The Underlying Spirit of Japan: Shintoism

Torii Gate of Peace in Hakone

Japan is one of the best countries to visit. It consistently remains atop of everybody's bucket list. Why? Its prosperous economy, unbelievable natural beauty, and unique culture truly make it a country like no other. Everyone will tell you a country they’ve recently visited is like no other. Japan is a tier above. One vastly important and vastly underrated aspect of Japan is its religion: Shintoism. Shintoism is one of the oldest religions in the world and continues to weave its influence into the everyday life of the Japanese people. 

What Is Shintoism?

A Shinto shrine in Kyoto

Shintoism is a religion that is a bit difficult to define. It doesn’t have an overarching guiding text like the Bible or Quran, and most of what we know about it comes from historical anecdotes. Shintoism follows neither a single God nor many gods. Rather it is the personal worship of kami, sacred spirits within nature that protect sacred spaces and promote peace.  These spirits are believed to live in their own spiritual world among other kamis, but are largely concerned with the peace and prosperity here on Earth. They can be prayed to for good luck in business, health, or relationships. They can be prayed to for gratitude or advice. There are thousands of kami all representing something unique. Yet you can offer alms to any one of them regarding anything. Thus, Shintoism could be described as a set of cultural beliefs and practices rather than a formal religion. In this way, Shintoism allows for a personally spiritual practice without an overarching clergy that preaches to people what is considered sin or sinless. People are left to practice on their own. 

Torii gate at the entrance of the Meiji Jingu shrine

Shintoism is mainly practiced in shrines. The shrine is considered to be the home of the kami and the site of prayer. They are maintained by both priests and the local community. They range in size and location. They could be in the middle of a forest, the side of the road, or even between buildings. Some cover large swaths of land, while others are barely 10 yards. These sacred places are easily recognizable with the popularized torii gates. Once you pass beneath these gates, you are now standing in the shrine. Due to the sacred nature of the physical space, infrastructure is built around these shrines. Which explains why you could have a huge forested shrine in the middle of the city. It is a wonderful example of Japan's harmonious stitching between its nature and built environment. 

Shrine Experiences Throughout Japan

Arguably the most important shrine in Japan is the Meiji Jingju in Tokyo. Covering over 173 acres, the Meiji Jingju is one of the largest Shinto shrines and lies within big forested park. In the middle of Tokyo's busiest areas. Surrounded by over 100,000 different kinds of plants and trees, this shrine park completely envelops you in nature and the noise of the city melts away. We visited this shrine on our first day in Tokyo and instantly set the tone of the trip. The metro will take you right outside the entrance of the shrine and you’re greeted with an elegant torii gate. A long stone pathway leads you through gardens, museums, and even a large wall of sake barrels. As you follow the path along, you eventually make it to the shrine. The walkway turns into a large pavilion with little shops where you can buy good luck charms. There is a communal bamboo sink where you cleanse yourself before entering. Once inside, there is a large area to say your prayers

The pavilion entrance before the Meiji Jingu Shrine

Etiquette

Practicing the right etiquette is essential to not only understanding where you are, but to really feel the sacred essence in the air. First, whenever you come across a torii gate, you must stop and bow before walking through. This serves as a respectful acknowledgement of where you are. Next you must cleanse yourself. Most shrines offer a communal sink where you must rinse yourself of any impurities before appearing before the kami. You wash your right hand first, then your left. Then, you take some water in your mouth, and spit it out. If there is a ladle, you then pour the remaining water down the handle of the ladle to clean it. You are now ready to enter the shrine. 

As you walk up the steps, grab a yen coin. There is a large box to collect the coins. These help pay for the maintenance of the park, and show a bit of monetary care to your prayer. After you toss the coin, clap your hands twice, bow your head and say your prayers. To conclude, clap your hands twice, raise your head, and walk away. 

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There was one shrine I visited that really left a lasting impact and physical feeling on me. In Fujiyoshida, I was on my own and ventured into the shrine there. At this point in my trip, I had a clouded mind and was really looking for some clarity. After cleansing myself, I threw my coin, clapped my hands, and offered my prayer. I grabbed a fortune from the box and made my way. After reading my fortune, I instantly saw how it could be related to what I had prayed for. By the end of the day, I saw my prayers answered and my fortunes rang true.

A small pond within the Fujisan Simomiya Omuro Sengen Jinja shrine

Now, I recognize how the ambiguity of my fortunes could easily be applied to any situation in life. Anyone could have grabbed that fortune and could’ve related it to events happening in their life. Our brains are designed to look for patterns. And sometimes they create patterns if there isn’t one there. We can easily associate vague fortunes with clairvoyance because how is it possible that the fortune “knew”. This very well could’ve been the case. But what if it wasn’t? Even if the latter is true, isn't it more powerful to believe it wasn’t? Isn’t it profound to see a solution materialize in front of your eyes? The “realness” of this fortune shouldn’t be the question. Rather, there was a misunderstanding in my head, and through Shinto prayer and fortune I saw this misunderstanding alleviate in the real world. This is what Shintoism has to offer. A connection between the spiritual world and its appearance in the real one.