Shinto: Japanese Pride

                Domestic Shinto is widely practice here in Japan. Even facing many challenges, Shinto survives in the hearts and minds of millions of Japanese people.

                Domestic Shinto is found in many Japanese homes, as it is simple and has become a part of the Japanese way of life for millions of Japanese.  One way it can be seen is many homes have a shelf, called a kami-dana, where the family places several symbols upon it that have religious significance.

These symbols can be anything.  Some are simple offerings such as flowers and food, while others are talismans, called Ofuda.  I have traveled to many temples here in Japan, at these temples you can purchase a little wooden trinket that has a kami's name burned onto it.  The Ofuda is placed on the kami-dana to protect the house from bad fortune and spirits.

                Shinto has faced many challenges that could have completely wiped it out but Shinto is still just as strong as it ever was and may even be stronger.  One of greatest challenges was the loss of the government support for Shinto as the official state religion.  Despite this lack of government support Shinto is still a part of Japanese culture and their way of life.

Many labor unions and politicians are Shinto based securing Shinto into everyday life in Japan.  With Buddhism as Shinto's rival, many Japanese only see it as a secondary practice.  Even the high rate of industrialization that would cause Shinto to appear to be an ancient and obsolete religion, could not make the religion dissipate and dissolve into nothingness.  

The reason is simple; Shinto helps the average person cope with their daily stress and creates a sense of patriotism throughout Japan.  When we think of Japan and its people what we innately perceive as Japanese is Shinto. Shinto has had the most affect on the creation of the Japanese culture.