Shinto

Yuri Chekalin23.10.2025

Shinto has no founder, no doctrine, no commandments, no idols, and no organization. What it does have are ambiguous characteristics like sympathy and silent experience. This is the very reason why it has been often considered a non-religion by Japanese scholars as well as foreign intellectuals. Japan’s unique historical circumstances and cultural background explain the […]

Yuri Chekalin17.09.2025

Shinto is often referred to as polytheistic, because there are many Kami that are classified in three ways: amatsukami (heavenly Kami), kunitsukami (earthly Kami) and yaoyorozu no kami (myriad other Kami). Kami are therefore not necessarily deities in the sense that is usually understood, but possess a wide variety of spiritual powers and attributes. Shinto […]

Yuri Chekalin15.12.2021

In Shinto, the term jinja is used for a shrine, or more literally the dwelling place of Kami. Many people probably have a mental picture of a building whenever they think of a Shinto shrine. It is said that we now have 80,000 such buildings in Japan, of which 6,000 have resident kannushi (Shinto masters).Out […]

Yuri Chekalin19.11.2021

In Shinto, heaven, earth, and humanity are different manifestations of one life energy. In recent years there has been much talk of climate change and the disastrous consequences of human impact on the environment. We are constantly urged to limit our consumption of fossil fuels and live more respectfully with nature. This practical task of […]

Yuri Chekalin19.07.2020

Many Japanese visit Shinto shrines for devotional purposes and yet have their funerals held at Buddhist temples. In recent years, Christian-style weddings have become fashionable, making the situation even more complicated. Many Western observers find Japanese spiritual practices hard to disentangle and so are tempted to dismiss Japanese spirituality as convoluted and confused. In their […]

Yuri Chekalin02.05.2020

Shinto is undeniably a religion unique to the Japanese people. It is a natural religion born and nurtured in the Japanese islands, unlike Buddhism or Christianity, which are world religions that have come to Japan from foreign countries. Certainly we cannot deny the influences on Shinto from Buddhism, Confucianism, or Chinese culture. Their influences on […]

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The Tragedy of “Not-Having-Any”

Characteristics of Shinto

No need for a “building”

Caring for the spirit of nature

Why Do Kannushi Not Perform the Funeral at the Shinto Shrine?

Shinto is a Rich World of Faith

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