In the 20th century, worshipping the Japanese emperor was part of the Shinto faith.ġ0. In Shinto worship consists of hand-clapping, silent prayer and offerings made at the shrine.ĩ.

Before people approach the kami at a shrine they must wash their hands and mouths, so shrines always have running water.Ĩ. Shrines are marked by large portals, sometimes painted red, called torii.ħ. A shrine is the name given to a building of Shinto worship.Ħ. Many people make pilgrimages to the mountain.ĥ. Japan’s Mount Fuji is home to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Many places of Shinto worship are in areas of natural beauty. The Shinto religion has such a large number of gods, it became called ‘the religion of the million gods’ there are up to 80 million different kami in Japan!Ĥ. There are about 100,000 registered shrines in Japan, dedicated to different kami.ģ. In Shinto, spiritual powers or gods are called kami. About 80% of the Japanese population attend Shinto shrines and ceremonies today.Ģ. Shinto is the traditional religion of Japan. Today Shinto has approximately 100 million followers and remains Japan’s major religion alongside Buddhism. Japanese people believe the kami will bring benefits like health, business success and good exam results, if they are treated properly. These spiritual powers or gods are called kami. Instead it is based on the belief that spiritual powers are thought to exist in the natural world in things like trees, animals, mountains and even people. Unlike many other religions, Shinto does not have a founder. The word Shinto means ‘the way of the gods’. Shinto is purely Japanese, the ancient religion of the country.

Kami shinto book