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What is Shinto?
Shinto, which means the way of the gods, is not exactly a
"national religion" though many believe it is, but rather one that influences almost every
aspect of Japanese culture and society. It has neither a founder
nor sacred scriptures, like sutras or the bible. Preaching or
propaganda is also not common, as Shinto is already a part of the
Japanese people's lives. All Japanese people are Shinto by the
fact of their birth.
The "kami" are objects of worship in Shinto. They are sacred
spirits and can take various forms, such as natural elements (sun,
trees, and the wind) or abstract things (fertility, ancestors, and
national heroes).
Shinto is a very optimistic belief. It is thought that all humans
are good and that evil spirits causes all evil. Most of the
rituals are performed to avoid evil spirits through purification,
offerings, and prayers. The Confucian ethics had blended in with
Shinto over the centuries, although there is no confirmed written
code of morals and ethics in the Shinto religion.
It is the duty of the Shinto priests to perform rituals. Although
they are considered private people, they are allowed to marry and
have children. Female priests are also accepted in the Shinto
religion. It is customary for young ladies, or miko, dressed in
white kimonos to support these priests in performing the rituals.
The miko must be unmarried, and more often than not, they are the
daughters of the priests.
Most people seek support, protection, and good fortune at shrines
before important events, such as the opening of a new business.
One should never visit a shrine if they are feeling unwell, have
an open wound, or are mourning, as these things are considered
impure.
Amulets, charms, and postcards can also be bought for a small fee.
Pieces of paper that predict your fortunes can also be bought. If
you tie the piece of paper to the branch of a tree, good fortune
will come true or predicted bad luck can be avoided. Wishes can
also be written on small wooden plates, which are then left on the
shrines.
There are a few set patterns when praying at Shinto shrines or at
home. One of them is to purify yourself by cleaning your hands and
your mouth with clean water. You then give your offerings, such as
coins at a public shrine or food at home shrines, bow twice
deeply, clap your hands twice, bow deeply once more, and pray.
Shinto shrines
 are places of worship and the dwellings of the kami.
Sacred symbols, which represent the kami are stored in the
innermost chamber of the shrine where they cannot be seen by
anyone. A torii, the entrance gates to a shrine, is a
characteristic element of Shinto shrines. It separates the secular
world from the spiritual.
A shrine usually includes an innermost chamber and an offering
hall, along with other buildings, such as the priest's
accommodations, a stage, and auxiliary buildings. However, Shinto
shrines do not include a cemetery, as death is thought to be evil.
In fact, most Japanese cemeteries are found in Buddhist temples.
Shinto Founder
Founder: Shintoism does not have a founder, but it is rooted in
ancient Japanese mythology and history. This history was orally
transmitted between generations of Japanese people prior to the
introduction of Buddhism in the sixth century A.D.19
Year Founded: There is no exact date as to when Shintoism was
founded, for it encompasses rituals and customs that began in
Japan during ancient times. However, the introduction of Buddhism
and Confucianism to Japan in 552 A.D. prompted the adoption of the
term "Shinto" to differentiate the religious history of Japan.18
Shinto, the national religion of Japan, is one of the oldest of
all the world's religions. It is unlike other religions inasmuch
as it is basically not a system of beliefs. It has been variously
defined. John B. Noss' definition states:
It is basically a reverent loyalty to familiar ways of life and
familiar places... it is true to say that for the masses in Japan
love of country, as in other lands, is a matter of the heart
first, and of doctrinal substance second (John B. Noss, Man's
Religions, New York: MacMillan Company, 1969, p. 316).
Clark B. Offner defines Shinto in the following manner:
Shinto denotes "the traditional religious practices which
originated in Japan and developed mainly among the Japanese people
along with the underlying life attitudes and ideology which
support such practices." Various implications can immediately be
derived from this statement of a modern Shinto scholar. First,
Shinto does not refer to an organized, clearly-defined body of
doctrine nor to a unified, systematized code of behaviour. The
origins of Shinto are lost in the hazy mists enshrouding the
ancient period of Japanese history, but from the time the Japanese
people became conscious of their own cultural character and
traditions, the practices, attitudes and ideology that eventually
developed into the Shinto of today were already included within
them (Clark B. Offner, in The World's Religions, Sir Norman
Anderson, ed., Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 1976, p. 190).
Shinto History
Shinto is purely a Japanese religion, the origins of which are
buried in antiquity. The Japanese are a people who love their land
and believe the islands of Japan were the first divine creation.
This idea of the divine origin of their land is very old and goes
hand-in-hand with the beliefs of Shinto. This national idealism,
the love of their country, is basically why Shinto has been
limited to Japan. John B. Noss comments:
The Japanese came early to the belief that their land was divine,
but late to the nationalistic dogma that no other land is divine,
that the divinity of Japan is so special and unique, so absent
elsewhere, as to make Japan "center of this phenomenal world"
(John B. Noss, op. cit., p. 316).
The Japanese name for their country is Nippon, which means "sun
origin' " Until the end of World War II, Japanese children were
taught at school that the emperors were descendants of the
sun-goddess, Amaterasu. Amaterasu had allegedly given the imperial
house the divine right to rule. In 1946, in a radio broadcast to
the Japanese people, Emperor Hirohito repudiated his divine right
to rule.
Early Development
Shinto's history can be divided into a number of stages. The first
period was from prehistoric times to 552 A.D. when Shinto reigned
supreme among the people of Japan without any serious competition.
In 552 A.D. Buddhism started gaining in popularity among the
Japanese people. In the year 645 A.D., the Emperor Kotoku embraced
Buddhism and rejected Shinto.
From A.D. 800 to 1700, Shinto became combined with other
religions, mixing with both Buddhism and Confucianism and forming
what is called Ryobu Shinto, or dual-aspect Shinto. Shinto, by
itself, experienced a considerable decline during this period.
Japan's religious history has been a long process of mutual
influence between religions. Shinto has been a big part of
Japanese life ever since the beginning of Japan's history and
continues today.
When Buddhism was introduced into Japan in the sixth century, it
started to have an effect on the Shinto beliefs, and vise versa.
An interesting example of this interaction is honji suijaku, in
which shinto kami were seen as the incarnations of Buddhist
deities.
Two other religions that were brought into Japan are Confucianism
and Taosim. For more than 1,000 years, these religions have had
significant impact on Japan's society. The rules of Confucianism
have had major impact on the ethical and political philosophy by
it's influence during the sixth to ninth centuries and later from
1600 to 1868. The use of the Chinese calendar, fortune-tellers,
among other things is a result of Taoism in Japan. It is much
harder to trace than Confucianism, it's influences are still seen
today.
Revival
Around 1700 Shinto experienced a revival when the study of archaic
Japanese texts was reinstituted. One of the most learned Shinto
scholars of the period was Hirata, who wrote:
The two fundamental doctrines are: that Japan is the country of
the Gods, and her inhabitants are the descendants of the Gods.
Between the Japanese people and the Chinese, Hindus, Russians,
Dutch, Siamese, Cambodians and other nations of the world there is
a difference of kind, rather than of degree.
The Mikado is the true Son of Heaven, who is entitled to reign
over the four seas and the ten-thousand countries.
From the fact of the divine descent of the Japanese people
proceeds their immeasurable superiority to the natives of other
countries in courage and intelligence. They "are honest and
upright of heart, and are not given to useless theorizing and
falsehoods like other nations" (Cited by Robert E. Hume, The
World's Living Religions, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, rev.
ed., 1959, p. 172).
These ideas revitalized Shinto among the Japanese people since it
reestablished the divine origin of the land and the people of
Japan.
State Religion
Japanese Emperor Meiji established Shinto as the official religion
of Japan in place of Buddhism. However, since the people continued
to embrace both religions, in 1877 Buddhism was allowed to be
practiced by the people, with total religious liberty granted two
years afterward.
State Shinto, which is to be regarded as a patriotic ritual by the
citizens irrespective of their religion, paid homage to the
Emperor, and was established in 1882. This soon became, for all
intents and purposes, the state religion. After the military
victories of Japan in World War I, the idea of the divinity of the
Emperor became solidly entrenched again in the people. It was not
until the defeat of World War II that state Shinto was abolished
as the religion of the Japanese people. With the fall of state
Shinto, the shrines no longer came under government control and
are now supported by private means.
Meaning of Shinto
The word Shinto comes from the Chinese word Shen-tao, which means
"the way of the gods. " This term was not applied to the religion
until the sixth century A.D., in order to distinguish it from
Buddhism. A major feature of Shinto is the notion of kami. Kami is
a difficult term to define precisely but it refers basically to
the concept of sacred power in both animate and inanimate objects.
Ninian Smart elaborates upon the idea of kami in the following
manner:
Shintoism displayed, and still displays, a powerful sense of the
presence of gods and spirits in nature. These spirits are called
kami, literally "superior beings;' and it is appropriate to
venerate them. The kami are too numerous to lend themselves to a
systematic ordering or stable hierarchy, but among the many the
sun goddess Amaterasu has long held a central place in Shinto
belief. According to the myth found at the beginning of the Kojiki,
the earliest of the celestial gods who came into being instructed
Izanagi and Izanami, male and female deities of the second
generation of gods, to create the world, and in particular the
islands of Japan (the two were in effect identified).
Through the process of sexual generation they produced the land,
and the kami of the mountains, trees, and streams, the god of the
wind and the god of fire, and so on. Eventually... the goddess
Amaterasu, the great kami of the Sun, came into being. Possibly,
prior to the mythological account of her origin she was the mother
goddess of the Yamato clans; the mythology may reflect the way in
which the other deities were successively replaced in the earliest
period, and then were put under the dominance of the chief kami of
the Yamato. But the line between kami and human is not a sharp
one, however exalted some of the deities may be.
The Japanese people themselves, according to the traditional
myths, are descended from the kami; while the line of emperors
traces its descent back to Amaterasu. Amaterasu sent her son Ni-ni-gi
down to rule Japan for her, and thence the imperial line took its
origin (this tradition in recent times was given exaggerated
emphasis in order to make Shinto into an ideology justifying a
nationalistic expansionist policy). The line, too, between the
personal and impersonal in the kami is fluid. Some of the spirits
associated with particular places or things are not strongly
personalized, though the mythology concerned with the great gods
and goddesses is fully anthropomorphic (Ninian Smart, The
Religious Experience of Mankind, New York: Charles Scribner's
Sons, 1969, pp. 192, 193).
Sacred Books
Although Shinto does not consider any one volume as the wholly
inspired revelation on which its religion is based, two books are
considered sacred and have done much to influence the beliefs of
the Japanese people. These works are Ko-ji-ki, the "records of
ancient matters" and Nihongi . , the "chronicles of Japan." They
were both composed around 720 A.D. and in that they report events
occurring some 1300 years earlier in the history of Japan, they
are to be considered late works.
The Ko-ji-ki is the oldest existing written record in Japanese.
The work contains myth, legend and historical narrative in
relating the story of Japan, the imperial ancestors and the
imperial court. The work was compiled around 712 A.D.
The Nihon-gi, compiled around 720 A.D., chronicles the origin of
Japan up until 700 A.D.
Types of Shinto
Since Shinto has neither a founder, sacred writings, nor any
authoritative set of beliefs, there are great diversities in the
two types of Shinto practiced and the beliefs held. Some Shinto
groups do claim a founder, authoritative scriptures, and specific
doctrine. These groups are designated sects of Shinto. However,
the majority of practitioners have no such set beliefs but worship
freely at various shrines located throughout Japan. This practice
of Shrine Shinto is usually identified with the term Shinto.
Shinto exists in four main forms or traditions:
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Koshitsu Shinto (The Shinto of
the Imperial House): This involves rituals performed by the
emperor, who the Japanese Constitution defines to be the "symbol
of the state and of the unity of the people." The most important
ritual is Niinamesai, which makes an offering to the deities of
the first fruits of each year's grain harvest. Male and female
clergy (Shoten and Nai-Shoten) assist the emperor in the
performance of these rites.
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Jinja (Shrine) Shinto: This is
the largest Shinto group. It was the original form of the
religion; its roots date back into pre-history. Until the end of
World War II, it was closely aligned with State Shinto. The
Emperor of Japan was worshipped as a living God. Almost all
shrines in Japan are members of Jinja Honcho, the Association of
Shinto Shrines. It currently includes about 80,000 shrines as
members.
The association urges followers of Shinto:
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"To be grateful for the blessings of
Kami and the benefits of the ancestors, and to be diligent in
the observance of the Shinto rites, applying oneself to them
with sincerity. brightness, and purity of heart."
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"To be helpful to others and in the
world at large through deeds of service without thought of
rewards, and to seek the advancement of the world as one whose
life mediates the will of Kami."
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"To bind oneself with others in
harmonious acknowledgment of the will of the emperor, praying
that the country may flourish and that other peoples too may
live in peace and prosperity." [5]
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Kyoha (Sectarian) Shinto (aka
Shuha Shinto): This consists of 13 sects which were founded by
individuals since the start of the 19th century. Each sect has
its own beliefs and doctrines. Most emphasize worship of their
own central deity; some follow a near-monotheistic religion.
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Minzoku (Folk) Shinto This is
not a separate Shinto group; it has no formal central
organization or creed. It is seen in local rural practices and
rituals, e.g. small images by the side of the road, agriculture
rituals practiced by individual families, etc. A rural community
will often select a layman annually, who will be responsible for
worshiping the local deity.
These three forms are closely linked.
An image may be installed by a member of one of the Sectarian
Shinto sects who worships at a particular shrine. Shinto is a
tolerant religion which accepts the validity of other religions.
It is common for a believer to pay respect to other religions,
their practices and objects of worship.
Worship
The basic place for worship in Shinto is at one of the numerous
shrines covering the country of Japan. Although many Shintoists
have built altars in their homes, the center of worship is the
local shrine. Since Shinto has a large number of deities, a
systematic worship of all such deities is impossible. The Shinto
religious books acknowledge that only a few deities are
consistently worshipped, the chief being the sun-goddess, Amatemsu.
There is a grand imperial shrine dedicated to the worship of
Amaterasu at Ise, some 200 miles southwest of Tokyo. This
centralized place of worship is the most sacred spot in all of
Japan. The practice of worshipping at this particular spot has its
roots before the time of Christ. It is here that the Shintoists
make a pilgrimage to worship at the outer court, while the inner
court is reserved for the priests and government officials.
Amaterasu is the chief deity of Shinto and is feminine rather than
masculine. That the highest object of worship from whom the divine
ancestors arose is a female rather than a male deity is unique
among the larger world religions.
Shinto practices
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Shinto recognizes many sacred places:
mountains, springs, etc.
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Each shrine is dedicated to a
specific Kami who has a divine personality and responds to
sincere prayers of the faithful. When entering a shrine, one
passes through a Tori a special gateway for the Gods. It marks
the demarcation between the finite world and the infinite world
of the Gods.
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In the past, believers practiced "misogi,",
the washing of their bodies in a river near the shrine. In
recent years they only wash their hands and wash out their
mouths in a wash basin provided within the shrine grounds.
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Believers respect animals as
messengers of the Gods. A pair of statues of "Koma-inu" (guard
dogs) face each other within the temple grounds.
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Shrine ceremonies, which include
cleansing, offerings, prayers, and dances are directed to the
Kami.
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Kagura are ritual dances accompanied
by ancient musical instruments. The dances are performed by
skilled and trained dancers. They consist of young virgin girls,
a group of men, or a single man.
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Mamori are charms worn as an aid in
healing and protection. They come in many different forms for
various purposes.
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An altar, the "Kami-dana" (Shelf of
Gods), is given a central place in many homes.
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Seasonal celebrations are held at
spring planting, fall harvest, and special anniversaries of the
history of a shrine or of a local patron spirit. A secular,
country-wide National Founding Day is held on FEB-11 to
commemorate the founding of Japan; this is the traditional date
on which the first (mythical) emperor Jinmu ascended the throne
in 660 BCE. Some shrines are believed to hold festivities on
that day. Other festivals include: JAN 1-3 Shogatsu (New Year);
MAR-3 Hinamatsuri (Girls' festival); MAY-5 Tango no Sekku (Boys'
festival); JUL-7 Hoshi Matsuri (Star festival).
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Followers are expected to visit
Shinto shrines at the times of various life passages. For
example, the Shichigosan Matsuri involves a blessing by the
shrine Priest of girls aged three and seven and boys aged five.
It is held on NOV-15.
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Many followers are involved in the
"offer a meal movement," in which each individual bypasses a
breakfast (or another meal) once per month and donates the money
saved to their religious organization for international relief
and similar activity.
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Origami ("Paper of the spirits"):
This is a Japanese folk art in which paper is folded into
beautiful shapes. They are often seen around Shinto shrines. Out
of respect for the tree spirit that gave its life to make the
paper, origami paper is never cut.
A Shinto Prayer
The following Shinto prayer, found in the Yengishiki, shows the
Shintoists' intermingling of their spiritual feeling with nature:
I declare in the great presence of the
From-Heaven-shining-great-deity who sits in Ise.
Because the Sovereign great goddess bestows on him the countries
of the four quarters over which her glance extends,
As far as the limit where Heaven stands up like a wall,
As far as the bounds where the country stands up distant,
As far as the limit where the blue clouds spread flat,
As far as the bounds where the white clouds lie away fallen-
The blue sea plain as far as the limit whither come the prows of
the ships without drying poles or paddles,
The ships which continuously crowd on the great sea plain,
And the roads which men travel by land, as far as the limit
whither come the horses' hoofs, with the baggage-cords tied
tightly, treading the uneven rocks and tree-roots and standing up
continuously in a long path without a break-
Making the narrow countries wide and the hilly countries plain,
And as it were drawing together the distant countries by throwing
many tens of ropes over them
He will pile up the first-fruits like a range of hills in the
great presence of the Sovereign great goddess, and will peacefully
enjoy the remainder
Shintoistic Terms
Amaterasu -The sun-goddess, the chief deity worshipped in
Shintoism.
Bushido Code-Literally, "the warrior-knight-way!' The code
practiced by the military class of the feudal period (Samurai)
which has held a fascination with the Japanese people throughout
its history. The code is an unwritten system of behavior stressing
loyalty to emperor and country.
Emperor Meiji -The Japanese emperor who established Shinto as the
state religion of Japan.
Harakiri -The ceremonial suicide committed by the Bushido warrior
performed as an atonement for failure or bad judgment. The warrior
believed death was to be preferred to disgrace.
Hondon -The inner sanctuary of a Shinto shrine in which is housed
the Shintai, or "god body!'
Izanagi -The "female-who-invites!' The female deity who, according
to the Shinto myth, gave birth to the eight islands of Japan.
Izanami-The "male-who-invites. " The male deity who, along with
the female deity Izanagi, helped produce the Japanese islands and
the Japanese people.
Jigai -The method of suicide consisting of cutting the jugular
vein. It is committed by females as an atonement for their sins.
Kami -The sacred power found in both animate and inanimate
objects. This power is deified in Shintoism.
Kami Dama -"The god shelf" which is found in most private homes on
which are placed memorial tablets with the names of an ancestor or
deity inscribed on it.
Ko-Jfi-Ki- The "records of ancient matters" composed in 712 A.D.,
charting the imperial ancestors and the imperial court.
Mikado-A term used by foreigners to designate the emperor of
Japan.
Nihon-Gi-The "chronicles of Japan" composed around 720 A.D. This
work is a history of Japan from its origin until 700 A.D.
O-Harai -"The Great Purification. " The greatest of all Shinto
ceremonies by which the people go through a national purging of
their sins.
Ryobu Shinto-Also known as, "dual aspect Shinto." The term refers
to the mixing of Shintoism with Buddhism and Confucianism.
Shintai -An object of worship housed in the inner sanctuary of a
Shinto shrine. The Shintai is usually an object of little value,
such as a sword or mirror, but it supposedly contains magical
powers and consequently is viewed as a good-luck charm.
Shinto-The term Shinto is derived from the Chinese term, Shen-tao,
meaning the "way of the higher spirits!' Shinto is the designation
for the religion that has long characterized Japan and its people.
Shinto Myth -The belief that the islands of Japan and the Japanese
people are of divine origin.
State Shinto-The patriotic ritual, established in 1882, which
worshipped the emperor as the direct descendant of the gods. State
Shinto was abolished at the end of World War II.
Shinto: The Way of the Gods
By N. Alice Yamada
Shinto, written as the Way of the Gods, is a native religion of
Japan that encompasses the poetic reality of senses, which is a
part of basic Japanese principles of life. According to the Kojiki,
the mythological chronology of Japan, the gods of the Shinto
religion are believed to have created Japan as their image of
paradise on earth, and the ruler of Japan, the Emperor, is a
direct descendent of the Sun-goddess Amaterasu.
Known as the doctrine of Yorozu-yomi, there are gods for
everything and anything, from food to rivers to rocks. One can
choose to worship any god in any region. However, to unite the
gods, the Sun-goddess, Amaterasu, is given the highest respect.
The Great Ise Shrine in the east coast of Japan is dedicated to
her. Her brother, Susan-no-mikoto, is also a great hero in
mythology, and he is thought to have descented from heaven to roam
the earth. His journey includes the slaying of a great evil
dragon, and the sword her held in the battle is preserved in one
of the three major shrines of Japan - Atsuta Shrine. The Ise
Shrine also holds his belonging, the mirror which acted as his
shield.
As in the Kami-dana, the mirror, with its reflection has a special
effect on the Japanese. Many historical buildings are found where
lakes and rivers offer another version of the buildings in its
reflection.
Here, Kinkakuji, the Golden Temple combines the Buddhist style of
architecture to the Shinto doctrine of reflections. A similar use
of reflections are seen in this building.
The Shinto religion places a great importance in nature, in
purity, and in tranquility. Cleanliness is a main factor, and the
gods are pictured as disliking insincerity and disorder. Shinto
emphasizes right practice, sensibility and attitude over
conceptual understanding of the universe and holiness, respect for
nature is permeated throughout the society in Japan. Nature, in
its unmeasurable power and beauty, is understood as the
manifestation of divine power. A rainstorm is provoked and halted
by honouring the gods; there is no reasoning necessary. The power
of nature lies in the hands of the gods, and to drive the forces
of nature to the favorable side is only possible through seeking
blessings from the divine.
Since Japan's earliest days, Shinto has been the code of honour
and action for the Japanese. It gives the Japanese citizens
customs, doctrines, and a general respect for purity, sincerity
and cleanliness. Through successful assimilation into the daily
life of Japan, Shinto will continue to be a part of the Japanese
culture.
Japanese Funeral Ritual
Buddhism and Shintoism
As is the case with most Asiatic countries, Japan is a land of
multiple religious systems of beliefs and a variety of local and
regional sacred folkways. For the Japanese, Buddhism is the most
prevalent and in many ways the most influential religion. Nearly
every family in Japan belongs to one sect or another. The keeping
of ancestor tablets in household shrines and daily offerings of
food and drink are Buddhist household practices. All matters
concerning the afterlife, such as funerals and memorial services
for deceased relatives, are looked after by the local Buddhist
priest.
Shintoism is a more or less indigenously developed sect of
religious beliefs that revolve about a constellation of deities.
Shintoism can be found in three forms: popular Shinto, sect Shinto
and official or state Shinto. In one form or another, Shinto
beliefs are held by all Japanese subjects regardless of their
Buddhist affiliations. Each village will have its local deity, and
a shrine to house it. The practices revolving about such deity
constitute popular Shinto. Sect Shinto organizes its adherents
into named groups. Finally, state Shinto consists of a set of
special sacred beliefs and practices associated with Japanese
nationalism which are observed as part of the ritual of
patriotism. As such, state Shinto is not a religion.
Response to the Dead
When a person falls sick, friends of the village visit his home to
make social calls and to bring gifts of food to be eaten uncooked.
If the sick man appears to be dying, the family gathers to keep
the death watch. When he dies they telegraph the more distant
relatives to invite them to the funeral ¡X which usually takes
place the day following the death. A child is sent to notify the
village headman.
Upon receiving notice of the event, the headman takes charge. As
the family members remain more or less immobilized with grief the
cooperative enterprise of preparing the dead and preparing for the
funeral gets under way. Many tasks must be performed in a short
span of time. Many hands are busied.
Preparation of the Dead
A coffin must first be procured. It can be purchased at a nearby
town or may be made in the village. The headman helps the family
make decisions. Equipment and properties will be required,
including paper flags containing prayers, paper processional
lanterns, and a wooden candlestick. Men of the village gather in
the yard to make these. Meanwhile the women set to work gathering
and preparing the food required for the feast which is given
before the burial. One woman sews a white pilgrim's outfit with
which to shroud the body. The pallbearers spend most of the day
digging a grave.
When the coffin is constructed or is purchased, the body, which
lies behind an inverted screen, is disrobed by near relatives,
thoroughly several live cattle are slaughtered before it, to honor
the dead and to bid his spirit to begin its journey to the land of
ghosts. Following this rite, strong men raise the body shoulder
high and carry it off to the cemetery. The procession is led by
the bugler, who plays constantly during the march. Behind him
follow the warriors, brandishing weapons in mimic battle.
Next parade the non-hierarchical organizations to which the
deceased belonged. Their contribution to the colorful occasion
consists of acrobatic displays. To their rear march the mourners.
As the procession threads its way out of the village, a great
talking drum, stationed at the home of the deceased, sends its
reverberations far and wide with the message that this is the time
for all persons within hearing to pay their last tribute to the
dead.
Amid the booming of guns the funeral procession finally reaches
the cemetery. This may belong either to the family or to the
village, depending on the social status of the deceased.
To make the grave, a round hole ¡X perhaps no larger in diameter
than needed to pass the body through ¡X is dug. As it grows deeper
it is continuously widened until it is of considerable width at
the usual depth of six feet. At the bottom, to one side, a large
compartment, approximately six feet long and four feet wide, is
excavated. In this recess the uncoffined body is laid to rest on
floor mats. Buried with it are all kinds of paraphernalia, and a
sum of money. A chief's body formerly was laid across the laps of
condemned criminals, who were buried alive with him.
When the procession reaches the grave site, it halts; the veterans
stage a mimic battle, and against the background of warlike
drumming, the first-born of a chief's sons recounts the deeds of
bravery that marked his father's life. The conclusion of each
episode is punctuated with a thunderous roll of drums and an
outburst of gunfire. Meanwhile the wife of the dead man continues
to pray. As a sign of her final tribute, she bears on her head a
new earthenware vase.
Mourning and Memorialization
The death of a member produces deep mourning in a family, and the
closest of kin sequester themselves in their houses, and refrain
from active work.
Not long after the burial, the family organizes what may be
translated as the "Feast of Consecration," at which they feed and
entertain numerous guests. This feast lasts from two to four
weeks, and is terminated by a procession in which relatives,
friends, and neighbors parade wearing sackcloth. Much pomp and
circumstance and the firing of guns mark this ceremony. At its
conclusion the property of the deceased is divided, with the
first-born son receiving most, or ¡X as trustee ¡X all of it. A year
or two later, the final memorial rites, the "Feast of
Commemoration," takes place. To mark the grave, a furnished
"memorial house" is built over it, or a tombstone is erected.
The body is washed, shrouded and coffined. So that the spirit may
pay the ferryman for passage into eternity, a bag containing a few
coins is hung from the dead person's waist, and meditation beads
are entwined in his hand. Because it is considered indispensable
to being fully clothed, a fan is laid in the coffin, together with
some small favorite object belonging to the deceased.
Some days are considered unlucky for funerals, and the body of one
dying at such a time is thought likely to summon a living person
to follow him quickly to the grave. To prevent so untoward an
occurrence, a straw doll is placed in the coffin as a substitute.
The dead are thought to listen, and so, as the relatives shroud
the body, they describe aloud the tasks they are performing. To
mask the odor of death, all who assist in coffining carry bunches
of burning incense. On completing their task, they rush to bathe
their hands in salt water.
Meanwhile the priest waits in a neighbor's house until these
arrangements are completed and the family summons him. At the
feast, which begins shortly, and is considered a farewell meal
with the dead, he sits in the seat of honor near the alcove in
which is kept the Shinto god shelf. All participants in the
funeral feast change to their most formal attire, and women wear a
special funeral hair dress. Fish are banned from the menu of the
funeral feast; and the cakes, although made of the same dry
flour used for the cakes in the naming and wedding ceremonies, are
dead white. While the family and the priest are thus solemnly
employed within the house, the men of the community who have been
assisting in the funeral preparations have gathered in the yard or
barn to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves.
The Funeral
When the ancient formulas have been recited by the priest, the men
of the hamlet enter the house, carry out the coffin and bind it to
poles which they raise and carry on their shoulders. The
procession then forms in line, and the relatives march to the
churchyard maintained by the hamlet. After the procession leaves
the house, the women who have served remain behind to sweep the
floor and eat their meal.
At the cemetery the priest conducts a graveside service, and the
body is lowered into the grave. When he concludes, he leaves. The
relatives follow soon after. Talking and laughing, the pallbearers
fill the grave and place the markers. Etiquette requires that the
mourners do not remain with the family that night, but return to
their respective homes.
Additional Service
On the day following the funeral the relatives of the dead person
again visit the house of the dead, and from there go to the
cemetery. Before visiting the grave they wash their hands. The
Buddhist priest also visits the family to collect for the funeral
services and to make arrangements for seven memorial services, the
first and seventh to take place at the home of the deceased, and
the rest at the homes of relatives. While orthodox Buddhist rules
require that these should be at seven day intervals, the practice
is less strict, and the traditionally forty-nine day observance is
sometimes telescoped into forty-two days or less. This short cut
is made not from motives of impiety, but because the villagers
dislike having the period extended, by accident of the calendar,
through parts of three months, or beyond the end of a year.
At each of these services the priest reads prayers before the dead
man's portrait of Amida, the Savior. Relatives bearing gifts of
rice attend these services, and, after visiting the grave, are
entertained at a small party in the dead man's home. With the
seventh observance, the mourning period closes, and food taboos
are lifted. Prior to this time the bereaved family was forbidden
to eat fish.
The festival of Bon, which is similar to our New Year's is
celebrated from the thirteenth to the fifteenth day of the seventh
month. On this great holiday the souls of dead ancestors are
believed to return and to dwell in the butsudan, the Buddhist
alcove with its scroll painting of Amida, the Savior. In this
painting, Amida is pictured with many golden rays emanating from
him. The dead are believed to begin to arrive on the night of the
thirteenth and to remain until the night of the sixteenth. At some
time or other during this celebration it is customary in most
villages for all members of the hamlet to pay a call at the home
of a family which has lost a member by death during the preceding
year. The visitors bring gifts: money, lanterns, rice, candles,
rice beer, incense sticks, cakes, and noodles; and in return, are
feasted. Because this is a funeral ceremony, no fish is served. As
a result of the campaign for economy in some hamlets, the visiting
is dispensed with, and, instead, each family makes a small money
contribution to the elected head of the clan, who passes it along
to the bereaved family.
Great preparations are made for the festival of Bon. Graves are
cleaned up, so that the returning spirits will find them in good
condition, and, on the thirteenth, containers of water and flowers
in bamboo vases are placed on them. At the graves of the newly
dead, relatives and other members of the hamlet sometimes offer
flowers, or a mixture of rice and chopped eggplant or cucumber, or
holy stones.
Houses are also cleaned and decorated with flowers and lanterns.
The custom of bowing to ghosts as they enter the house on the
thirteenth day, but not seeing them off as they leave on the
sixteenth has passed. The path by which they go is lighted with
candles, and the entrance to it, by torches. When the ghosts
depart, the living accompany them, carrying candles and little
pine torches. After bidding the ghosts goodbye, the relatives
return to the house for a drinking party.
References
"Shinto: A Portrait" is at: http://www.silcom.com/~origin/sbcr/sbcr131
"Shinto, the Way of the Gods" is at: http://www.trincoll.edu/~tj/tj4.4.96/articles/cover.html
"Shinto and Buddhism: the Wellsprings of Japanese Spirituality" is
at: http://www.askasia.org/frclasrm/readings/r000009.htm
"The Fountainhead of Miracles," is at: http://www.shinreikyo.or.jp/
"The Jinja Shinto (The Shrine Shinto)," is at: http://www.jinja.or.jp/english/s-4.html
"Shinto," by the Jinja Online Network League is at: http://www.jinja.or.jp/english/s-0.html
"Shinto Online Network Association," is at: http://www.jinja.or.jp/english/index.html
"Schauwecker's Guide to Japan: Shinto," is at: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2056.html
"Paul Watt," "Shinto & Buddhism: Wellsprings of Japanese
spirituality," at: http://www.askasia.org/frclasrm/readings/r000009.htm
Pictures of Shinto shrines are at: http://www.kiku.com/electric_samurai/cyber_shrine/
Yahoo has a list of Shinto links at: http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion_and_Spirituality/Faiths_and_Practices/Shinto/
"Potpourri," at: http://poza.net/japan/living9.html
JapanZone has an essay on Shinto at: http://www.japan-zone.com/omnibus/shinto.shtml
They also have many essays on Japanese culture, climate, history
etc.
"Funeral Customs The World Over" by R.W. Habenstein.
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