WORLD RELIGIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -The holy books of Shinto are the Kojiki or ‘Records of Ancient Matters’ (712 CE) and the Nihon-gi or ‘Chronicles of Japan’ (720 CE).

Detailed explanation-2: -A polytheistic and animistic religion, Shinto revolves around supernatural entities called the kami (). The kami are believed to inhabit all things, including forces of nature and prominent landscape locations. The kami are worshipped at kamidana household shrines, family shrines, and jinja public shrines.

Detailed explanation-3: -The books include the Kojiki (“Records of Ancient Matters”), the Nihon shoki, or Nihon-gi (“Chronicles of Japan”), the Kogoshūi (“Gleanings of Ancient Works”), and the Engi shiki (“Institutes of the Engi Period”).

Detailed explanation-4: -The Kojiki, the most ancient written text in Japan that has reached us, dates back to 712. Those “Records of Ancient Matters” are a collection of myths about the origins of the archipelago islands and kami (the gods). Along with the Nihon Shoki (720), the Kojiki has inspired most of Shinto beliefs and rites.

Detailed explanation-5: -Completed in the year 712, The Kojiki is the oldest existing record of Japanese history, and is a text that is vital to any discussion of ancient Japanese history. The Kojiki is divided into three books, and the stories of the gods are all recorded in the first book.