The Origins of Shinto

1. What is the meaning of Shinto and when did this designation appear?
2. Briefly retell the Shinto creation myth.
3. What features are found in the creation myth that are intriguing because they reflect Shinto values and concerns?

The Historical Development of Shinto
What forces prompted Shinto to define itself?

Accommodation with Buddhism and Confucianism

1. What were the accommodations reached between Shinto and Buddhism?
2. How did Shinto mesh with Confucian values?

Shinto and Japanese National Identity

1. Highlight the details of the Meiji Restoration.
2. Differentiate State Shinto from Sect Shinto.
3. Why did State Shinto end?

Kamikaze Pilots and Shinto

1. Who were the kamikaze pilots?
2. What elements produced the warrior ideal of bushido?

Essentials of Shinto Belief

1. What is at the heart of Shinto?
2. Explain who the kami are.
3. What is the morality that flows from the Shinto system of values?
4. Why does Shinto turn its focus away from death?
5. Discuss the role of washing or cleaning in Shinto.
6. Where are the kami located and how are they to be treated?

Shinto Religious Practice
Worship at Shrines

1. Why do people visit Shinto shrines?
2. Describe the features of the shrines.
3. Describe the actions one performs when visiting the shrine.
4. What sorts of items are considered shrine "treasures"?
5. What functions do Shinto priests perform?

Celebration of the New Year
What sorts of ritual actions are performed by Shinto followers during the New Year's celebration?

Observances of the Seasons and Nature

1. How do the seasons and nature factor into Shinto?
2. What other practices do some followers of Shinto perform to achieve purification and union with certain kami?

Other Practices

1. Describe daily worship at home for followers of Shinto.
2. How is the emperor viewed in Shinto and what duties does he perform?

Shinto and the Arts

1. What are the defining features of Shinto concerning art?
2. Why has Shinto lent itself to an appreciation of the beauty of ritual?

Architecture

1. Describe the features of shrines that reflect Shinto artistic expression.
2. What Chinese influences are seen in Shinto buildings?
3. What function do the torii serve?

Music and Dance
How are music and dance used in Shinto practice?

Shinto Offshoots: The New Religions

1. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of Shinto not being a strongly institutionalized religion.
2. What are the four general groups of sects and offshoots of Shinto?
3. Describe some of the unifying features and concerns that characterize the New Religions.
4. What might the New Religions show about the direction of religions in general in the future?

Shinto and the Modern World
Describe the four elements of Shinto that have particular modern significance.