# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser.

Video transcript

Shinto is Japan's earliest religion. Its followers respect and hold rituals for kami, formless invisible spirits that animate all&nbsp;things and all life. Natural phenomena, humans, and inanimate objects can be vessels for kami. Shinto&nbsp;began its development more than 2,000 years ago. It consisted of rituals for the well-being of the&nbsp;community. Shinto shrines are everywhere in Japan. They range from small household altars to large complexes. Some are found at rural sites, while others are part of the urban landscape. A shrine&nbsp;building is thought to be a temporary residence for the kami, represented by a sacred object&nbsp; hidden from view inside the inner sanctuary. Visitors to a Shinto shrine enter&nbsp; through an archway called a torii.&nbsp;&nbsp; The torii separates everyday space&nbsp;from sacred space. Visitors purify themselves by rinsing their hands and mouths with water from a basin. In front of the shrine, they call for the&nbsp;kami's attention. It might petition for a healthy child or success in college&nbsp;entrance exams. Good luck charms are for sale, and visitors can leave written&nbsp;petitions on special plaques or strips of white paper that will later be used&nbsp; in a ritual by the priests. Kami are occasionally represented in human form,&nbsp; such as these two artworks in the museum. However, many traditional arts, like sword&nbsp;making, are connected with Shinto practice. Most Japanese mark important personal moments&nbsp;at shrines, such as coming-of-age ceremonies and&nbsp;weddings, Though its roots are ancient, Shinto&nbsp;practice is part of contemporary life. At the many annual Shinto festivals, kami are asked to&nbsp;bless the community and its economic livelihood. The kami are jostled in their portable shrines as a way to entertain them during their visit. Purification rites are prominent in Shinto&nbsp;rituals. Water and even fire are used. People visit shrines in large numbers at New Years to seek good fortune in the coming year. These Shinto practices have developed&nbsp; and adapted to changing lifestyles in Japan for hundreds of years, and surely will continue to evolve in the future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.uri.org/kids/world-religions/shintoism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What do its followers believe? Shinto means the way of the gods. Shintoism is an Ancient religion of Japan. It started at least as long ago as 1000 B.C.E. but is still practiced today by at least five million people. The followers of Shintoism believe that spiritual powers exist in the natural world. They believe that spirits called "kami" live in natural places such as in animals, plants, stones, mountains, rivers, people and even the dead.

Shinto places of worship are called shrines and are usually found in beautiful natural settings. The shrine contains an Inner Hall which is only entered by Shinto priests since it is believed kami are present. Shinto priests can be either male or female. Purity is important to Shinto followers and therefore they rinse their mouths and wash their hands and hang up wooden tablets with prayers on them before entering the prayer hall. Once inside, the kami is summoned with a bell and offered rice or money. After which the worshiper bows twice and claps twice to welcome the kami then bows again.

Shinto shrines are marked by a special archway called a torii. This archway is believed to separate the sacred world of the shrine from the world outside. There are about 80,000 shrines all over Japan. Each shrine has a yearly festival in which people pay their respects to the kami and celebrate with food and drink.

Worship also happens in homes and at work through simple offerings of rice and tea and prayers. The rice and tea is placed on a special shelf called a "godshelf" . Prayers are often addressed to the family ancestors.

The most important kami is Amaterasu, the sun goddess. She is believed to be the ancestor to the emperors of Japan. Her shrine is at Ise and is the most important shrine in Japan. Inari, the rice producer, is also an important kami since rice is such an important food in Japan.

Yes, it is and many Japanese people practice both. The beliefs are very compatible and not contradictory.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What do its followers believe? Shinto means the way of the gods. Shintoism is an Ancient religion of Japan. It started at least as long ago as 1000 B.C.E. but is still practiced today by at least five million people. The followers of Shintoism believe that spiritual powers exist in the natural world.

# data[].attributes.body
https://kids.kiddle.co/Shinto

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Shinto ( Japanese: 神道) is a form of Japanese animism. They believe there are many Kami, translated as gods or nature spirits. Some "kami" are just spirits of certain places, and some are the overall "kami" (like "Amaterasu", the Sun goddess).

# data[].attributes.body
They worship at shrines.
1. purify (wash hands)
2. offer money or food to the gods
3. pray

# data[].attributes.body
Spirits that exist everywhere in different parts of nature

# data[].attributes.body
Humans are naturally good

# data[].attributes.body
an organized system made up of beliefs, of ceremonies, and of rules used to worship a god or gods

# data[].attributes.body
"the way of the gods"

# data[].attributes.body
Two gods came down from heaven on a bridge. One dipped his sword into the ocean and it formed the islands of Japan

# data[].attributes.body
Sun Goddess
-most important god

# data[].attributes.body
The red circle represents the sun