Early Shinto
The origins and early development of Shinto, Japan’s indigenous spiritual tradition, from ancient myths and rituals to the formation of early shrines and the codification of foundational texts.
Jomon & Yayoi Periods (c. 14,000 BCE – 250 CE)
Prehistoric animism, nature worship, and early ritual practices
Kofun Period (250–538 CE)
Emergence of clan-based kami worship and early shrine formation
Asuka & Nara Periods (538–794 CE)
Codification of myths in Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, syncretism with Buddhism
Creation Myths
The Kojiki (712 CE) and Nihon Shoki (720 CE) record Japan’s creation myths, including the birth of the islands and the kami (deities) by Izanagi and Izanami, and the descent of Amaterasu, the sun goddess.
- • Izanagi and Izanami: Creators of the Japanese islands
- • Amaterasu: Sun goddess and imperial ancestor
- • Susanoo and Tsukuyomi: Sibling deities of storm and moon
- • Mythic origins of the imperial line
Kami and Animism
Early Shinto was characterized by animistic beliefs, reverence for natural phenomena, and the worship of kami—spiritual beings inhabiting nature, ancestors, and extraordinary people.
- • Kami as spirits of nature, ancestors, and objects
- • Sacred mountains, trees, rocks, and rivers
- • Ritual purity and avoidance of pollution (kegare)
- • Festivals (matsuri) to honor and appease kami
Rituals and Festivals
Early Shinto rituals focused on maintaining harmony with the kami through offerings, prayers, and seasonal festivals.
- • Offerings of food, sake, and symbolic objects
- • Purification rites (harae) to cleanse individuals and spaces
- • Community festivals (matsuri) for agricultural cycles
- • Divination and oracular practices
Shrine Formation
The earliest Shinto shrines were simple sacred spaces, often marked by natural features or torii gates, evolving into more elaborate structures over time.
- • Sacred groves and natural sites as original shrines
- • Emergence of clan-based ujigami shrines
- • Construction of permanent shrine buildings
- • Use of torii gates to mark sacred boundaries
Kami
Kami are the spiritual essence present in all things, from natural phenomena to ancestors and deified heroes.
- • Multiplicity and diversity of kami
- • Local and national kami
- • Relationship between kami and community
- • Kami as both benevolent and potentially dangerous
Purity and Pollution
Maintaining ritual purity (harae) was central to early Shinto, with pollution (kegare) seen as a source of misfortune.
- • Ritual washing and purification rites
- • Avoidance of death and blood in sacred spaces
- • Seasonal and life-cycle purification
- • Social harmony through collective purity
Syncretism
Early Shinto was open to influences from continental Asia, especially Buddhism, which began to merge with native beliefs during the Asuka and Nara periods.
- • Introduction of Buddhism in the 6th century
- • Shinbutsu-shūgō: Syncretism of kami and buddhas
- • Shared sacred sites and rituals
- • Influence on art, architecture, and ritual
Imperial Mythology
The imperial family traced its lineage to Amaterasu, legitimizing rule and connecting political authority to divine origins.
- • Emperor as high priest of Shinto
- • Rituals for national unity and prosperity
- • Use of myth to legitimize political power
- • Ongoing role in Japanese identity
Primary Sources
- • Kojiki (712 CE) – Japan’s oldest chronicle of myths and history
- • Nihon Shoki (720 CE) – Official history and mythology
- • Engishiki (927 CE) – Ritual regulations and shrine records
- • Fudoki – Regional gazetteers with local myths and customs
Modern Scholarship
- • Shinto: The Kami Way by Sokyo Ono
- • Shinto in History: Ways of the Kami by John Breen & Mark Teeuwen
- • The Essence of Shinto by Motohisa Yamakage
- • Shinto: Origins, Rituals, Festivals, Spirits, Sacred Places by C. Scott Littleton