς ἕνα εἰσαγωγικὸ βιβλίο.
This book serves as a great introduction to Shintō [神道, also known in English as Shintoism], the traditional and indigenous faith of the Japanese people. The Japanese word Shintō [神道] can be translated as the Way [道 / dō] of the Gods [神 / kami, also pronounced as shin].
The book outlines the basic Shintō mythology and its sources, and it roughly presents the concept of kami [神, "gods" or "deities" or "spirits" or deified natural phaenomena]; it provides useful information on the Shintō shrines, including their organisation, architecture, and priesthood; it briefly presents the elements of worship at home and in public, as well as the various festivals; it emphasises the spiritual characteristics of this faith, and its role in the social and political life of Japan since the dawn of the Japanese history.
Written by Dr. Professor Sokyo Ono, a Japanese expert Shintō academic, and initially published back in 1960 as a bulletin of the International Institute for the Study of Religions, Tōkyō, the text was first published as a book in 1962 with the collaboration of Willian P. Woodard, Director of Research for the Institute, who also served as an editor. It must be noted here that the original Japanese manuscript was first translated into English by Chido Takeda, a member of the staff of the Institute, then checked and edited, and then re-translated back in Japanese by other staff members, for final editing.
The text is beautifully accompanied by a plethora of sketches and drawings by Sadao Sakamoto, a Shintō priest, as well as by fifteen (15) black and white photographs (called "plates", showing the age of the text). That's perhaps the only downside of the present edition by Tuttle, a well-known publishing house for the quality of its books, that bridge the gap between East and West; on one hand the black and white photographs preserve the originality of the text, on the other hand a modern edition could have been enriched with more photos, including colour ones.
Nevertheless, this is a very good edition, and an excellent reference work both for people who want a basic introduction to Shintō, as well as for students, scholars and academics studying the Shintō faith, as long as they keep in mind that this is just an introductory book.
Tὸ βιβλἰο αὐτὸ λειτουργεῖ ὡς μιὰ ἐξαιρετικὴ εἰσαγωγὴ στὸ Σίντο [神道 / Shintō, ὀρθότερη γραφὴ στὰ Ἑλληνικὰ Σίντω, γνωστὸ κιαὶ ὡς Σιντοϊσμὸς], τὴν παραδοσιακὴ κιαὶ αὐτὀχθονη πίστι τοῦ Ἰαπωνικοῦ λαοῦ. Ἡ Ἰαπωνικὴ λέξι Σίντο [神道 / Shintō] μπορεῖ νὰ μεταφραστῇ ὡς ἡ Ὁδὸς ἢ ὁ Τρόπος [道 / ντῶ / dō] τῶν Θεῶν [神 / κάμι / kami, ἰδεόγραμμα ἐπίσης προφερόμενο ὡς σὶν / shin].
Tὸ βιβλἰο περιγράφει τὴ βασικὴ μυθολογἰα τοῦ Σιντοϊσμοῦ κιαὶ τὶς πηγὲς τῆς, ἐνῶ παρουσιάζει ἀδρὰ τὴν ἔννοια τῶν κάμι [神 / kami, «θεοὶ» ἢ «θεότητες» ἢ «πνεύματα» ἢ θεοποιημένα φυσικὰ φαινόμενα]· παρέχει χρήσιμες πληροφορίες γιὰ τὰ ἱεροφυλάκια (γνωστὰ στὴν Ἀγγλικὴ ὡς shrines) τοῦ Σιντοϊσμοῦ, συμπεριλαμβανομένων τῆς ὀργάνωσῆς, τῆς ἀρχιτεκτονικῆς, κιαὶ τοῦ ἱερατείου τῶν· παρουσιάζει συνοπτικὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς λατρείας στὸ σπίτι κιαὶ δημόσια, καθὼς κιαὶ τὶς διάφορες γιορτές· δίνει ἔμφασι στὰ πνευματικὰ χαρακτηριστικὰ αὐτῆς τῆς πίστης, ἀλλὰ κιαὶ στὸν ῥόλο τῆς στὴν κοινωνικὴ κιαὶ πολιτικὴ ζωὴ τῆς Ἰαπωνίας ἀπ᾽ τὴν αὐγὴ τῆς Ἰαπωνικῆς ἱστορίας.
Γραμμένο ἀπὸ τον Δρ. Καθηγητὴ Σόκυο Ὄνο (Sokyo Ono), ἕναν Ἰάπωνα πανεπιστημιακὸ εἰδικὸ στὸ Σίντο, κιαὶ δημοσιευμένο ἀρχικὰ στὸ μακρινὸ 1960 ὡς ἐνημερωτικὸ δελτίο τοῦ Διεθνοῦς Ἰνστιτούτου γιὰ τὴ Μελέτη τῶν Θρησκειῶν, στὸ Τόκυο, τὸ κείμενο πρωτοδημοσιεύθηκε ὡς βιβλίο τὸ 1962 μὲ τὴ συνεργασία κὶ ἐπιμέλεια τοῦ Γουΐλλιαμ Π. Γούνταρντ, Διευθυντὴ Ἔρευνας τοῦ Ἰνστιτούτου. Πρέπει ἐδὼ νὰ σημειωθῇ ὅτι τὸ αὐθεντικὸ Ἰαπωνικὸ χειρόγραφο πρωτομεταφράστηκε στὴν Ἀγγλικὴ ἀπὸ τὸν Τσίντο Τακέντα (Chido Takeda), μέλος τοῦ προσωπικοῦ τοῦ Ἰντιτούτου, μετὰ ἔγινε ἔλεγχος κὶ ἐπιμέλεια, κιαὶ μετὰ ἐπαναμεταφράστηκε στὴν Ἰαπωνικὴ ἀπὸ ἄλλα μέλη τοῦ προσωπικοῦ, γιὰ τὴν τελικὴ ἐπιμέλεια.
Τὸ κείμενο συνοδεύεται ὄμορφα ἀπὸ μιὰ πληθώρα σχεδίων κιαὶ ζωγραφιῶν τοῦ Σαντάο Σακαμότο, ἱερέα τοῦ Σιντοϊσμοῦ, καθὼς κὶ ἀπὸ δεκαπέντε (15) ἀσπρόμαυρες φωτογραφίες (ποὺ ὀνομάζονται «plates» / «πλάκες», φανερώνοντας τὴν ἠλικία τοῦ κειμένου). Αὐτὸ εῖναι ἴσως τὸ μόνο ἐλάττωμα τῆς παρούσας ἔκδοσης ἀπὸ τὶς ἐκδόσεις Tuttle, ἕναν ἐκδοτικὸ οἶκο εὐρέως γνωστὸ γιὰ τὴν ποιότητα τῶν βιβλίων τοῦ, ποὺ γεφυρώνουν τὸ χάσμα μεταξὺ Ἀνατολῆς κιαὶ Δύσης· ἀπ᾽τὴν μιὰ οἱ ἀσπρόμαυρες φωτογραφίες διατηροῦν τὴν αὐθεντικὀτητα τοῦ κειμένου, ἀπ᾽τὴν ἄλλη μία σύγχρονη ἔκδοσι θὰ μποροῦσε νἄχῃ ἐμπλουτισθεῖ μὲ περισσότερες φωτογραφίες, συμπεριλαμβανομένων ἔγχρωμων.
Σὲ κάθε περίπτωσι, εἶναι μιὰ πολύ καλὴ ἔκδοσι κὶ ἕνα ἐξαιρετικὸ ἔργο ἀναφορᾶς, τόσο γιὰ ὅσους θέλουν μιὰ βασικὴ εἰσαγωγὴ στὸ Σίντο, ὅσο κιαὶ γιὰ φοιτητές, λογίους κιαὶ πανεπιστημιακοὺς ποὺ μελετοῦν τὴν πίστι τοῦ Σιντοϊσρμοῦ, ἐφόσον λάβουν ὑπόψιν ὅτι εἶναι ἀπλὼς ἕνα εἰσαγωγικὸ βιβλίο.
January 14, 2025
This is a classic introduction to Shinto, a very foreign religion to someone growing up in Canada. It was written in 1962, so I am not sure how current it is.
p. 3: Shinto has neither a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures.
p. 3: Shinto is an amalgamation of attitudes, ideas, and ways of doing things that through two milleniums and more have become an integral part of the way of the Japanese people.
p. 8: In Shinto, there is no absolute deity that is the creator and ruler of all.
p. 11: Shinto did not develop a canon because, in the first place, the shrine and its ritual mediated the kami-faith to the people; and in the second place, the acceptance of the shrine as the symbol of their communal faith made it unnecessary to guide the people by means of doctrine and instruction.
p. 15: The Grand Shrine of Ise is generally regarded as standing at the apex of all shrines.
p. 18: Association of Shinto Shrines
p. 18: Meiji Shrine
p. 19: Kokugakuin University
p. 19 Jinja Shinpo ("Shrine News")
p. 23: The mirror is one of the most common symbols of Shinto.
p. 25: Some understand the mirror, jewel, and sword to symbolize the virtues of wisdom, benevolence, and courage respectively.
p. 27: Statues are relatively rare in a shrine.
p. 27: Generally, however, there are no burial grounds near shrines.
p. 27: Kirishima Shrine covers several thousand acres.
p. 29: Inari shrines, notably Fushimi Inari south of Kyoto, are famous for these picturesque approaches.
p. 32: Guardians at the entrance
p. 34: Lanterns, Memorial Tablets, and Statues
p. 36: The other is the Taisha style, which is typified by the Grand Shrine of Izumo.
p. 37-39: Drawings of shrine style: Taisha Style, Shinmei Style, Hachiman Style, Nagare Style
p. 40: Shrines are served by priests who are primarily ritualistic.
p. 40-41: Four Priestly Classes:
1 - Ritualistics, who had charge of ceremonies and read the official ritual prayers
2 - Abstainers, maintained ceremonial purity in order to ward off pollution and keep constant contact with the kami
3 - Deviners, responsible for learning the will of the kami
4 - Dancers and musicians
p. 48: People are born, brought up, and live from generation to generation under the protection of the kami.
p. 51-57: Four Elements of Worship
1 - Purification
2 - Offerings
3 - Prayers
4 - Sacred Feast
p. 57: The kami are sincere and always guard those who have faith.
p. 63: Everything and the shrines -- its buildings, its paraphernalia, its rites, its surrounding -- contributes to the worship of the kami.
p. 72: The Meiji Restoration had two parallel and complementary objectives. One was political, the other religious. The political objective was the restoration of the direct rule of the Emperor, who for centuries had been relegated to a position of political impotence. The religious objective was to revive the Kami Way as a spiritual basis for government and society. In a sense they were identical. Consequently, it was but natural for that Shinto was made the official cult of the new government.
p. 74: After the war, there was a complete separation of church and state.
p. 80: Imperial shrines:
* Kashiwara Shrine in Nara Perfecture
* Miyazaki Shrine in Kyushu
* Heian Shrine in Kyoto
* Meiji Shrine
p. 82: Shrines as a rule do not have images as objects of worship. Generally speaking, only symbolic objects are used for this purpose, and these are kept within the holy of holies. No one is ever allowed to see them. Consequently, there has been relatively little Shinto art.
p. 86: Buddhism and Shinto were tied together for centuries
p. 93: Shrine Shinto has never had anything that resembles religious education.
p. 94: The kami-faith is caught not taught.
p. 97: Throughout the country the most beautiful spot in any community is generally the site of a shrine.
p. 98: Tree worship is very common in Shinto.
p. 99: Shrines are not places for propaganda or evangelism, but are primarily sacred dwelling places for kami.
p. 100: Omiwa Shrine in Nara Prefecture
p. 101: Most famous sacred cave: Udo Shrine in Miyazaki Prefecture
p. 103: Shinto is not a pessimistic faith. It is an optimistic faith. The world is inherently good. That which interferes with man's happiness should be expelled. It belongs to another world.
p. 105: Moral judgements as to what was considered to be good or bad where not a fixed system of standards, but varied considerably depending on each specific situation.
p. 110: The Tokugawa government (1603-1868) required all people to be buried exclusively by Buddhist priests.
p. 3: Shinto has neither a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures.
p. 3: Shinto is an amalgamation of attitudes, ideas, and ways of doing things that through two milleniums and more have become an integral part of the way of the Japanese people.
p. 8: In Shinto, there is no absolute deity that is the creator and ruler of all.
p. 11: Shinto did not develop a canon because, in the first place, the shrine and its ritual mediated the kami-faith to the people; and in the second place, the acceptance of the shrine as the symbol of their communal faith made it unnecessary to guide the people by means of doctrine and instruction.
p. 15: The Grand Shrine of Ise is generally regarded as standing at the apex of all shrines.
p. 18: Association of Shinto Shrines
p. 18: Meiji Shrine
p. 19: Kokugakuin University
p. 19 Jinja Shinpo ("Shrine News")
p. 23: The mirror is one of the most common symbols of Shinto.
p. 25: Some understand the mirror, jewel, and sword to symbolize the virtues of wisdom, benevolence, and courage respectively.
p. 27: Statues are relatively rare in a shrine.
p. 27: Generally, however, there are no burial grounds near shrines.
p. 27: Kirishima Shrine covers several thousand acres.
p. 29: Inari shrines, notably Fushimi Inari south of Kyoto, are famous for these picturesque approaches.
p. 32: Guardians at the entrance
p. 34: Lanterns, Memorial Tablets, and Statues
p. 36: The other is the Taisha style, which is typified by the Grand Shrine of Izumo.
p. 37-39: Drawings of shrine style: Taisha Style, Shinmei Style, Hachiman Style, Nagare Style
p. 40: Shrines are served by priests who are primarily ritualistic.
p. 40-41: Four Priestly Classes:
1 - Ritualistics, who had charge of ceremonies and read the official ritual prayers
2 - Abstainers, maintained ceremonial purity in order to ward off pollution and keep constant contact with the kami
3 - Deviners, responsible for learning the will of the kami
4 - Dancers and musicians
p. 48: People are born, brought up, and live from generation to generation under the protection of the kami.
p. 51-57: Four Elements of Worship
1 - Purification
2 - Offerings
3 - Prayers
4 - Sacred Feast
p. 57: The kami are sincere and always guard those who have faith.
p. 63: Everything and the shrines -- its buildings, its paraphernalia, its rites, its surrounding -- contributes to the worship of the kami.
p. 72: The Meiji Restoration had two parallel and complementary objectives. One was political, the other religious. The political objective was the restoration of the direct rule of the Emperor, who for centuries had been relegated to a position of political impotence. The religious objective was to revive the Kami Way as a spiritual basis for government and society. In a sense they were identical. Consequently, it was but natural for that Shinto was made the official cult of the new government.
p. 74: After the war, there was a complete separation of church and state.
p. 80: Imperial shrines:
* Kashiwara Shrine in Nara Perfecture
* Miyazaki Shrine in Kyushu
* Heian Shrine in Kyoto
* Meiji Shrine
p. 82: Shrines as a rule do not have images as objects of worship. Generally speaking, only symbolic objects are used for this purpose, and these are kept within the holy of holies. No one is ever allowed to see them. Consequently, there has been relatively little Shinto art.
p. 86: Buddhism and Shinto were tied together for centuries
p. 93: Shrine Shinto has never had anything that resembles religious education.
p. 94: The kami-faith is caught not taught.
p. 97: Throughout the country the most beautiful spot in any community is generally the site of a shrine.
p. 98: Tree worship is very common in Shinto.
p. 99: Shrines are not places for propaganda or evangelism, but are primarily sacred dwelling places for kami.
p. 100: Omiwa Shrine in Nara Prefecture
p. 101: Most famous sacred cave: Udo Shrine in Miyazaki Prefecture
p. 103: Shinto is not a pessimistic faith. It is an optimistic faith. The world is inherently good. That which interferes with man's happiness should be expelled. It belongs to another world.
p. 105: Moral judgements as to what was considered to be good or bad where not a fixed system of standards, but varied considerably depending on each specific situation.
p. 110: The Tokugawa government (1603-1868) required all people to be buried exclusively by Buddhist priests.
August 26, 2019
Shinto, religion or philosophy?
Shinto defined as the way of the Gods. Kami might be classed as prophet in other languages.
Kami is what you seek in living. p. xi
Kami is an honorific to noble, sacred spirits, which implies a sense of adoration for their virtues and authority. p.6
Torii gateway to a shrine from tori (bird) and i, to be means bird perch. p. 28
Book concentrates on physical setup of shrine for Shinto, most of work has to do with physical plant.
Shinto shrines have no relation with the state. They are private institutions supported and managed entirely by the shrine parishioners and worshippers. p. 75
Fundamentally, Shinto is a faith which is based on the belief that the many kami cooperate together. p. 79
3 foundation principles.
1. To express gratitude for divine favor
2. . . . in loving and being friendly with one another,
3. to pray for . . . peaceful co-existence and co-prosperity for the world. p. 82
. . . shrines should be located where the mind of man can be brought close to nature. p. 98
This world is inherently good. That which interferes with man's happiness should be expelled. It belongs to another world. p. 103 !!!!!!!!!!
Man is born with a purpose, a mission, in life. On the one hand he has the responsibility of realizing the hopes and ideals of his ancestors. On the other hand, he has the inescapable duty of treating his descendants with even greater love and care, so that they too may realize the hopes and ideals of the ancestral spirits. p. 104 [a bit weak, relying too little on self responsibility and too much on history and the ephemerality in spirits]
The Shinto manner of grasping truth takes into consideration the fact that values are constantly changing. For example, in Shinto ethics nothing -- sex, wealth, killing, etc. -- is regarded as unconditionally evil. p. 105 ??
The soul of man is good. p. 106
Salvation. The World of the kami does not transcend that of man, and man does not need to seek to enter a divine, transcendental world to attain salvation. He seeks salvation by binging the kami into the human world, into the daily lie of the home, the market place, and the cooperation of the people. Man experiences the kami in this world and salvation is attained in the harmonious development of the world. p. 107
Therefore, before worship is possible there must be purification. The rite of purification drives away evil, the intruder. But purification does not relieve a person of responsibility for his past acts. On the contrary, it lays this upon him anew. p. 108
Shinto defined as the way of the Gods. Kami might be classed as prophet in other languages.
Kami is what you seek in living. p. xi
Kami is an honorific to noble, sacred spirits, which implies a sense of adoration for their virtues and authority. p.6
Torii gateway to a shrine from tori (bird) and i, to be means bird perch. p. 28
Book concentrates on physical setup of shrine for Shinto, most of work has to do with physical plant.
Shinto shrines have no relation with the state. They are private institutions supported and managed entirely by the shrine parishioners and worshippers. p. 75
Fundamentally, Shinto is a faith which is based on the belief that the many kami cooperate together. p. 79
3 foundation principles.
1. To express gratitude for divine favor
2. . . . in loving and being friendly with one another,
3. to pray for . . . peaceful co-existence and co-prosperity for the world. p. 82
. . . shrines should be located where the mind of man can be brought close to nature. p. 98
This world is inherently good. That which interferes with man's happiness should be expelled. It belongs to another world. p. 103 !!!!!!!!!!
Man is born with a purpose, a mission, in life. On the one hand he has the responsibility of realizing the hopes and ideals of his ancestors. On the other hand, he has the inescapable duty of treating his descendants with even greater love and care, so that they too may realize the hopes and ideals of the ancestral spirits. p. 104 [a bit weak, relying too little on self responsibility and too much on history and the ephemerality in spirits]
The Shinto manner of grasping truth takes into consideration the fact that values are constantly changing. For example, in Shinto ethics nothing -- sex, wealth, killing, etc. -- is regarded as unconditionally evil. p. 105 ??
The soul of man is good. p. 106
Salvation. The World of the kami does not transcend that of man, and man does not need to seek to enter a divine, transcendental world to attain salvation. He seeks salvation by binging the kami into the human world, into the daily lie of the home, the market place, and the cooperation of the people. Man experiences the kami in this world and salvation is attained in the harmonious development of the world. p. 107
Therefore, before worship is possible there must be purification. The rite of purification drives away evil, the intruder. But purification does not relieve a person of responsibility for his past acts. On the contrary, it lays this upon him anew. p. 108
November 13, 2019
El libro está dividido en cinco apartados: "La vía de los kami", "Los santuarios", "Culto y festivales", "Características políticas y sociales" y "Características espirituales". En cada apartado se trata de la importancia que tiene el sintoísmo en diferentes ámbitos de la vida japonesa de forma clara, y siempre completándolo con imágenes, ilustraciones y aclaraciones.
I. La vía de los kami : En este apartado se hace una introducción sobre lo que es el sintoísmo y los kami (dioses). Nos aclara algunos términos principales antes de pasar a leer sobre la importancia que tiene el sintoísmo en el pueblo japonés.
Una cosa a tener en cuenta en este apartado, es que la parte de los kami no está tan desarrollada como en otros libros, ya que no nos explica la mitología japonesa al completo. Al igual que pasa en otros apartados en los que se habla de la historia de Japón; solo nos da un par de datos importantes.
II. Los santuarios : Habla de los diferentes santuarios japoneses sintoísmas, empezando por las diferentes estructuras de cada uno de ellos, pasando por las ofrendas y los sacerdotes, hasta los elementos de culto que ya preparan al japones antes de llegar al santuario, como: los torii, las tablillas conmemorativas o las estatuas.
III. Cultos y festivales : Se centra en las diversas festividades que se celebran y en todos los rituales que cada una de ellas conllevan, al igual que habla de todos los elementos necesarios mediante explicaciones, ilustraciones e imágenes.
IV. Características políticas y sociales: En este apartado se hace referencia a la vida política y como el sintoísmo ha ido cambiando a lo largo de los siglos, tanto por las influencias de otras religiones, como por los gobernantes. Se trata de un capítulo más centrado en la propia evolución de la religión.
V. Características espirituales : En el último capítulo conocemos en más profundidad la preparación previa a la llegada a los santuarios, el como ven los japoneses la vida y la muerte, y la propia naturaleza, la cual consideran muy importante.
Es una lectura muy enriquecedora para todos aquellos fans de la cultura japonesa, ya que habla en profundidad sobre la raíz de las costumbres japonesas, su espiritualidad, sus festividades y su modo de vida en la comunidad.
A pesar de ser un libro corto, es muy completo, tanto por los temas que desarrolla como por la claridad de las explicaciones, lo que hace del libro una lectura amena y entretenida, sin llegar a hacerse densa.
I. La vía de los kami : En este apartado se hace una introducción sobre lo que es el sintoísmo y los kami (dioses). Nos aclara algunos términos principales antes de pasar a leer sobre la importancia que tiene el sintoísmo en el pueblo japonés.
Una cosa a tener en cuenta en este apartado, es que la parte de los kami no está tan desarrollada como en otros libros, ya que no nos explica la mitología japonesa al completo. Al igual que pasa en otros apartados en los que se habla de la historia de Japón; solo nos da un par de datos importantes.
II. Los santuarios : Habla de los diferentes santuarios japoneses sintoísmas, empezando por las diferentes estructuras de cada uno de ellos, pasando por las ofrendas y los sacerdotes, hasta los elementos de culto que ya preparan al japones antes de llegar al santuario, como: los torii, las tablillas conmemorativas o las estatuas.
III. Cultos y festivales : Se centra en las diversas festividades que se celebran y en todos los rituales que cada una de ellas conllevan, al igual que habla de todos los elementos necesarios mediante explicaciones, ilustraciones e imágenes.
IV. Características políticas y sociales: En este apartado se hace referencia a la vida política y como el sintoísmo ha ido cambiando a lo largo de los siglos, tanto por las influencias de otras religiones, como por los gobernantes. Se trata de un capítulo más centrado en la propia evolución de la religión.
V. Características espirituales : En el último capítulo conocemos en más profundidad la preparación previa a la llegada a los santuarios, el como ven los japoneses la vida y la muerte, y la propia naturaleza, la cual consideran muy importante.
Es una lectura muy enriquecedora para todos aquellos fans de la cultura japonesa, ya que habla en profundidad sobre la raíz de las costumbres japonesas, su espiritualidad, sus festividades y su modo de vida en la comunidad.
A pesar de ser un libro corto, es muy completo, tanto por los temas que desarrolla como por la claridad de las explicaciones, lo que hace del libro una lectura amena y entretenida, sin llegar a hacerse densa.
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