神道 (Shintō) - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
Shinto, often translated as "the way of the gods," is more an ancient sensibility woven into the fabric of Japan than a codified religion. It's an indigenous spiritual tradition centered on reverence for kami, deities or spirits inhabiting natural elements and ancestral figures. To call it simply a religion overlooks its pervasiveness; Shinto is deeply entwined with Japanese identity, blurring the lines between the sacred and the mundane.
The term "Shinto" itself emerged relatively late, during the 6th century CE, as a way to distinguish native beliefs from the newly arrived Buddhism. Prior to this, the practices were simply the "way of the land," passed down through oral traditions and rituals. Early glimpses can be found in the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters, 712 CE) and the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan, 720 CE), mytho-historical accounts that provided a lineage for the imperial family and detailed interactions between humans and kami. These texts, however, were themselves products of a turbulent era, a time of political consolidation and the adaptation of foreign ideologies. How much they reflect authentic pre-Buddhist beliefs remains a question that fuels ongoing scholarly debate.
Over centuries, Shinto absorbed influences from Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism, resulting in a complex syncretism. The Meiji Restoration (1868) saw an attempt to separate Shinto from Buddhist practices, elevating it to a state religion with the emperor as its central figure. This "State Shinto" eventually dissolved after World War II, but its legacy continues to shape perceptions of Shinto today. Consider the Ise Grand Shrine, rebuilt every twenty years in a meticulous ritual dating back centuries. Why this specific adherence to tradition? What forgotten knowledge is preserved in these acts of renewal? Or contemplate the common sight of torii gates, vermillion portals marking the entrance to sacred spaces. Their simple yet striking presence provokes a sense of entering somewhere other, a space where the boundary between the human and the divine becomes permeable.
Even now, Shinto continues to evolve, finding new expressions in contemporary art, environmental movements, and popular culture. It persists not merely as a relic of the past, but as a living force that shapes how the Japanese people understand themselves and their relationship with the world. But is its underlying essence still discernable beneath the layers of historical and cultural accretion, or has the "way of the gods" transformed into something altogether new?