Shinto
Shinto is the former state religion of Japan and remains the most common name for the nation's non-Buddhist ethnic religious practices. It was formed from disparate local mythologies, beginning with the Kojiki of 712, into an imperial religion called State Shinto that solidified in the Meiji period. Shinto is characterized by polytheism and animism, and involves the worship of kami, or spirits. Most kami are local and can be regarded as the spiritual being/spirit or genius of a particular place, but some hold a more universal roles. For example: Amaterasu is officially worshiped at the Ise Shrine but is also the focus of many sectors throughout the country.
| International Shinto Foundation |









