Australian Shinto

Koshinto Australia

The following report has been sent in by Jason Sargeant concerning a new initiative in Australia, which I am sure will catch the interest of our regular readers.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Greetings all: well, many readers may be surprised to find out that Australia and in fact South Australia has a small Shinto community.

Jason Sargeant

At present we are essentially establishing our organisation in relation to our Shrine and generating greater interest. Hopefully we will attract people who wish to become part of the Shinto way.

So who are Koshinto Australia?

Well, Koshinto was started by Jason Sargent who a Shihan in the Japanese Art of Bujinkan under Dr Hatsumi.  After straddling two cultures for the better part of 25 years and practicing Shinto privately for over 10, I started to realise that it was time that I provided others with the chance to experience the wonderful principles and happy view of life that Shinto provides.

So I registered a Website n 2011 and commenced building our Jinja in Australia.  Currently we have a small group of participants, and we hope to as mentioned before to grow our Jinja with a spirit of community.

Our planned Shrine will be located at the Goodwood Primary School and will be a non permanent Shrine only from the perspective that we will erect it each month when ceremonies are conducted.

Please visit this link to our site.

Yamakage Motohisa, present head of Yamakage Shinto

We follow the principles and teachings of the Yamakage School of Shinto, however at present we are not affiliated with the Yamakage organisation in Japan, a fact that we hope to change in the near future.  I have taken the role of Kannushi (priest) for the organisation for the following reasons:

I have studied the Texts and philosophy of Shinto for over 10 years including the Kojiki

I have researched and participated in the major Shinto rituals (except Weddings)

I have practiced and administered a wide array of Shinto ceremonies

I have completed the 100 Days of Chinkon

While I do not class myself as a Master Kannushi, it is only by practice and refinement that I will one day achieve this goal.

I wish you all the best of health and happiness

Regards

Jason Sargent

**********************************************************************************************************************************************

For an explanation of Yamakage Shinto, see the Kokugakuin dictionary entry here.  The Dutchman, Paul de Leeuw, the world’s first non-Japanese Shinto priest, practises Yamakage Shinto and has co-translated The Essence of Shinto by Yamakage Motohisa.