Tag - shinto

 
 

SHINTO

A mid-19th century ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi depicts Xu Fu’s voyage in search of the elixir of life. He can be seen near the left side of the image, with what looks to be Penglai, or Mount Fuji, in the background.
JAPAN / History / Longform
Jan 20, 2024
Eternal pursuits: A history of Japanese quests for immortality
Whether it's a permanent state of meditation or feasting on mermaid, the quest for immortality in Japan isn't too far off from those in other cultures.
While harsh comments from older generations can sometimes be seen as rude, consider instead that they’re often trying to teach us something they hold on to.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 26, 2023
A survival guide for your first Japanese-style at-home New Year’s
Meeting your partner’s Japanese family for the New Year’s holidays? Here are some do’s and don’ts for an ‘oshōgatsu’ success story.
Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto Prefecture hands out "blindfold" stickers that visitors can use to cover up their wishes written on wooden plaques.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 23, 2023
Privacy concerns prompt people to cover up Shinto prayer plaques
The plaques have been used to express wishes for centuries, and now some shrines are allowing them to be covered with stickers for privacy reasons.
The wedded rocks of Meoto Iwa in Mie Prefecture.
JAPAN / History
Aug 20, 2023
Good and evil defined by God … or gods
Much of our understanding of good and evil can be traced to definitions created by religion. Which religion (and definition) depends on where you live.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Photo essay
May 28, 2023
Does the pure joy seen at this year's Sanja Matsuri hint at a summer of celebration?
After scaled-down celebrations became the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, one of Tokyo"s biggest festivals returns in full form.
Japan Times
Cartoons / ZERO GRAVITY
May 20, 2023
Roger Dahl on karma
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 18, 2023
The religious right’s hidden sway as Japan trails allies on gay rights
As a G7 summit nears in Hiroshima, Japan is under pressure to show greater support for equality. A national Shinto group has spread a more hostile message.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 19, 2023
Japan planning for G7 leaders to visit UNESCO shrine during Hiroshima summit
The plan emerged as the government of Kishida, who represents a constituency in the city of Hiroshima, aims to raise the international profile of other tourist spots in the prefecture.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 3, 2023
Cashless 'saisen' religious offerings spread amid COVID pandemic
Many believe that cashless saisen offerings could help reduce the spread of COVID-19 as people can avoid crowds forming around offering boxes at temples and shrines.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Dec 4, 2022
Japan Times 1997: 160 nations adopt Kyoto Protocol
Environmental concerns hit the front pages of newspapers in 1997, with the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol, and 1922, when residents tried to appease an "angry tree."
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Nov 20, 2022
Merged with surf and jungle, Okinawa’s holiest sites survive
Where Shinto integrates nature into its holy sites, the caves, trees and shoreline sacred to Okinawa's indigenous religion can often seem untouched by human hands.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 16, 2022
Japanese man arrested over Putin straw doll nailed to shrine tree
The doll features a picture of Putin's face and came with a note in its breast wishing death to the Russian leader.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 30, 2022
Japan firm develops AI system to catch shrine box donations thieves
Nagoya-based Trinity hopes the new system will help catch thieves red-handed at shrines, which are open 24 hours a day and often left unstaffed for long periods of time.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Dec 19, 2021
The prince and the prophet
Their paths may be different, but the devotion to God and gods that two men display in different parts of the world changes the religious landscapes of both.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Mar 20, 2021
Leap of faith: Japan’s religious institutions get innovative in pandemic
Temples and shrines nationwide are experimenting with new ways of meeting the spiritual and emotional needs of parishioners.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2021
Online funerals and Zen apps keep Japan’s Buddhist temples afloat
As the pandemic forces institutions around the world to change the way they do things, new endeavors are some of the ways that Buddhist groups in Japan are trying to survive.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2020
Okayama shrine offers charms to protect each body part
Many shrines and temples in Japan sell amulets for good health, but a shrine in Okayama Prefecture is famous for offering more than 50 varieties of charms for different parts of the body or symptoms.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 4, 2020
Kyoto shrine revives Shinto-Buddhist rite after 550-year hiatus
People in ancient Japan believed that natural disasters and epidemics were due to curses made by well-known figures who died with feelings of resentment.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 23, 2020
Japan's shrine association rocked by exit of key member Kotohira-gu
Yasutsugu Kotooka, the chief priest at the shrine in Kagawa Prefecture, said a number of incidents had fueled distrust of the association.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 13, 2020
Sacred rope replaced above 133-meter waterfall at Japan World Heritage site
An event to replace a shimenawa sacred rope hanging above a World Heritage waterfall was held Monday to prepare for an upcoming festival at Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine in Wakayama Prefecture.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world