What are the fundamental Shinto beliefs?
Shinto (or kannagara no michi, literally the way of the deities) is Japans indigenous religion. Shinto refers to diverse and localized religious beliefs, ritual practices, and institutions. On the one hand, Shinto encompasses local community practices, while on the other it also includes the elaborate and highly structured ceremonial practices of the imperial institution and, in earlier historical periods, of the state. From its beginnings in early Japanese history, Shinto has been profoundly influenced by Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Syncretic interaction with Buddhism, in particular, has been strong historically. “Shinto” means “way of the gods” (“kami no michi”), and it is a “cosmic religion”, that finds in the beauty and symmetry of nature manifestations of the gods. The essence of Shintoism is “kami”, the divine spirit found in all things in heaven and earth, mountains and rivers, sun and moon, plants, animals, and human beings… and very specially at Mount Fuji, the cherr
