Shintō, Indigenous religion of Japan. Based on the worship of spirits known as kami, Shintō has no founder and no official scripture, though its mythology is collected in the Kojiki (“Records of Ancient Matters”) and Nihon shoki (“Chronicles of Japan”), written in the 8th century. The term Shintō (“Way of the Kami”) came into use to distinguish indigenous Japanese beliefs from Buddhism, which had been introduced into Japan in the 6th century. At Shintō’s core are beliefs in the kami’s mysterious creating and harmonizing power. According to Shintō myths, in the beginning a certain number of kami simply emerged, and a pair of kami, Izanagi and Izanami, gave birth to the Japanese islands, as well as to the kami who became ancestors of the various clans. The Japanese imperial family claims descent from Izanagi’s daughter, the sun goddess Amaterasu. All kami are said to cooperate with one another, and life lived in accordance with their will is believed to produce a mystical power that gains their protection, cooperation, and approval. Through veneration and observation of prescribed rituals at shrines (e.g., ritual purity), practitioners of Shintō can come to understand and live in accordance with divine will. In the early 21st century, Shintō had nearly 2.8 million followers. See also shinbutsu shūgō.
