False_Evening_739
u/False_Evening_739
Feed options
Hot
New
Top
View
Card
Compact
I'm Japanese (born and raised in Japan), and I wanted to share how most of us actually experience what the rest of the world calls "Shintoism".
Statistically, Japan ranks as one of the most "irreligious" countries in global surveys — yet almost everyone participates in shrine visits, New Year's hatsumōde, shichi-go-san, ground-breaking ceremonies, weddings at shrines, etc., without a second thought.
The key reason this isn't contradictory is that, to the average Japanese person, this isn't experienced as "religion" in the Western/Abrahamic sense.
There is no founder, no sacred scripture everyone must read, no creed to recite, no requirement to "believe in" anything to be part of it, no salvation-or-damnation narrative, no orthodoxy vs. heresy debates.
It's simply part of the cultural default setting — like taking off your shoes indoors or saying "itadakimasu" before meals.
As kids, many of us were taught things like:
- "O-Tentō-sama ga miteru yo" (The sun/heaven is always watching you) — a gentle moral reminder that isn't tied to any specific god, but implies an all-seeing natural order.
- "Okome hitotsubu ni mo nanatsu no kami ga iru" (Even a single grain of rice has seven gods living in it) — this kind of animistic worldview is baked into everyday life and language from childhood.
These aren't "doctrines" we actively believe or debate; they're just background assumptions about the world being alive with kami (spirits/gods/divine presences) everywhere — in nature, in objects, in food, in ancestors.
The English term "Shintoism" (with the "-ism") makes it sound like a systematic ideology or organized belief system with exclusive membership — which is exactly what it isn't for 99% of Japanese people.
It's more accurate to call it a "way" (michi), a set of customs, seasonal practices, and a diffuse sense of reverence for the sacred in the everyday.
So when I see phrases like "Shintoism teaches..." or "Shintoists believe...", or people saying "I'm converting to Shintoism", it unintentionally projects a structure and exclusivity that doesn't match lived reality here.
What do people who study comparative religion think about this gap?
Does the "-ism" label bother other Japanese folks too, or am I overthinking it?
Non-Japanese folks: how does this explanation change (or not change) the way you see "Shinto"?
As a Japanese I can tell you that Shinto is quite different from other religions because it has no official scripture, strict rules, or mandatory obligations. Even the term "Shintoist" feels a bit out of place to us. Rather than a formal religion, Shinto is more like an indigenous culture inseparable from Japanese life. For example: • Birth: When a baby is born, we visit a shrine for Omiyamairi to introduce the child to the local deity. • Childhood: At age five (and three and seven), we celebrate Shichi-Go-San by visiting a shrine again. • Daily Life: Our local festivals and community events are almost all rooted in Shinto traditions. • Tradition: We visit shrines to ring in the New Year or whenever we want to make a special wish. Roughly 90% of Japanese people participate in these Shinto rituals throughout their lives, yet most don't consciously identify as "believers." Because of this, there isn't really a "way to start" practicing Shinto. However, if you're interested, learning about the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) is a great place to begin.
[removed]
Post is awaiting moderator approval.
I'm Japanese. I'm using a translator so sorry if it sounds unnatural.
Of course it's best to buy a kamidana at a shrine, but they're expensive so sometimes I buy one at a regular store. In Japan, things that are generally placed there are salt and sake, and also a small round mirror.
But above all, it's important to have something in your heart!
The most important thing is the sacred talisman(神札), do you have one?
Sorry, this post has been removed by the moderators of r/meme.
