WORLD RELIGIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -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-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.

Detailed explanation-3: -Shinto and Buddhism are Japan’s two major religions. Shinto is as old as the Japanese culture, while Buddhism was imported from the mainland in the 6th century. Since then, the two religions have been co-existing relatively harmoniously and have even complemented each other to a certain degree.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Japanese religious tradition is made up of several major components, including Shinto, Japan’s earliest religion, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Christianity has been only a minor movement in Japan.

Detailed explanation-5: -Shinto is the oldest surviving and widely practiced Japanese religion, but unlike a lot of religions, Shinto doesn’t have a clear origin story. It appears to have evolved out of different cultural practices from ancient Japan, with limited historical records.