Shinto Religion Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key concepts, figures, beliefs, and practices related to the Shinto religion, aiding in the review and understanding of the topic.

Shinto

Means 'way of the gods' and is the oldest religion in Japan.

Kami

Spirits revered in Shinto, inhabiting nature, ancestors, and phenomena.

Amaterasu-Omikami

The Sun Goddess, considered the most important kami and mythic ancestress of the Japanese imperial line.

Susanoo-no-Mikoto

The Storm God, brother of Amaterasu, known for slaying the eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi.

Purification

A ritual to rid oneself of spiritual pollution in Shinto.

Yomi

The Land of the Dead in Shinto mythology, viewed as a dark, stagnant underworld.

Kojiki

The oldest Shinto text, containing myths about the creation of Japan and the kami.

Nihon Shoki

Chronicles of Japan that is more detailed than Kojiki and helped legitimize the Japanese state.

Norito

Ritual prayers and texts recited at shrines, expressing gratitude and requests to the kami.

Torii

A wooden gate marking the transition from the ordinary world to the sacred space of the kami.

Shintai

A physical object in which the spirit of a kami resides, housed in the hoden or inner sanctuary.

Human Goodness

The basic idea in Shinto ethics, asserting that human beings and the world are inherently good.

Shrine Shinto

One of the major types of Shintoism focused on shrines.

Sect Shinto

A type of Shinto involving sects and formal practices.

Folk Shinto

Traditions and practices of Shinto that are rooted in local and common practices.

Association of Shinto Shrines

Established in 1946, it provides independence and freedom for Shinto shrines in Japan.