SHINTOISM. When Buddhism was introduced into Japan from Korea and China, some term was needed to designate the ancient faith of the Japanese as distinct from the new religion. The term chosen was in Japanese Kami-no-michi, and in Chinese Shinto. Both expressions mean the " Way of the Genii, or Spirits." In course of time Shinto borrowed features from Buddhism. It then became necessary to distinguish between this mixed religion and Pure Shintoism. The former received the name Ilyobu-Shinto or " double religion." Although Buddhism was favoured by the ancient nobility, in 1S6S Shintoism was decreed to be the State or Established Religion. The Government undertook to pay a large sum of money annually for its maintenance. And whereas for several centuries Buddhist and Shinto priests had officiated in turns at the same altars in the same temples, the temples had to be declared either Shinto or Buddhist. G. A. Cobbold points out that. as far as the practice of the people is concerned, this has made little difference. " The people still practise the observances of both religions alike; the only difference being that, to effect this, they have now to visit two temples instead of one. A new-born child, for instance. is taken by its parents to both Shinto and Buddhist temples, for the purpose of solemn dedication." D. Goh thinks that Shintoism cannot be classified as one of the religions of the world. It is simply the State religion of Japan, in its main and original features a simple religion of filial piety (reverence for ancestors) and patriotism (reverence for the Imperial dynasty). He holds that Shinto is distinguished by five peculiarities. One of the.-_,e is that it has no sacred books or moral code. The absence of sacred books is not, however, a pecu liarity. The Druids, for example, had no sacred (that is to say, written) books. And it hardly seems true to say that Shintoism has no moral code. Another pecu liarity is said to be that Shintoism makes no distinction between the mythology and the history of the nation. This is not, however, a peculiar feature, but is common to other religions (e.g., the religions of the ancient Americans, Celts, and Teutons). A third peculiarity is said to be that, as regards a future state, Shintoism, though it believes in the eternal existence of spirits, recognises no Paradise or Hell. But the fact seems to be that some of the real principles or doctrines of pure ShintOism are uncertain. D. Goh himself declares that Shintoism has been corrupted by contact with Buddhism. There does not really seem to be much that is peculiar to Shintoism. Its development appears to have been very similar to that of other religions. Reverence has been paid not only to heroes, sovereigns, and other men, hut also to animals, such as foxes and serpents, and to natural objects, such as trees, rocks, rivers, mountains, etc. These and other features suggest on the whole a common and well-known line of develop ment. There are some special points which have remark able parallels in other religions. Shintoists believe that the human breath may cause ritual defilement. The priests, therefore, when they offer sacrifice, wear masks. Similarly we learn from Saxo Grammaticus that the priests of the Slav deity Svantovit (q.v.) were not allowed to breathe in the temple. Whenever they wanted to breathe they had to go outside. Again, the symbol of the ancient Mexican god Tezcatlipoca (q.v.) was a mirror of metal or stone; and a mirror is one of the chief symbols in Shlntoism. As regards Shinto worship, the first his torical emperor, Jimmu Tenno, who is said to have ascended the throne on the seventh of April 660 B.C.,
was deified, and is worshipped in a thousand temples. From him every Mikado has claimed direct descent. Jimmu Tenno himself, it is said, was fifth in descent from the sun-goddess Ama-terasu, who in turn was born from the left eye of the creator of Japan, Izanagi. The heroes of Japanese mythology and history, who are the chief objects of worship in Shintoism, are all the children of Izanagi. Properly speaking, there is no public wor ship. The priests perform a service of their own every morning and evening. The ordinary person when he wishes to worship in a temple, goes to one and attracts the attention of the deity by ringing a bell or sounding a gong. Then, after throwing down a coin, he prostrates himself, says a silent prayer, and finally claps his hands. Forms of prayer, though they exist, are not necessary. It is enough " to frame a wish without uttering it, and most Shint6ists content themselves with turning to the sun in the early morning, rubbing the hands slowly to gether, and bowing " (I. Bishop). But if there is no public worship, worship in the home is not neglected. Every house has its Kamidana, or god-shelf, on which stands a miniature temple of wood. Here are placed paper-covered tablets inscribed with the names of the patron deities of the household, as well as the monu mental or ancestral tablets of the family. And here also are offered sprigs of the sacred evergreen eleyera japoniea, rice beer, and a portion of the rice cooked daily for the household. One of the gods whose names are written on the paper-covered tablets is always Ten sh6k6-daijin, the chief deity of Ise, the centre of Shinto. The Ten-sh6k6-daijin tablet contains inside " some shavings of the wands used by the priests of Ise at the two annual festivals, and is able to protect its possessor from misfortune for half a year" (I. Bishop). One of the emblems of Shintoism is a slender wand to which are attached strips of white paper. Another is a structure, commonly made of wood. which is called " birds' rest," because the birds offered to the gods used to rest on it. The rope of rice straw, another emblem, hangs across temple entrances or house doors or round sacred trees. But the chief symbol, which has been men tioned already (see also IZANAGI), is the mirror. Above the altar in many ShintO temples a large circular steel mirror is to be seen. In a box below a sword and a stone are commonly kept. As votive offerings stone lanterns are erected in the grounds of the temples. Ise is a kind of Mecca to the Shintoists, and throughout the year pilgrimages are made to its temples. Relics of Ise are taken home as precious treasures and potent charms. The number of Shinto gods is endless. In addition to those already mentioned, two of the most popular gods are Binzuru (q.v.), the medicine god, and Daikoku (q.v.), the household god and guide, whose image is to be found in every home. Reinach notes that there is evidence of fire-worship in Shintoism. The custom of " passage through fire " is a ceremony or ordeal of purification. In earlier times, it is said, human sacrifice was in vogue, but afterwards clay statuettes were substituted. See G. A. Cobbold, Rel. in Japan, 1894: K. Florenz, " Die Religionen der Japaner " in Orientalische Religionen, 1906; D. Goh and I. Bishop, " Shintoism," in R.S.W., DOS: Reinach, O., 1909: Max B. Weinstein, Welt- und Leben-Anschauvngen, 1910.