Shinto is
Nature of Kami
Kami is the Japanese word for Shinto deities or sacred beings, and it can be interpreted in many different ways. The following are considered to be the basic characteristics of kami.
Characteristics of Shinto
Shinto is a general term for a faith in Japan which reveres all the kami of heaven and earth. Its origin is as old as the history of Japan, and it was only at the end of the 6th century when our ancestors began to call it “Shinto” (or the way of kami).
Shinto Concept of Sin (Tsumi) and Impurity (Kegare)
In Shinto, there is no concept of original sin or karma. But ancient Japanese considered all unhappy or unfortunate incidents, such as diseases or natural hazards, as sins. Yet, they were not the cause in the individual, but in external factors. And they considered sin to something adhere to people externally.
Shinto Way of life
Modern society has been established on the belief that all creation, the earth itself and all living creatures progress in a straight line, centered on the human race. Modern science has been increasing the speed of progress.
Shinto Wedding
Shinto Wedding is a ceremony which announces a couple’s marriage to the kami and makes the two families related in front of the kami.
In Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, a wedding ceremony takes place either at Maiden (Lower Worship Hall) or at Wakamiya Shrine.