Many faiths around the world — from Japanese Shinto and Chinese traditional religion, to certain African practices and the faiths derived from those in the Caribbean, to Native American beliefs — hold that ancestral or household spirits offer daily protection and blessings.

In Japan these later Middle Age centuries saw a return to the traditional Shinto faith and the continuing popularity of Zen Buddhism.

Modern Shinto began as the various ancient animistic traditional spirituality of Japan, which only became an institutionalized spirituality much later as a result of efforts to separate out influences of other religions brought into Japan from abroad.

In these contexts, ‘ Shinto ’ takes on the meaning of ‘ Japan ’ s traditional religion ’, as opposed to foreign religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and so forth.

The explanation generally given for this anomaly is that, following the demise of State Shinto, modern Shinto has reverted to its more traditional position as a traditional religion which is culturally ingrained, rather than enforced.

This ritual is not exclusive to the yakuza — it is also commonly performed in traditional Japanese Shinto weddings, and may have been a part of sworn brotherhood relationships.

Japanese cultural history has complex and pervasive traditions of wrapping and tying in everyday life that go back for at least a millennium — touching on things as varied as Shinto votive items, the transportation & packing of foodstuffs and Japanese traditional clothing which is tied to the body instead of being held with the buttons, pins and fasteners of western dress.

Examples of traditional architecture are seen at temples, Shinto shrines, and castles in Kyoto and Nara.

Shinto was one of the traditional grounds for the right to the throne of the Japanese imperial family, and was codified as the state religion in 1868 ( State Shinto was abolished by the American occupation in 1945 ).

* Ningen-sengen, the declaration with which Emperor Hirohito, on New Year's Day 1946, ( formally ) declined claims of divinity, keeping with traditional family values as expressed in the Shinto religion.

A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred ( see Sacred-profane dichotomy ).

Tendai Buddhism has several philosophical insights which allow for the reconciliation of Buddhist doctrine with aspects of Japanese culture such as Shinto and traditional aesthetics.

Tendai doctrine allowed Japanese Buddhists to reconcile Buddhist teachings with the native religion of Japan, Shinto, and with traditional Japanese aesthetics.

The Japanese Peace Bell of the United Nations headquarters in New York City is housed in a Japanese cypress wooden structure resembling a traditional Shinto shrine.

Yūki is famous for traditional Japanese weavings including cloth and paper, and has a rich religious history with many older Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.

Includes traditional African religions, Asian Shamanism, Native American religions, Austronesian and Australian Aboriginal traditions, Chinese folk religion, and postwar Shinto.

The ken is commonly the distance between pillars in traditional buildings such as Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.

This opinion reflects the traditional Shinto association between death and pollution.

Today, sumo retains much of its traditional trappings, including a referee dressed as a Shinto priest, and a ritual where the competitors clap hands, stomp their feet, and throw salt in the ring prior to each match.

Wanouchi's three traditional dances, the Dengarakashi dance, the Ondo dance and the Shirakawa dance can be seen at various Shinto shrines.

* 1945 – Occupation of Japan: General Douglas MacArthur orders that Shinto be abolished as the state religion of Japan.

He is also the highest authority of the Shinto religion as he and his family are said to be direct descendants of Amaterasu.

The role of the emperor as head of the Shinto religion was exploited during the war, creating an Imperial cult that led to kamikaze bombers and other fanaticism.

Still, these earliest Japanese writings do not refer to a unified " Shinto religion ", but rather to disorganized folklore, history, and mythology.

Another problem is that Shinto is sometimes seen more as a way of life rather than a religion by the Japanese due to its long historical and cultural significance.

*, literally " Old Shinto ", is a reconstructed " Shinto from before the time of Buddhism ", today based on Ainu religion and Ryukyuan practices.

In the latter 6th century, there was a breakdown of the alliances between Japan and Korea but the influence led to the codification of Shinto as the native religion in opposition to the extreme outside influences of the mainland.

A survey conducted in the mid 1970s indicated that of those participants who claimed not to believe in religion, one-third had a Buddhist or Shinto altar in their home, and about one quarter carried an omamori ( an amulet to gain protection by kami ) on their person.

Shinto has been called " the religion of Japan ".

* The religion of Shugendo evolves from Buddhism, Taoism, Shinto and other influences in the mountains of Japan.

In fact until the Meiji government declared their separation in the mid 19th Century, many Japanese people believed that Buddhism and Shinto were one religion.

, or is a part of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion.

Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from the days when sumo was used in the Shinto religion.

During the Meiji Restoration, when Shinto was declared an independent state religion separate from Buddhism, Shugendō was banned as a superstition not fit for a new, enlightened Japan.

Shintō music ( 神楽 ) is ceremonial music for Shinto ( 神道 ) which is the native religion of Japan.

Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan.

Shinto, meaning " the way of the gods ", is Japan's indigenous religion and is practiced by about 83 % of the population.

Shinto originated in prehistoric times as a religion with a respect for nature and for particular sacred sites.

The Emperor Meiji made Shinto the official religion, creating a form of Shinto known as State Shinto by merging Shrine, Folk, and Imperial Household Shinto.

* 1869 – The Meiji government in Japan establishes six new ministries, including one for Shinto.

Following Japan's surrender, the Allies issued the Shinto Directive separating church and state within Japan, leading to the Humanity Declaration of the incumbent Emperor.

( 1935 ) The Meaning of Shinto: The Primaeval Foundation of Creative Spirit in Modern Japan.

The Emperor of Japan is defined as a symbol, not head, of state by the post-war constitution ( contrasting with the former divine status ) but is treated as an imperial head of state under diplomatic protocol ( even ranking above kings ) and retains Shinto mystique.

* Mon ( architecture ), gates at Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and castles in Japan

Shintoism is the indigenous spirituality of the people of Japan with many roosters being found around Shinto shrines, with the rooster being associated with the sun goddess Amaterasu.

Fact books and statistics typically list some 80 to 90 % of Japanese people as Shintoist however polls suggest that most Japanese consider themselves non-religious and believe that there are currently only 4 million " actual " observers of Shinto in Japan ,.

The vast majority of people in Japan who take part in Shinto rituals also practice Buddhist rituals.

However Shinto does not actually require professing faith to be a believer or a practitioner a person who practices " any " manner of Shinto rituals may be so counted, and as such it is difficult to query for exact figures based on self-identification of belief within Japan.

Due to the syncretic nature of Shinto and Buddhism, most " life " events are handled by Shinto and " death " or " afterlife " events are handled by Buddhism — for example, it is typical in Japan to register or celebrate a birth at a Shinto shrine, while funeral arrangements are generally dictated by Buddhist tradition — although the division is not exclusive.

Shinto is the fundamental connection between the power and beauty of nature ( the land ) and the people of Japan.

Shrine Shinto is associated in the popular imagination with summer festivals, good luck charms, making wishes, holding groundbreaking ceremonies, and showing support for the nation of Japan.

New buildings made in Japan are frequently blessed by a Shinto priest called during the groundbreaking ceremony ( Jichinsai 地鎮祭 ), and many cars made in Japan have been blessed as part of the assembly process.

Moreover, many Japanese businesses built outside Japan have had ceremonies performed by a Shinto priest, with occasionally an annual visitation by the priest to re-purify.