Introduction
This religion has its own cosmology, spirits, purity, mortality, symbols, priesthood, shamans, shrines, and rituals. Shinto has a long history and it is even practiced outside of Japan. It has been influenced by other religions. You can even find Shinto ideas in anime!!!!!!!
Cosmology
The universe was created when heaven was separated from earth. Three spirits (Amenominakanushi, Takamimusuhi no Mikoto, and Kamimusuhi no Mikoto) appeared after that and 2 spirits ( Izanagi and Izanami) after them. These later 2 spirits were brother-husband and sister-wife. They were like Adam and Eve and were commanded to create land, so they did. Then one of them gave birth to more spirits. But she died while after giving birth to to a fire spirit then she descended into the underworld. The brother went down there to see her. She was rotting, so he ran away. He wash himself in the sea to purify his aura. As he was doing that the Sun and Moon spirits came out his eyes and the storm spirit came out his nose. The grandson of the sun goddess was the first ruler of Japan.
There is a upper world, middle world, and lower world. These ideas are very shamanic. The pure spirits live in the upper world. Humans live in the middle world. Unclean spirits live in the lower world. Some people believe spirits of the deceased live in mountains. Others feel they help there descendants prosper.
Kami
Most of the spirits in Shinto are called kami. They are a part of nature and they bless and curse. The practitioners Shinto try to be in harmony with them. I will list some of the kami.
1. Izanagi: He gave shape to the earth with the help of his sister-wife. He had sex with her and she gave birth to Japanese islands. They had other kids as well.
2. Izanami: She is the goddess of life and death. She got stuck in the lower world because she ate some food there. Izanagi tried to safe her, but was unable too.
3. Amaterasu: Sun goddesses ruler of the upper world. She is the daughter of Izanagi and a perpetual virgin.
4. Raijin: He is a god of thunder storms. Some of the maggots on Izanami rotting corpse became Raijin. The Kamikaze that stopped the Mongols from invading Japan was created by him.
5. Fujin: God of the wind and brother of Raijin. He escaped the underworld with his brother through a crack in the boulder.
6. Susanoo: God of the sea and storms. He is the 3rd child Izanagi had when he was bathing in the sea. He scared his sister Amaterasu into a cave. There was no light on earth at that time. Other kami encouraged her to come out.
7. Tsukuyomi: God of the Moon and son of the primordial pair. He went to a feast for his sister and he killed the host, because he didn't like the way the food was presented. Amaterasu decided to never look at him again. That's why the Sun is out in the day time and the Moon at night time.
8. Kotoamatsukami: They are a trinity and they are self created. They are the first kami.
The human spirit is made up of 4 parts. They are as follows: normal, violent, love, and wise. The normal part helps people when venerated. The violent part as to pacified so the normal part will appear. The loving part bless people. The wise soul can heal people.
Purity
It is called harae; humans are naturally have harae. Kegare is impurity, which is caused by childbirth, rape, menstruation, disease, and death. There are rituals that will make you to have harae again. Priests avoid certain activities, so they won't get kegare. Salt and fire can cause harae.
Mortality
Sincerity is very important in Shinto. It is called makoto. This religion doesn't have a moral doctrine, like the ones you would find in the Abrahamic religions. Goodness is "beauty, brightness, excellence, good fortune, nobility, purity, suitability, harmony, conformity, [and] productivity."
Symbols
Torii: They are scared gates that mark the entrance to the dwelling place of the kami. Going through one purifies you. Most Torii gates are painted red, because red wards of natural disasters.
Shimenawa: They ropes that mark off a sacred space. They ward off evil spirits. Some are thick and some are thin.
Shide: They are zig-zap shape paper. They attract blessing and remove curses. Its put the ends of wand and used in purification rituals.
Tomoe: They are 2, 3, or 4 dots. Usually 3, they represent the 3 worlds. Which are the upper world, middle world, and lower world.
Shinkyo: Sacred mirror used by the kami to communicate with people. They can appear in the mirror. It is kept in the shrine.
Theses are some of the symbols in Shinto. There are many others.
Kami Specialists
The leaders of this religion are called kannushi. Theses are the priests and priestesses. They keep the shrine clean and teach people the proper way to worship the kami. They tell people what the kami want. Their children usually take up the mantle. Widows can become priestess if their husbands were priests.
To become a priest or priestess, you have to take classes. There 5 ranks of kannushi. Chokkai is the rookie priest. Gonseikai serve shrines in villages and towns. Seikai is the 3rd rank, they can head priest @ some shrines. Meikai can be head priest or assistant priest. Jokai are the the highest rank. They did the most schooling and they are the chief priest.
Miko
They are shamans that do ritual dances and allow spirits to speak through them. They are female and they help the priest, clean the shrine, sell talismans and amulets, assist in rituals and prayer. They are able to speak to the spirits of the deceased. They are in communion with animal spirits and get possessed by kami.
Shrines
There are 100,000 shrines in Japan. Inside the shrine (jinja) is a honden. That is the house of the kami. It is the heart of the shrine. Shinpo are the items in the honden that belong to the kami. Only priests can go into a honden. The haiden is for the public and the heiden connects it to the honden. The offering are put in the heiden. Next to the honden is bekku. Another kami lives there and it may be just as important as the kami in the honden. Some jinjas have another building for weddings.
Rituals
Ceremonies are conducted @ shrines. To of the rituals are Jichinsai and Norito. Jichinsai is done b4 a building is built. They cleanse the land and pray 4 safety. Norito is a formal prayer. Kannushi speak magic words during the prayer. There are rituals for festivals. They are as followed:
- "Purification - this takes place before the main ceremony
- Adoration - bowing to the altar
- Opening of the sanctuary
- Presentation of food offerings (meat cannot be used as an offering)
- Prayers (the form of prayers dates from the 10th century CE)
- Music and dance
- Offerings - these are symbolic and consist of twigs of a sacred tree bearing of white paper
- Removal of offerings
- Closing the sanctuary
- Final adoration
- Sermon (optional)
- Ceremonial meal (this is often reduced to ceremonial sake drinking)"
History(include influence of other religions)
The word Shinto was created 1300 years ago; so it could be distinguished from Confucianism and Buddhism. The kami were viewed as previous forms of Buddha. Shinto was combined with Buddhism. Confucianism was added to it as well. @ this time Shinto was drowning because of this. Buddhism was top dog in Japan until the 1700's. Shinto priests were relegated to diviners and magicians.
In the early 18th century Shinto became the national religion. The samurai were Buddhists and they ruled Japan for centuries. They were wiped out in 1867. The Last Samurai is a movie about that. Shinto was used to support the emperor claim to the throne. It is known as State Shinto, but there were people that practiced traditional Shinto as well. The Japanese people believed they were superior to all people @ this time. After they lost WII, State Shinto was abolished.
Korean folk religion is called Shinism. It is very similar to Shinto. Polytheism, ancestor veneration, shamans, offerings, and purification rites are a part of this religion. All those elements are in Shinto as well. This is because the Japanese and the Koreans had a big influence on each other.
Overseas
Shinto has spread to various countries. It is in Canada, U.S., Brazil, Korea, France, and Holland. State Shinto was brought to Korea when Japan was imperial. In Holland rituals are done on new years and for children. In France there is a Buddhist temple that has small shrine in it. In the U.S. there are shrines in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Hawaii. In Canada people pray and meditate @ the shrine.
Shinto in Anime
You will find Shinto ideas in many Japanese anime series. Pokemon and Digimon are based on the kami. Naruto has a 9 tailed fox (type of kami) and techniques named after kami. Some of there techniques are based on symbols. Dragon Ball series have a Shinto cosmology in it. Shinto is a divine fighting style in Bleach.
Conclusion
Shinto has a shamanic cosmology and many spirits. Purity is very important and its morality isn't as strict as other religions. It has priests and shamans that make sweet symbols. Rituals are done @ shrines. It has a long history, it is 1300 years old!!!!! Several countries have Shinto shrines. Anime has been greatly influenced by it.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2056.html
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shinto
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto_in_popular_culture
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitama
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kannushi
https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shinto-priesthood.html
https://www.tsunagujapan.com/shinto-symbols-meaning-and-history/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/ritesrituals/worship_1.shtml
https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/
http://www.greenshinto.com/wp/2011/07/18/list-of-shrines-outside-japan/
https://thesmartlocal.com/japan/japanese-mythology-anime/