Along with Buddhism, Shintoism is one of the more common religions in Japan. Shintoism has been a major religion in Japan for over two millennia and as such has become more of a general philosophy and way of life for many Japanese than a religion per se. It pervades all parts of the culture and guides the culture and the majority Japanese point of view overall. The four major traditions of Japanese Shintoism are Koshitsu, Jinja, Kyoha and Minzoku.
Kami is the core concept of Shintoism. It is the general term used to refer to the presence that all things, people, spirits and natural events have in the world. Those things or beings that display a unique place in the world, a particular beauty, poetry of being or significance are referred to specifically as Kami. Kami may also refer to the original spirits who created the world and who continue to act through humans, on humans and in nature. The Kami are not omniscient or virtuous, but rather mischievous and error-prone at times.
Makoto is the Japanese word for sincerity. Sincerity is the ethical foundation on which Shintoism is built and it replaces the complex systems of rules and guidelines that many other religions depend on for examples of a positive lifestyle. For example, if you are sincere, there is little chance that you will do wrong toward another, destroy the environment or be disrespectful in any way.
In the eyes of Shintoism, people are born good. All the negatives in life are added as a person grows and lives, and only with purification can these things be removed and the person returned to the purified state in which she was born. The pollutions that soil a person's existence can be physical illness, mistakes in moral judgement or spiritual interference from evil beings. When a person becomes polluted, she can be cleansed through the ritual application of water, salt or the use of a purification wand, or haraigushi, and thus returned to a state of purity.
Those who practice Shinto believe that family lies at the center of the faith. Without family there is no tradition, and the beliefs of Shintoism would fade. Personal hygiene is also important and must be maintained by bathing, and by keeping your hands and mouth clean. A lack of hygiene pollutes the body and does not align with the purity that is so central to Shinto belief.
Shintoism teaches that all the elements of the universe exist together in one space. For example, the everyday physical world of humans exists in the same plane as the spiritual world of one's ancestors and the realm of the Kami. All things influence one another, and the need for balance between these elements is paramount. Shintoism is the constant effort that every person must make to keep all things in harmony.
