East Asian Religions: Research Proposal on Japanese Religion & Shinto

This essay delves into the core tenets of Japanese religion, primarily focusing on Shinto and its deep-rooted connection to Japanese society and culture. It highlights the prevalence of Shinto and Buddhism, the significance of Kami (gods), and the rituals and traditions associated with Shinto shrines. The essay also includes an annotated bibliography of five academic articles, providing insights into the historical and contemporary perspectives on Shinto's role in shaping Japanese identity and its interaction with political powers and other religious influences. The research underscores the importance of understanding Shinto as a fundamental aspect of Japanese spirituality and its enduring impact on the nation's communal and cultural values.

RUNNING HEAD: Religions of East 0
Religions of East

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Thesis statement
“The framework of Japanese religion and society and ancient Shinto”. The Japanese religion
is considered as a fundamental set of beliefs and customs. It has been believed that Japanese
people are more spiritual than religious. Shinto and Buddhism are the religions in the
Japanese society. The Shinto is as old as the culture of Japan. It made state of Japan’s state
religion. The Shrinto shrine also receives government funding and fosters nation’s identity
with the Emperor.
A roadmap
Shinto has dominated role in the Japanese religion and society. Shinto has made a faithful life
for the Japanese. It gives a better life to the society. This proposal comprises the thesis
statement. A short overview is given on the Japanese religion and society along with the
ancient Shinto. Further, a short annotated bibliography is given comprising five documents.
A short overview
The Japanese religion is dominated by Shinto and Buddhism. It has been observed that most
of the Japanese pray and worship ancestors and gods at Shinto shrines1. The religious in
Japan is an ethical code and a way of living. It is even indistinguishable from the Japanese
communal and cultural values. The religion is rarely discussed in the routine life. It is a
private affair and majority of the people in Japan do not claim to be religious. Most of the
people there turn into spiritual at the special events like birth rituals, marriage, death and
participation in matsuri. If it is talked about Shintoism and Buddhism then the indigenous
spirituality of Japan lies in Shintoism. It believes that every living thing of the nature
comprises Kami or Gods. It is even reflected in the Japanese culture2. Shinto got the name
when Buddhism came to Japan. The Buddhism has been divided into various sections over
the time. The most popular is the Zen Buddhism. 1st to 3rd January is celebrated as most
significant time of the year in the Japanese calendar as New Year. O-Bon is also celebrated as
a suspicious occasion and held around 16th of August. The trips are made by the Japanese to
1 Cali, Joseph, and John Dougill. Shinto Shrines: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient
Religion. University of Hawai'i Press, 2012.
2 Keyes, Charles F., Laurel Kendall, and Helen Hardacre, eds. Asian visions of authority: Religion and
the modern states of East and Southeast Asia. University of Hawaii Press, 1994.

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the ancestral graves at New Year3. It is alleged that ancestor’s spirits came down to earth to
visit living. These spirits are welcomed by the Japanese and visit is made to the family
graves.
Shinto is Japan’s major religion alongside Buddhism. The Japanese people are having
indigenous faith in Shinto. It is deeply entrenched in the Japanese people and customs. The
Shinto gods are known as Kami4. They are the holy spirits which brings the things and
perceptions significant to life like mountains, trees, wind, rain, rivers and fertility. The
humans become Kami just after they decease and are regressed buy their families as inherited
Kami. The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is deliberated Shinto’s major significant Kami. The aim
of Shinto rituals is to keep missing evil spirits through prayers, sanitization and assistances to
Kami. The worship takes place at the Shinto shrines and is the homes of Kami. The festivals
are celebrated by most shrines on the regular basis to show Kami the external world. The
Shinto priests reside on the shrine grounds and Shinto priests are liable of performing Shinto
rituals. Both men and women can convert into priests and are allowed to marry and have
children5. The priests are aided by the younger women during rituals. These women are
identified as Miko. Miko wear bathrobe, should be unmarried and are generally the priest’s
daughter.
Annotated bibliography
Grew, Raymond. "Comparing Modern Japan: Are There More Comparisons to
Make?." Japanstudien 14, no. 1 (2003): 69-102.
Grew reports Japan’s modern history consists of religions and associate between the culture
and development. The review is made on the Japanese society and religion has been pioneer
in the Japanese studies6. The religion here means incline in the belief. The attention has
shifted from formal theology and structure to the religious practice in the routine life. It is
highly opposed as the concept of secularization. The religious in the Japanese culture is
shaped absolutely and destructively by the burdens of political powers and religious
competitors.
3 Baker, Don. "World religions and national states: Competing claims in East Asia." In Transnational
Religion and Fading States, pp. 144-172. Routledge, 2018.
4 Satow, Ernest Mason, and Karl Florenz. Ancient Japanese rituals and the revival of pure Shinto.
Kegan Paul, 2002.
5 Fridell, Wilbur M. "A Fresh Look at State Shinto." Journal of the American Academy of Religion 44,
no. 3 (1976): 547-561.
6 Grew, Raymond. "Comparing Modern Japan: Are There More Comparisons to
Make?." Japanstudien 14, no. 1 (2003): 69-102.

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Toshio, Kuroda, James C. Dobbins, and Suzanne Gay. "Shinto in the history of
Japanese religion." Journal of Japanese Studies 7, no. 1 (1981): 1-21.
According to Toshio, James and Suzanne, Shinto has been considered as the decisive element
in the religion of Japan which gives uniqueness and originality. Shinto is the indigenous
religion of Japan and transformed the culture elements. The significance of Kami in the
Japanese culture has change the faith of people7. The people have become more conscious of
Kami, mainly in association to Buddhas. Shinto is alleged as the independent religion in the
opposition of Buddhism. Shinto is considered important in the medieval times as a secular
character. It was even associated with several secular functions along with the duties.
Thomas, Jolyon. "Religions Policies During the Allied Occupation of Japan, 1945–
1952." Religion Compass 8, no. 9 (2014): 275-286.
The religion played important role in the allied occupation of Japan. The occupiers publicize
religious freedom and encouraged the people to advance an aspiration for religious freedom.
The Shinto significant influenced the religion state relations. The occupation policy in Japan
was basically characterized by inconsistency. The preferred treatment was given to the
Christian missionaries on the mane of promoting religious freedom8. The Shinto shrines and
priests were exposed to special scrutiny. The Shinto ideology is linked with the ritual
practices like reverence of the war dead. The Shinto was focused by the military planners and
it reflected that influence of one specific missionary scholar. There was no certified strategy
of eradicating Shinto but the arrival of numerous compassionate in the state caused to shift in
the policy.
Riesebrodt, Martin. "Religion: Just Another Modern Western Construction." In The
Religion & Culture Web Forum. 2003.
7 Toshio, Kuroda, James C. Dobbins, and Suzanne Gay. "Shinto in the history of Japanese
religion." Journal of Japanese Studies 7, no. 1 (1981): 1-21.
8 Thomas, Jolyon. "Religions Policies During the Allied Occupation of Japan, 1945–1952." Religion
Compass 8, no. 9 (2014): 275-286.

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This article states that religions give base to the debates on the Western modernity. The
Buddhism into the Japan environment engages traditional practises and systematized into the
Shinto. Shinto advanced out of the outdated practices and after Buddhism. The Buddhist
shared the interest of the Shinto practices9. Such influential interest led to the official
concurrence and institutionalization of the fractional fusion of Shinto and Buddhism. Various
social groups in Japan focuses on the religions and these are impartially important to them.
Mullins, Mark, Susumu Shimazono, Shimazono Susumu, and Paul Loren Swanson,
eds. Religion and society in modern Japan: Selected readings. No. 5. Jain Publishing
Company, 1993.
As per this article, the range of belief is one of the assurances of Japanese religion. Both
religion and society in the contemporary Japan are designed to offer a broad look at diversity.
It even penetrates on the analysis of the contemporary religion culture of Japan. The best of
current and western Japanese are combined to offer a variety of perspectives. The
significance on the religion in Japan is provided in this report. The focus is given on the
sociocultural expressions of religion in the routine life of Japan10. The article provides the
clarity on the significance of religion in the modern Japan along with the comparative
religions at every level.
9 Riesebrodt, Martin. "Religion: Just Another Modern Western Construction." In The Religion & Culture
Web Forum. 2003.
10 Mullins, Mark, Susumu Shimazono, Shimazono Susumu, and Paul Loren Swanson, eds. Religion
and society in modern Japan: Selected readings. No. 5. Jain Publishing Company, 1993.