XXIII. THE REAL SHINTO
"This website is devoted to the Japanese Calligraphy of master calligrapher Eri Takase. Here you will find hundreds of examples of works in Japanese Calligraphy. WHEN the autumn came and the maple trees turned scarlet, the men returned from their long summer holidays. After that Asako's lot became heavier than ever. "What is this talk of tall beds and special cooking?," said Mr. Fujinami Gentaro. "The girl is a Japanese. She must live like a Japanese and be proud of it."
http://www.takase.com/JohnParis/Chapter_23.htm
Basic Terms of Shinto: Table of Contents
"Table of Contents. Preface. Foreword to Reprinted Edition. Contributors to the First Edition. Contents. Differences from Reprinted Edition. Glossary of Japanese Names, Terms and Titles in the Text."
http://www.kokugakuin.ac.jp/ijcc/wp/bts/index.html
Early Shinto
"A chapter in the learning module "Ancient Japan," "Shinto" explains the overall history and development of Shinto, the nature of Shinto divinities, and the general practice of Shinto worship. CONTENT: ancient Japan Japanese history histories historical philosophy philosphies philosopher philosophers literature literatures poetry poet poets poem poems religion religions religious thought practice practices Nara Heian Tokugawa kokugaku kokugakushu Japanese studies kami god gods goddesses Amaterasu Ama-terasu kannagara deity deities myth myths mythology mythologies worship."
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ANCJAPAN/SHINTO.HTM
Encyclopedia.com - Results for Shinto
"Ancient native religion of Japan still practiced in a form modified by the influence of Buddhism and Confucianism. In its present form it is characterized less by religious doctrine or belief than by the observance of traditional rituals and customs involving reverence of ancestors, the celebration of popular festivals, and pilgrimages to shrines believed to house a great host of mostly beneficent supernatural beings or deities called kami. Shinto beliefs and rituals were transmitted orally long before the introduction (5th cent.) of Chinese writing into Japan; much of the ancient belief is gathered in three later compilations of records, rituals, and prayers-the Kojiki (completed A.D. 712), the Nihongi (completed A.D. 720), and the Yengishiki (10th cent.). These accounts describe the development of early Japanese religion from the worship of the forces and forms of nature to a stage of polytheism in which spiritual conceptions had only a small place. The most exalted among the deities was the sun goddess, Amaterasu-o-mi-kami, held to be the ancestor of the line of emperors of Japan, each of whom was chief priest by divine right. In 1882 all Shinto organizations were divided into two groups, government-supervised state shrines and sectarian churches. A powerful tool in the hands of the militarists, state Shinto collapsed with the defeat of Japan in World War II and the disavowal (1946) by Emperor HIROHITO of his divinity. Sectarian Shinto still thrives; there is no dogmatic system and no formulated code of morals, but some newer sects stress world peace and brotherhood."
http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/11820.html
History
"History of Shinto Yoshin Jiu-Jitsu. Since it's inception, little has been known about the style of Shinto Yoshin Ryu Jiu-Jitsu except by its' members and instructors. Its history is still shrouded in mystery being that in keeping with tradition the style has been passed down from instructor to student without any formal writings. We do know that the founder of Shinto Yoshin Ryu was Master Ishijima. His father, Matsuoka, was a subject of the Tokugawa shogunate and had learned Jiu-Jitsu in the martial arts school of the shogunate."
http://www.compuzone.net/shuri/history.htm
Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
"The island of Itsukushima, in the inland sea of Seto, has been the holy place of Shintoism since the earliest times. Its first temples were probably built in the sixth century. The present shrine dates from the 13th century and its harmoniously arranged buildings show great artistic and technical qualities. The shrine plays on the contrasts of colours and shapes between sea and mountains and perfectly illustrates the Japanese idea of scenic beauty, combining nature and human creativity."
http://www.unesco.org/whc/sites/776.htm
JAPAN BOOKSTORE: Mind and Spirit Aisle
"O-Hayo Sensei's Online JAPAN BOOKSTORE has researched, collected and now offers the best selection of the best books (and videos) about Japan. Our well-stocked aisles include: travel, contemporary culture, teaching materials, learning Japanese (kanji, hiragana, grammar and dictionaries), Japan-themed books, business, cuisine, living guides, literature, pop culture, traditional culture, history and books for kids. Content: book, nihon, nihongo, store, asia, apanese, japan, Shinto, Buddhism, Christianity, philosophy."
http://www.ohayosensei.com/books/spirit.html
Japanese religious mind
"E-mail:sugita@aba.ne.jp. Japanese basic religious mind is folk Shinto's mind. Basically,God is the same as Buddha and sometimes as God of Christianity for the Japanese people. Anyone has quality of the god, and will be like Buddha when he(she) dies in Japan. The Japanese people are careful to believe strictly in only one God, or only one sect of religion. The Japanese people are fond of Matsuri (festivals) withe the Kami(god) as a guest of honor. Conclusion..."
http://www.aba.ne.jp/~sugita/jamaind.html
Randy's 'Favorite Getaways in Rural Japan' p 10
"JAPANESE NAMING CONVENTIONS. The names of Buddhist temples (tera or o-tera) usually end in the suffixes "-ji" or "-in" (To-ji, Jako-in), but occasionally "-dera" (Oka-dera). Shinto shrines (jinja) end in "-jinja" (Yasaka Jinja), or for larger shrines "-jingu" or just "-gu" (Meiji Jingu, Kitano Tenman-gu), and occasionally "-taisha" (Sumiyoshi Taisha). The word miya is the same character as -gu (large shrine) and is commonly used in place names (Sannomiya, Ichinomiya, Miyazaki), but is pronounced gu in the names of actual shrines."
http://www.ease.com/~randyj/rjjapan8.htm
Shinto
"Volume IV, Shinto ISBN 1-888612-01-0. ONLY A FEW LEFT! This volume covers the period from 1596-1771. The smiths are presented grouped under the individual kuni from which they came. For example, from Yamashiro no Kuni, there are the Umetada Kei, the Horikawa Kei, and the Mishina Kei, and from Settsu no Kuni, which is in the area of present day Osaka, there are the Kunihiro Kei, the Mishina Kei, the Kaneyasu Kei, and the Tadatsuna Kei. Some provinces are grouped together, due to a dirth of notable smiths."
http://www.afuresearch.com/shinto.htm
Shinto Institute
" SHINTO INSTITUTE. Shinto is the fruit of Japanese spiritual labor from ancient times, and of the efforts made by our ancestors to maintain traditional ritual life and give it a moral foundation. Shinto is not a denomination, nor is it a narrow ideology. Rather it is the core of Japanese culture based on proper religious manners and customs."
http://www.kogakkan-u.ac.jp/eng/ise/index17.html
THE JAPANESE GARDEN, SHINTO and TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE
"The Japanese garden is very important both to traditional Japanese architecture and as a reflection of Japanese religious values. Traditional Japanese architecture, for instance, is very "open" and very much a part of the outside world (hence closely tied to the garden). Moreover the Japanese garden is usually placed so as to be seen from the most important part of the house (or from where one would place a tea ceremony room). From this room you can look out directly upon the garden and gaze at its beauty.
http://www.csuohio.edu/history/shiga96/pages/ryu.html
The Mystery of the Far East
"The Far East has always held an allure for most people, as a result of its mystery and intrigue. Japanese weddings are very
beautiful and spiritual occasions which encompass aspects of the Far East that appeal to Westerners. In Japan wedding traditions tend to vary according to the region, family traditions and the class systems. Four types of ceremonies dominate: Shinto (the
native Japanese religion), Buddhist, Christian and non-religious. The religious aspects often dictate the ‘style’ of the ceremony, and therefore they are often known as Shinto-style or Christian-style weddings, and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the couple."
http://www.wedding.co.za/9808/Articles/jap.htm
What is Shinto in Brief
"Shinto is Japan's indigenous religion; a complex of ancient folk belief and rituals; basically animistic religion that perceives the presence of gods or of the sacred in animals, in plants, and even in things which have no life, such as stones and waterfalls. The roots go back to the distant past. A large number of items discovered amongst remains dating from the Jomon period (up to 200 B.C.) are thought to have had some magical significance.'
http://www.shinto.org/2-1-e.html
Reviewed by Dil. Lightbeings do it much better!
