In an essay on environmentalism in Shinto which has appeared recently on the academic.edu website, Green Shinto friend Aike Rots puts forward different ‘paradigms’ used in descriptions of Shinto. It should give pause to those who like to argue … Read the rest
Category: General (Page 14 of 25)
Sad news comes from musician Graham Ranft about the death of the famed Australian composer, Peter Sculthorpe at the age of 85.
Graham writes that ‘His music is about the earth, the dreamtime and the Australian landscape.’ Clearly the following … Read the rest
Today is the official release date of my latest publication, Japan’s World Heritage Sites. It’s a large-format, richly illustrated book with over 150 of my own photos together with some gorgeous selections from photo libraries. It involved travelling the … Read the rest
ISSA Shinto Essay Competition, 2014
Sponsored by International Shinto Studies Association
Topics:
1) The Main Features of Edo-period Confucian Interpretations of Shinto
2) The Visual Culture of Shinto: Material Forms and Representations of the Kami in History
3) The … Read the rest
How many Shinto believers are there?
It’s a tricky question because in a religion with no conversion, how does one measure numbers? By the number of people who visit shrines; the number who say they believe; the number who … Read the rest
Japan has some of the harshest punishments for cannabis use in the world. One might presume this stems from the country’s dedication to hard work and efficiency, but it’s rather the legacy of the US occupation after WW2. In fact, … Read the rest
Fue and Shinto by Graham Ranft
In this current digital/digitised age I wonder if the appeal of Shinto for Westerners is about a more natural spirituality and also as a way of reconnecting with that world we lose as we … Read the rest