Shinto
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Torii Sacred gateways that symbolically separate the sacred space of the shrine from the outside world1.... The simplest form includes two upright posts with two longer crossbars2. They are often adorned with gohei1....
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Shimenawa is mentioned in reference to the shrine of the wedded rocks of Meotoiwa, on the coast of Futami. Two large rocks stand in the sea and are attached by a sacred long rope (shimenawa) of plaited rice straw, symbolic of the matrimonial bond between the deities Izanami and Izanagi3.
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Gohei are twin paper or metal strips, each ripped in four places symbolizing the kami’s presence, often festooned on torii1.... The source does not contain definitions or descriptions of temizuya or shide.
Three Major Kami:
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Izanagi and Izanami Two gods who created the islands of Japan3....
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Amaterasu (Omikami) The sun goddess5....
Two Important Figures in Modern Shinto History:
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Meiji During the Meiji period, nationalists pushed back against unequal treaties. Mass education and conscription served as a means to indoctrinate the coming generation with “the idea of Japan”7....
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Hirohito The Emperor who was ordered to renounce his claims to divinity after World War II9.
Vocabulary:
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Kami Gods, spirits, deified mortals, ancestors, natural phenomena, and supernatural powers9.... They govern nature and inhabit places of natural beauty10.
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Harae A purification ritual performed before entering a shrine, commonly by washing hands and mouth with water11.
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Matsuri Religious festivals to honor particular kami12.
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State Shinto The Japanese government nationalized the various Shinto Shrines for the sake of promoting the emperor as a divine being and a descendent of Amaterasu13. After WWII, shrines in Japan operate independently from the state to ensure the separation of religion and state9.
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Imperial cult The Japanese government nationalized the various Shinto Shrines for the sake of promoting the emperor as a divine being, and a descendent of Amaterasu13. The Emperor was permitted to remain on the throne, but was ordered to renounce his claims to divinity, which had been a pillar of the State Shinto system9.