Shintoism

Reverence for what is alive, and near.

All 108 concepts

• Kami - The Sacred Spirits — Kami are the divine spirits or gods that inhabit all aspects of nature, ancestors, and sacred phenomena.
• Amaterasu Omikami - The Sun Goddess — The supreme kami of the sun, progenitor of the imperial line, and principal deity of Shinto.
• Musubi - The Creative Force — The vital power of creation, growth, and becoming that flows through all existence.
• Izanagi and Izanami - The Creator Couple — The divine pair who created the Japanese islands and gave birth to countless kami.
• Yaoyorozu no Kami - The Eight Million Kami — The countless kami that inhabit every aspect of the natural and spiritual world.
• Tama - The Spirit Soul — The spiritual essence or soul that animates all living beings and connects them to the divine.
• Susanoo - The Storm Kami — The powerful kami of storms and seas, brother of Amaterasu, representing the wild forces of nature.
• Inari - The Kami of Rice and Prosperity — The beloved kami of rice, fertility, industry, and worldly success, honored at countless shrines.
• Nigi-mitama - The Peaceful Spirit — The gentle, harmonious aspect of kami that brings blessings, peace, and good fortune.
• Ara-mitama - The Rough Spirit — The powerful, assertive aspect of kami that can be destructive but also protective and energizing.
• Tsukuyomi - The Moon Kami — The kami of the moon, ruling the realm of night and representing the cycles of time.
• Okuninushi - The Great Land Master — The kami who developed the earthly realm and rules the unseen world of spirits.
• Kannagara - Living in Accord with Kami — The natural way of the kami, living spontaneously in harmony with divine nature.
• Mitama-shiro - The Divine Vessel — Sacred objects that serve as dwelling places or vessels for kami spirits.
• Harae - Ritual Purification — The essential Shinto practice of cleansing impurities to restore spiritual harmony.
• Misogi - Water Purification — The practice of purifying body and spirit through ritual immersion in water.
• Kegare - Spiritual Impurity — The concept of ritual impurity that disrupts harmony and requires purification.
• Temizu - Hand and Mouth Washing — The ritual washing at shrine entrances that prepares worshippers to encounter the sacred.
• Oharae - The Great Purification — The major purification ceremony performed twice yearly to cleanse the entire nation.
• Imi - Sacred Abstinence — The practice of ritual abstinence and avoidance to maintain purity for sacred duties.
• Shubatsu - Purification Implements — Sacred tools used in purification rituals, including the haraigushi wand and salt.
• Norito - Ritual Prayers — The ancient liturgical prayers recited by priests to communicate with and honor the kami.
• Shinsen - Sacred Food Offerings — The ritual offerings of food and drink presented to the kami at shrines.
• Sakaki - The Sacred Tree — The evergreen tree used in Shinto rituals as a symbol of enduring purity and divine presence.
• Shide - Sacred Paper Streamers — The zigzag paper strips that mark sacred spaces and objects in Shinto.
• Shimenawa - The Sacred Rope — The straw ropes that demarcate sacred spaces and prevent impurity from entering.
• Kiyome - Everyday Cleanliness — The practice of maintaining cleanliness in daily life as a form of spiritual discipline.
• Kagura - Sacred Dance — The ritual dances performed at shrines to entertain and honor the kami.
• Shizen - Nature as Divine Manifestation — The Shinto understanding that nature itself is the body and expression of the kami.
• Shinboku - Sacred Trees — Trees recognized as dwelling places of kami, marked with shimenawa ropes.
• Yama no Kami - Mountain Spirits — The kami dwelling in mountains, revered as the source of water and agricultural blessings.
• Iwakura - Sacred Stones — Rock formations believed to be seats or dwelling places of kami.
• Ta no Kami - Rice Field Spirits — The kami that protect and bless the rice paddies, ensuring abundant harvests.
• Umi no Kami - Sea Spirits — The kami of the ocean, revered by fishermen and coastal communities.
• Kawa no Kami - River Spirits — The kami dwelling in rivers, honored for providing water and fertility.
• Chinju no Mori - Sacred Shrine Groves — The forested areas surrounding shrines, preserved as the natural habitat of kami.
• Shiki - The Four Seasons — The reverence for seasonal changes as expressions of the kami's creative power.
• Hinomaru - The Sacred Sun — Reverence for the sun as the supreme source of life and symbol of Amaterasu.
• Mizu - Sacred Water — Water as the essence of life and primary agent of purification in Shinto.
• Hanami - Flower Viewing — The spiritual practice of appreciating cherry blossoms as a meditation on beauty and impermanence.
• Kami of Wind and Thunder — The powerful kami Fujin and Raijin who control weather and protect against storms.
• Mono no Aware - Pathos of Things — The bittersweet appreciation of the transient beauty of nature and life.
• Jinja - The Shinto Shrine — Sacred spaces where kami are enshrined and where humans can commune with the divine.
• Torii - The Sacred Gateway — The distinctive gates marking the entrance to sacred shrine grounds.
• Sanpai - Shrine Worship — The proper method of worship at Shinto shrines.
• Ema - Votive Tablets — Wooden tablets on which worshippers write prayers and wishes to the kami.
• Omamori - Sacred Amulets — Protective charms obtained at shrines to bring blessings and ward off misfortune.
• Omikuji - Sacred Lottery — Fortune papers drawn at shrines to receive divine guidance and predictions.
• Kannushi - Shinto Priests — The priests who serve the kami and perform rituals at Shinto shrines.
• Miko - Shrine Maidens — Young women who assist in shrine rituals and perform sacred dances.
• Haiden - The Worship Hall — The outer hall of a shrine where worshippers offer prayers.
• Honden - The Main Sanctuary — The innermost sacred building housing the kami or their symbol.
• Suzu - The Sacred Bell — The bells rung at shrines to attract the kami's attention and purify the space.
• Saisen - Offering Coins — Monetary offerings made at shrines as an expression of gratitude and petition.
• Hatsumode - First Shrine Visit — The tradition of visiting shrines during the first days of the New Year.
• Tamagushi - Sacred Offering — Branches of sakaki offered to the kami as a symbol of sincerity and respect.
• Matsuri - Sacred Festivals — The vibrant festivals that celebrate the kami and renew community bonds.
• Mikoshi - The Portable Shrine — The sacred palanquin that carries the kami through the community during festivals.
• Shogatsu - New Year Celebration — The most important Shinto festival marking the arrival of the New Year.
• Obon - Festival of Ancestors — The summer festival honoring deceased ancestors who return to visit the living.
• Shichi-Go-San - Children's Festival — The festival celebrating children at ages three, five, and seven.
• Setsubun - Bean-Throwing Festival — The festival marking the transition from winter to spring, driving out evil spirits.
• Niiname-sai - Harvest Thanksgiving — The imperial harvest festival offering first fruits to the kami.
• Tori-no-Ichi - Rooster Market Festival — The November festival for prosperity and good fortune in business.
• Tanabata - Star Festival — The festival celebrating the once-yearly meeting of the stellar lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi.
• Rei-sai - Annual Grand Festival — The main annual festival of each shrine, honoring its principal kami.
• Hina Matsuri - Doll Festival — The March festival celebrating girls and praying for their health and happiness.
• Tango no Sekku - Boys' Festival — The May festival celebrating boys and praying for their strength and success.
• Autumn Festivals - Harvest Joy — The autumn festivals celebrating the rice harvest with gratitude to the kami.
• Makoto - Sincerity — The Shinto virtue of truthfulness, genuineness, and sincere devotion.
• Wa - Harmony — The essential value of harmony in relationships, community, and with nature.
• Shojiki - Uprightness — The virtue of moral straightness and honest dealing in all matters.
• Kansha - Gratitude — The practice of expressing thankfulness for blessings received from kami and others.
• Naobi - Rectification — The power to correct wrongdoing and restore harmony after transgression.
• Sei-mei-shin - Pure and Bright Heart — The ideal of maintaining a pure, bright, and cheerful spirit.
• Tsumi - Transgression — Actions that violate natural order and create impurity requiring purification.
• Meue o Uyamau - Respect for Elders — The virtue of honoring and respecting those who are older and wiser.
• Kinro - Diligent Work — The virtue of working diligently as a form of spiritual practice.
• On - Obligation and Gratitude — The network of mutual obligation and gratitude that binds society together.
• Akarui Kokoro - Bright Heart — Maintaining a positive, optimistic, and cheerful attitude toward life.
• Giri - Duty and Obligation — The moral obligations that arise from one's relationships and social position.
• Saisei Itchi - Unity of Worship and Government — The traditional ideal of governance aligned with divine principles.
• Tadashii - Righteousness — Acting rightly in accordance with truth and proper order.
• Sosen Suhai - Ancestor Worship — The veneration of deceased ancestors as protective spirits and sources of blessing.
• Kamidana - The Home Shrine — The household altar where families honor the kami and ancestors daily.
• Butsudan - The Family Buddhist Altar — The altar honoring deceased family members with Buddhist and Shinto elements.
• Ihai - Ancestral Tablets — Wooden tablets inscribed with ancestors' posthumous names, representing their spirits.
• Haka Mairi - Grave Visiting — The practice of visiting and tending ancestral graves.
• Tama Matsuri - Soul Festivals — Ceremonies honoring the spirits of the deceased at various times of the year.
• Sorei - Ancestral Spirits — The collective spirits of the ancestors who protect and guide their descendants.
• Ie - The Family System — The traditional household system that connects living members with ancestors.
• Shinobi - Remembrance — The practice of remembering and honoring the deceased through ongoing attention.
• Kuyo - Memorial Services — Ritual ceremonies performed for the benefit of the deceased.
• Ujigami - Clan Deity — The ancestral kami of a family or clan, serving as its special protector.
• Reibai - Spirit Veneration — The formal worship and veneration of ancestral spirits.
• Mitama-shizume - Spirit Pacification — Rituals to calm and settle the spirits of the recently deceased.
• Yamato Damashii - Japanese Spirit — The distinctive spiritual character and virtue of the Japanese people.
• Shinto - The Way of the Kami — The indigenous spiritual path of Japan, honoring the kami in all aspects of life.
• Kokugaku - National Learning — The scholarly movement to recover authentic Japanese spiritual traditions.
• Ise Jingu - The Grand Shrine — The most sacred shrine of Shinto, dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami.
• Shikinen Sengu - Periodic Renewal — The practice of periodically rebuilding shrines to maintain eternal youth.
• Kuni no Michi - The Way of the Land — Living in harmony with the specific sacred landscape of Japan.
• Nihon Shinwa - Japanese Mythology — The sacred stories of kami, creation, and divine ancestry recorded in ancient texts.
• Shinbutsu Shugo - Kami-Buddha Synthesis — The historical blending of Shinto and Buddhist practice in Japan.
• Matsuri Seiji - Ritual Governance — The principle that proper governance includes maintaining correct ritual relationships with kami.
• Junrei - Sacred Pilgrimage — The practice of visiting sacred sites to receive the blessings of various kami.
• Shukyo Kokka - Religious Nation — The understanding of Japan as a land especially blessed by and connected to the kami.
• Shinzen - Living Before the Kami — The awareness of living always in the presence of the divine.

Essays on Shintoism

• What Shinto says about family and ancestors — Ten Shinto concepts on family: the household as a line, the home shrine, ancestral spirits, grave visiting, Obon, and debts of gratitude.
• What Shinto says about reverence — Nine Shinto concepts on reverence: kami, nature as divine body, the torii, washing at the gate, the order of worship, gratitude and sincerity.
• What Shinto says about cycles and renewal — Ten Shinto concepts on cycles: the four seasons, musubi, the twice-yearly great purification, rebuilding Ise, first shrine visits and transient beauty.
• What Shinto says about beauty — Ten Shinto concepts on beauty: sacred trees never cut, the shrine grove, the torii frame, cleanliness, the seasons, hanami, mono no aware and Uzume's dance.
• What Shinto says about conflict with people close to you — Ten Shinto concepts on quarrels with people close to you, from Amaterasu's cave and Uzume's dance to tsumi, naobi, harmony and the weight of giri.
• What Shinto says about starting again after a fall — Ten Shinto concepts on beginning again: tsumi, kegare, harae, misogi, Susanoo's exile, naobi, the Great Purification, and Ise rebuilt every twenty years.