WORLD RELIGIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -Scholars sometimes call its practitioners Shintoists, although adherents rarely use that term themselves. There is no central authority in control of Shinto, with much diversity of belief and practice evident among practitioners.

Detailed explanation-2: -Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people and as old as Japan itself. It remains Japan’s major religion alongside Buddhism.

Detailed explanation-3: -A Japanese Religion Shinto (literally “the way of the gods”) is Japan’s native belief system and predates historical records. The many practices, attitudes, and institutions that have developed to make up Shinto revolve around the Japanese land and seasons and their relation with the human inhabitants.

Detailed explanation-4: -shinshoku, priest in the Shintō religion of Japan. The main function of the shinshoku is to officiate at all shrine ceremonies on behalf of and at the request of worshippers.

Detailed explanation-5: -While there is no supreme deity in Shinto, the most important kami, the goddess Amaterasu Okimaki, represents the sun. These spirits and deities are separated into different groups. Ancestors of Japanese citizens are also considered to be kami.