Okuchimakami: The spirit wolves of the Kanto Mountains
By Kevin Short / Special to The Japan News
By Kevin Short / Special to The Japan News
One day last week I was doing some research at a
Category: Animism (Page 10 of 19)
Green Shinto friend, Jake Davis, has posted some wonderful pictures of sacred islands on his blog, More Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan. He points out that these are not much written about in contrast to other sacred features such as … Read the rest
In an article on the nippon.com website, religious scholar Yamaori Tetsuo puts forward his concept of a tripartite Shinto in historical terms. First was ancient Shinto, characterised by animist beliefs in a period with which many of us … Read the rest
Previously Green Shinto carried a posting on agnosticism, which resonated with several readers, and it’s a theme I’d like to develop further as thoughts turn towards the celebration of spring. It’s a time when, in tune with nature, new … Read the rest
It’s rare to find a Shinto shrine without a sacred tree. Indeed, the origins of shrines may well have started with trees, and their symbolic nature may permeate the human consciousness… Deeply rooted below the earth and rising up … Read the rest
As an animist religion, Shinto sees the spirit world as underpinning that of the physical. This is true too of the traditional swords, thought to have a spiritual presence. ‘The forging of a Japanese blade typically took weeks or even … Read the rest
Nature in Short / Hatsumode: Bringing in the New Year with prayers at shrines, temples
By Kevin Short / Special to The Japan News January 06, 2015
If you are living, working or visiting in Japan, whether in a … Read the rest