WORLD RELIGIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -Shinto (literally “the way of the gods”) is Japan’s native belief system and predates historical records.

Detailed explanation-2: -"Shinto gods” are called kami. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami.

Detailed explanation-3: -The overriding belief in Shinto is to promote harmony and purity in all aspects of life. Humans are thought of as being fundamentally good, and evil is caused by evil spirits. The purpose of Shinto, therefore, is to pray and offer to the kami to keep away evil spirits.

Detailed explanation-4: -Kami (Japanese: , [kami]) are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or “holy powers” that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the spirits of venerated dead people.